Proverbs 16:1-16

Proverbs 16:1-16

Something wonderful happens in this passage that might easily escape our notice if we are not careful. We find ourselves very near the center of this book. In fact, 412 sayings precede this chapter, and 423 follow this chapter. At the beginning of chapter 16 we find an unusual construction of 7 proverbs or sayings that are built around the name of the Lord God. While chapter and verse notation and divisions were added much later, there remains at the center of this discourse on wisdom the name of the Lord.

As the church in America fell into the vanity of what is called ‘The Church Growth Movement,’ she tended to remove the Lord from the center of her life and practice. The focus has been shifted to how we feel about things, how we will want to live, or what might be helpful for us. I have sat through song sets in worship that never mentioned the Lord directly but only how we are supposed to feel. We have shifted from “How Great Thou Art” to “I'm trading my sorrows.”

Here in the middle of a highly practical book of wisdom literature, the arrangement is that the Lord is at the center. These seven sayings in verses 1-7 cover the whole of the majesty of a holy life. Each of these verses merits deep meditation and application. Verse 1 is about the interface of our deepest thoughts and the Lord bringing them out. In verse 2 we see that our motivations may seem pure, but only the Lord can rightly judge. Verse 3 is about the priority of honoring the Lord in our plans but trusting results to Him. In verse 4 we see that the Lord is firmly and safely in control. In verse 5 we see the Lord will deal with the most gross of all sins: pride. Verse 6 gives us a picture of the Lord's values and priorities. And in verse 7 we see that the one who honors the Lord is blessed even in difficult moments. In short, at the center of all things we find the Lord.

“Lord, help me to keep you at the center of my whole being. AMEN.”

Proverbs 15:18-33

Proverbs 15:18-33

Many years ago there was a young lady who occasionally attended the church I served. Her childhood was bad beyond decent conversation. At this point she was a 22-year-old single mom with one angelic little girl making between $60,000 and $90,000 a year as an adult entertainer, i.e., stripper. She was perpetually broke and would occasionally ask for food help from the church. Being a stripper, according to her, was expensive. You had to buy drinks and drugs for those in the club where you worked in order to get profitable shifts and customers. She was still a stunning beauty but looked closer to 35 years old than her actual 22. That life is hard on a person. 

One day she called and asked for food for her daughter. I was losing patience with her, and when I took over a small bag of groceries, I said to her, “Where are you going with your life? You are still pretty, but when your looks fade, what are you going to do? Will you start turning tricks for a living?” She answered, “A friend of mine tried to pimp me out this week.” I told her, “You need better friends. You need to think and see where your life will take you. If you don't like where you are going, choose a new path.” Thankfully, with the help of a godly lady in our church, who happened to be a former stripper, she made some course corrections. The moral of the story is found in verses 24-25.

The general destination of our lives is not a hidden secret. At some level we can see that our path will either lead us to life or lead us to ruin. By definition the person who is wise chooses the upward path. By doing so they gain real life and avoid Sheol, or ruin. When we are motivated by pride and determined to chart our own foolish course, God himself will bring ruin on our lives. (v. 25) How could a person making $90,000 a year live on the verge of poverty? Because the path of ruin begins to ruin life long before life ends. Once this girl chose the right path, including respectable work as a waitress, she had enough to live on even if she only made about a third of her former income.

“Lord, help me choose the path of life. AMEN.”

Proverbs 15:1-17

Proverbs 15:1-17

As human beings we want to live in an echo chamber, the place where we hear only our own opinions from others. We spout our opinions in hope that others will agree with us. Then we can cite their voice as evidence and proof that we were right all along. Social media has exacerbated this ancient proclivity. Within this text we have wisdom for dealing with our own misguided love for an echo chamber.

First we see two ways we can talk and teach people in verse 1. The question is not one of truth; it is how to present and how we respond. This is expressed in verse 2. Sometimes we need to say uncomfortable things, but it is possible to do this in such a way as to be about the underlying issue so that it does not seem like a personal attack. In contrast, what a fool says is provocative and is designed to bring others into a heated exchange that is foolish.

