Proverbs 6:1-19

Proverbs 6:1-19

It is very tempting to look at this chapter as a collection of five sets of warnings about individually unwise people or behaviors. That is true, but if that is as far as we go, we miss a powerful and important progression. This chapter can represent a continuous journey to ruin.

The first section, verses 1-5, is a warning against debt. The time to heed the advice to get out of debt is not when bankruptcy is about to occur. There's no indication of a financial crisis in these verses. While many Christians will advocate for not paying interest or being in debt, they advocate holding debt on others in the form of stocks, bonds, etc. Perhaps this hypocrisy is caused by our love of money and wealth. We claim to have our money working for us, rather than working personally, but in reality we are extracting wealth from others.

Which brings us to the next section, verses 6-11. Let's face it: easy money and consumer debt are two sides of the same coin. The slugger wants to get goods but doesn't want to work. Go to any community of non-working, able-bodied adults, and you will find high debt levels but low-effort people. Do you remember the stories from the past of college students with full class loads and two jobs? Now student loans cover all expenses, recreation included. Apathy about education goes hand in hand with the loans to have the college experience. In many welfare communities where poverty is rampant, you will find easy credit is the norm. Complete with high interest rates. Never doubt easy credit brings debt, and debt enables indolence, which leads to poverty.

Ever been in a community where welfare and government aid are the primary income sources? You see it described in verses 12-15. Without work to do, there is plenty of time and room for drama. It is no accident that crime and welfare always fall on the same community. Able-bodied adults who do not work, who overspend and are in need, will gravitate to plots, schemes, and plans to get ahead.

In verses 16-19, we see the behaviors of the conspirators; it is descriptive of the drama of verses 12-15. The person involved in the drama is described in verse 12 as “worthless.” The word literally means "no" plus "value." We have sentimentalized the poor as if they are all characters from a Dickens novel. We think of them as victims of a “system” or “circumstance” or the "environment." We pour endless resources into solving the economic problem. But economics is not the problem at all. Certainly there are systems that are unjust and unfair, but we must not avoid asking the questions of the moral culpability of the poverty class.

The failure to address the underlying sins that lead to the disastrous condition in the economic condition is not compassion; it is denial. 

“Lord, grant me a work ethic that will honor You. AMEN."

Proverbs 5:1-23

Proverbs 5:1-23

It is amazing that with a failure rate of 100%, sexual misconduct remains such a powerful temptation. In all of human history there has never been a case where sexual sin produces positive results. Nevertheless, sexual sin remains vibrant in our world. Perhaps the temptation is so strong because it is like a rope of three strands. All three of the root sins can be found in this temptation. The World: In lust we desire to possess people. They are no longer humans, but having been objectified, we make people a thing to possess. The Flesh: the desire to experience more. In all sexual sin, from a fleeting moment of impure thought up to full participation with another, there is the desire for experience. The sin of pride: ego is always bound up in sexual sin; either a person says, “I am above the rules that apply to others,” or we imagine we are so great that we could do for a lover what no one else could. 

There's a reason that sexual sin is often called fantasy. When we try to live a fantasy, we always become delusional and disconnected from reality. Reality is described for us in verses 7-14. Perhaps no other sin compares with sexual sin in its capacity to promise much and deliver little or the very opposite of what is promised. Solomon outlines three ways in which sexual sin ruins us. First is the drain on resources vs. 9-10. From the cost of divorce, porn subscriptions, the financial maintenance of a lover, or the cost of a prostitute, sexual sin is costly. Second, the physical toll of sexual misconduct. Sexual sin is draining, not to mention the possibility of STDs. Third, there is the internal psychological ruin. Multitudes of people live with the constant regret that results from sexual sin. And as Judgment Day approaches, these regrets intensify.

Thankfully there is sexual expression with all the joy and thrills promised but never delivered by sexual sin. In marriage we can have all the delights of sexual fulfillment without death, vs. 15-23. Strange as it may sound, while sexual temptation overpromises and underdelivers, the sexual life in marriage promises much and delivers even more. Sexual purity does require attention, focus, and effort, but the promises of verse 19 are all that a person could ever want in a lover. 

“Lord, help me to live a life of radical sexual purity. AMEN.”

Proverbs 4:1-27

Proverbs 4:1-27

One of the harbingers of a collapse of any nation or culture is the failure of men to be godly leaders. We see it when boys become feral; they have no moral compass, no work ethic, and no reason to exist but the satisfaction of their own appetites. They are useless, and they become slaves to their own passions and operate out of a lawless worldview. This occurs long before the more visible breakdown of marriage, education, economic strength, or national or moral framework. 

What is the beginning point of boys becoming feral young men? It is when fathers fail to teach wisdom and righteousness to the next generation. Notice in verse 1 the plural "sons," but in verse 3 it is singular. The father teaches all his sons wisdom, but each boy feels a singular responsibility; he can't count on anyone else, not even his brothers, to hold the standard of righteous wisdom. 

How can you tell when a boy gets it? This may be the most underappreciated marker of the passage into manhood. It is when he wants wisdom. In verse 7 we see the first marker. The fountainhead of wisdom is the desire for wisdom. When a boy develops the intrinsic desire for wisdom, he has marked a change in his life.

This is critical because his dad is not always going to be there, and sooner or later hard times will come. When, not if, difficulty surfaces, wisdom will keep a young man from failure. Verses 13-14 describe this experience of the coming of difficult times. It is easy to walk or make good decisions in flat open spaces, but the moments of hardships make a fall much more likely. Wisdom is an advantage in good times, but it is critical in the hard moments. Without the strong moral foundation of wisdom, it is highly likely that we will fall into moral failure in the company of evil men, verse 14.