In verse 4 we see the underlying motivation of the fool's talk. Whereas words from the wise are about healing, the harshness of the fool's comments has its root in an inner perversion. If we provoke for the sake of provoking, there is something perverse in us.

Even if we, with the right motives and the most judicious and proper tones and words, find that someone rejects righteous counsel, the issue is theirs. We must not take responsibility for the behaviors and attitudes of others. In verse 12 we see that the scoffer will not love the one who gives correction. A scoffer is the one who mocks or derides. Interestingly, the word can be used for an ambassador. The one who is the representative of a position may mock those with whom they disagree but will not actually engage them or even go near them.

We see the reason in verse 14: while an intelligent person is seeking to understand even those positions with which they may disagree, the fool only wants to be in their echo chamber—to have their ideas, no matter how foolish, fed back.

“Lord, help me be humble in what I say and hear. AMEN.” 

Proverbs 14:19-35

Proverbs 14:19-35

The life we live is our resume. If someone were to claim to be a good money manager, how could you tell? "Are they wealthy?" is the best answer to the question. How can you tell if someone is a fool? The resume of life tells the story. That is the point of verse 24.

How is it that those who are suffering for Christ have such strength and resolve? Verse 25 tells us that their confidence is in the Lord, and in Him they have a place of refuge. If we lack stability, if we are falling apart, we ought to consider where we have placed our confidence.

Where do we live mentally and emotionally? Verse 30 is a real challenge. The health of the body is the cure that comes from the emotionally sound inner person. We use the word ‘stress’ to describe so much of our lives, and at the same time we are physically ill. How much of our physical ruin is the result of what the King James Version calls “envy,” the NASB calls “passion,” and the Hebrew calls “qinah” (pronounced kee naw)? It means color produced in the face. It can mean ‘anger,’ ‘zeal,’ ‘jealousy,’ or ‘passion.’ We were not made to run on high emotions all the time, and sooner or later our bodies will pay the price.

What causes this constant anxiety with which we live? Verse 26 is descriptive of the person who is not as susceptible to anxiety. Verse 32 gives us a picture of the fragilities and resilience of two groups of people. First we see the evil person is thrust down or driven away by their evil. The word ‘banished’ is a good way to think of this concept. The word carries the implications of ‘chasing off with violence’ and the way smoke is driven by the wind. The evil person's schemes fail, and they are totally undone by that single and momentary failure. In contrast, the righteous facing the greatest challenge possible, their own death, find a refuge. Face any setback without our God, and we will experience stress and banishment and hardship. But face them in faith, and even the most difficult moment, death, we can face in peace.

“Lord, help me find my confidence in You, not in myself nor circumstances. AMEN.” 

Proverbs 14:1-18

Proverbs 14:1-18

With each of the individual proverbs, we get the feeling that there is a history, and the proverb serves as sort of the expected moral of the story. I recall a young lady from early in my ministry. She was married to a really great guy: a smart, talented, devoted husband and engineer. They had two wonderful kids, a lovely home, and a bright future. She was raised in a godly home and was a fabulous vocalist. She was, however, attracted to the “bad boy” image and the wild party life. She abandoned her home, husband, and family to become the ‘old lady’ of a biker type. She ended up living with an abusive motorcycle gang member in a run-down trailer in a dumpy trailer park. The moral of the story is in verse 1.

What was broken inside of her that she would do such a thing? We can never know. But tragically, she didn't know either. If she had discerned her wounds, perhaps by godly counseling and inner healing, what was on the inside could have been healed and saved many people a great deal of hurt. There are some people who understand themselves, especially their weaknesses and vulnerabilities. That self-knowledge is not academic information; it is what makes them wise. But the girl was the worst kind of fool; in her deceit, she deceived herself. The moral of the story is in verse 8.

Her sudden irrational behavior caught everyone by surprise. Those who knew her best—husband, mom, and dad—were completely caught off guard. She played the role of devoted wife and mom until the moment she ran away. The picture I have of her is still of a prim, proper, and modestly dressed young mom holding an adorable baby girl whose hair bow is bigger than her face. The perfect picture of a happy, holy wife and mom. But she had the inner hurt and pain. She thought she could find what she was looking for riding on the back of a bike, dressed like a slut, with a mean man. Why? No one could know her secret heart. The moral of the story is in verses 10 and 13.

“Lord, help me see the condition of my heart and have the wisdom to live holy. AMEN.”

Proverbs 13:13-25

Proverbs 13:13-25

More than a few church leaders, both professional and volunteer, have found themselves in ruin. A young man I know, who had all the potential in the world, is now in jail and will likely be there for a very long time. Verse 13 says the one who “despises the word” (NASB) or “scorns instruction” (NIV) would be better translated, “the one who handles the word, or matter, negligently cannot escape consequences.” When we treat the word of God carelessly, we will not be able to avoid the consequences of wrong moral development. When we take the Word as a quick fix or try to find proof to support our own lives, we end up reinforcing our bad ideas and/or wrong behaviors. In contrast, the one who “fears the commandment” has the opposite outcome. What does it mean to “fear the word”? Simply put, be terrified of getting it wrong because of the dangers involved. When taking a powerful medication, we need to fear taking it wrong. We need to fear improper handling of a firearm. We need to fear improper use of a chainsaw. All of these, used properly, can be extremely beneficial. But in negligence there is death. Even the most bright, talented, and potentially great people who don't take the word seriously will be ruined.

Truett Cathy once said, “It is easier to succeed than to fail.” That seems odd because success requires so much work. But we see this principle expressed at work in verse 15. Wisdom and right choices will produce favor. Favor is more than something we ask for; it is the result of good understanding, i.e., both thinking and doing. Verse 15b says the path or way of the treacherous or transgressor is hard. His is a harsh and forbidding path, as if walking down a stony descent. The choices of green meadows and pastures or barren deserts are ours. So which is the harder place to travel to and live in?

“Lord, help me see the intrinsic value of doing the right thing. AMEN.” 

Proverbs 13:1-12

Proverbs 13:1-12

Without a doubt there are real advantages to having great wealth. But Solomon, one of the richest men in all of history, also points out some real disadvantages of wealth. He even gives a nod to some advantages of humble means.

Note in verse 7 we see the nearly universal condition that we want to appear wealthy. To appear well-off and successful is the point of much of our social persona, but some wealthy people downplay their wealth. Why is that the case? In verse 8 we see a reason. No one ever holds a homeless man for ransom. Lawyers never bring a civil action against someone who is broke and can't pay. The broke person doesn't sweat one more “overdue” notice. They ignore it or can't hear the demand for money. “You want money from me? Get in line with everyone else.”

In verse 11 there is a warning everyone whose wealth is tied to the general economy should take to heart. The English translation struggles with one of the key words. It is the word "habal." It is the theme word for the Book of Ecclesiastes, where it is translated as "vanity." It can also be translated as "breath" or "smoke." Here the word is translated “dishonest money” in the NIV and a little better as “fraud” by the New American Standard Bible. If we read that verse carefully, we may find its meaning clear in an example or two. Remember the S&L crash, the dot-com bubble crash, and the subprime market crash? There were individuals that lost millions and businesses that went under because their wealth was based on a fiat value. Any economy or personal wealth based on speculation or habal is only a bad bit of news away from ruin. In contrast, consider the small local tradesmen who provide essential goods or services. He may suffer some during a downturn, but even in a downturn people will need food from a farmer or repair from a mechanic. If we are forever after the big score of wealth, our heart will never be whole. But if we hope for honest work and to serve others, that hope will be fulfilled.

“Help me, Lord, to do honest work, honestly done, that honors You. AMEN."