This requires lifelong vigilance. The acquisition of moral wisdom/righteousness is never a one-and-done kind of thing. It requires a lifelong commitment to make sure our hearts or will are oriented in the right direction. Failure in later years is possible unless the heart is consistently directed back to wisdom. This begins for a man in his youth.

“Lord, help prepare the next generation with godly fathers who will teach them wisdom. AMEN.”

Proverbs 3:1-35

Proverbs 3:1-35

The simplicity and complexity of this poem are magnificent. Each section is building for what is to come, and each is building on what has gone before. In verses 1-10 there is a call to the advantages of wisdom. Verses 11-12 are a reminder that the Lord brings wisdom by means of discipline. It is easy for us to buck and complain about difficult times. Hardship as discipline seems foreign or even unfair to us. But if we are wise, we will take the unpleasant moments for what they are: opportunities to learn and grow by means of being disciplined. Verses 13-22 show the incomparable place and value of wisdom. We see that God even employs wisdom.

Verse 23 marks a turning point in the poem marked by the word “then.” The peace and wholeness described in verses 24-26 are a result of having found and made a commitment to the practice of being wise. In verses 27-32 there are some practical applications that will come from this life. The conclusion we find in verses 33-35 is a reminder that God is on the side of wisdom.

If truth is ‘that which conforms to reality,’ we could say wisdom is ‘doing things the way God would have them done.’ That means careful and godly deliberation concerning our own actions and behaviors. It also means that a hurried reading of the Proverbs will likely miss much of its value, beauty, and grandeur. 

“Lord, grant that I will have an intentional and deliberate pursuit of wisdom. AMEN.”

Proverbs 2:1-22

Proverbs 2:1-22

No one begins their life by saying, “I'm going to ruin my life and wreck my future.” But we see ruined lives everywhere. From the homeless addict to the highly successful miserable executive, people don't set as a goal a “living death,” but there they are. This chapter provides a road map or an outline to get to a wholesome good life. But it will not happen by accident. The process is specific and must be followed. 

Step 1: you must want it. Verses 1-15 show us that there must be a passionate search for the way of wisdom. People are good at collecting things. We have seen hoarders or collectors of action figures, comic books, cookbooks—you name it. People are capable of being collectors. We must be passionate about storing up wisdom. This is no casual dabbling but rather a driven effort, the way a prospector looks for precious metals. When we have that kind of passion, we will find wisdom.

Step 2: We find wisdom only in the Lord, verses 6-8. Search all you want; you will never find silver and a chicken house or gold in a sewer. You must look in the right place. Wisdom is only found in the Creator. That is the wisdom that keeps us from being really stupid and protects us from false choices.

Step 3: We will experience an internal change. In verses 9-11 we see a change of desires. As we seek godly wisdom, we will learn that as we find some and collect wisdom, then we want more. Verse 10 is a critical turning point in our maturity. We begin to internalize wisdom, see how wonderful it is, and realize, from the inside out, the delight of wisdom.

Step 4 wisdom protects us from two categories of dangers. First evil men see 1:10-15. There is a danger of trying to get ahead by crooked paths or deals. You can never have a good deal with a bad man. It also protects from the danger of immoral women. If evil men draw us into immoral possessions, evil women can draw us into immoral pleasures. The allure of no-obligation sexual experience is the gateway to death. 

The fifth and final step is the good life, verses 20-22. This is what we want but is rarely found because it requires effort, and we tend to take the path of least resistance. 

“Lord, keep me on the path of wisdom, regardless of how long or difficult it may be.  AMEN

Proverbs 1:1-33

 Proverbs 1:1-33

It is impossible to adequately study this book or this passage in the context of daily devotions, but certain themes provide a lesson through which we can see the bigger picture. This is never more true than in verse 7. This is the theme of the book and ought to be the theme of life. But what is “the fear of God”? Fear in the biblical sense is deeper than a shallow dread; it is a word with a very deep meaning. As we perceive something fearful, if we study it deeper, we grow in awe of it. For example, a 250 ft cliff is terrifying, but as you approach the cliff's edge, you get to see the grand vista, but you also fear more. Respect for the danger and the awe of the beauty are closely related. You won't have a fear response looking at a small picture on your screen, but you will miss the spectacular experience. The deeper and more intimate knowledge of God we have, the more in awe of Him we will be. God is generous to freely give us wisdom, but that only comes by knowing Him. We can't have wisdom without knowledge of God.

“Lord, help me to know you and hold you in awe, respect, and fear. AMEN.”

Psalm 150

 Psalm 150

There is in this concluding Psalm a curious absence. For 149 Psalms, the heart of worship has been pouring out in every possible emotion and in every possible circumstance. This Psalm is a fitting crescendo to the book, calling for God's people to praise Him everywhere, for His every action, and by every means possible. But there is something missing, and its absence is important and a needed lesson for us. 

Nowhere in the Psalm is there even a vague reference to the first person  as the theme of praise. While not explicitly sinful, most of what we call praise music is an expression of our emotions, opinions, or experiences. We elevate our feelings and our emotional rush to be the center of what we think is worship. Occasionally in a moment of humble bragging, there is a reference to how amazed we are that God loves us. This is not specifically wrong, but the apex of worship is the objective reality of who God is. This Psalm, and every Psalm, ought to elicit a strong reaction in our hearts. But let that happen after we focus on the objective greatness of God.

“Lord God, You are great, and may I always keep you at the center of my worship. AMEN.”