PRACTICALLY SPEAKING

My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment...they will be life for you. - Proverbs 3:21-22

Proverbs does not just talk about lofty ideas concerning wisdom, Proverbs gets down into the nitty-gritty, where the rubber meets the road kind of wisdom. One aspect of wisdom is exercising good judgment. Having good judgment requires discernment. Discernment requires an ability to see that which is not immediately evident especially concerning motives and character. For example the writer of Proverbs tells us to "not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is within your power to act." One might ask, what does this mean on a practical level. The next verse goes on to give a practical example. "Don't say to your neighbor, 'come back later, I'll give it to you tomorrow'" (Author's translation). Can you think of a time when you withheld good from someone because it was not convenient for you at the time, or you just did not feel like doing it? What about a time recently when you were asked for something within your power and you did it? Proverbs tells us that there is wisdom in acting in a timely and compassionate way when it is within our power to do so.

Tuesday 10-9-01

THE WONDERFUL COUNSELOR

The Lord...takes the upright into his confidence. - Proverbs 3:32

Wednesday 10-10-01

GAINING WISDOM

Hold on to instruction; do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.
- Proverbs 4:13

These are some strong words - "hold on to instruction - for it is your life." It is your life! In order to gain wisdom, one must be willing to receive instruction. To be willing to receive instruction means one must accept that they are lacking in knowledge. To gain knowledge, one has to be willing to ask questions. To gain knowledge, one must be willing to appear the novice at times. To gain knowledge, one must be willing to expose their lack of knowledge. The bottom line is that pride will keep us from attaining the level of knowledge, wisdom and understanding that the Lord would bless us with if we were only more concerned with knowing Him and less concerned with protecting our pride. Set before yourself today a willingness to receive instruction - remember it is your life!

For further study: Hebrews 4:13

Thursday 10-11-01

GUARD YOUR HEART

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
- Proverbs 4:23

When the Bible speaks about the heart it is referring to the organ of the soul - the seat of man's desires, intellect, will and emotions. For wisdom to reign in the heart of man he must guard his heart. He must keep it free from debris and disease by controlling what he receives into his heart. Proverbs goes on to give some examples of how to guard your heart: keep perversity and corrupt talk away from your lips, let your eyes look straight ahead; i.e. do not let your eye gaze fall onto things that lead you into temptation, make level paths for your feet, in other words walk only in the sure pathways of the Lord. Do not swerve to the right or the left, but stay on the narrow way which leads to eternal life.

For further study: Isaiah 30:21

Friday 10-12-01

HOPE AND CHASTITY

Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress? Why embrace the bosom of another man's wife? - Proverbs 5:20

The character of the people we choose to associate with brings us either hope or despair. Proverbs has much to say, none of it good, about adulterous relationships. Proverbs identifies the characteristics of the adulteress woman: her speech is flattering, she offers false praise, she does not keep her covenant with God or her husband, she gives no thought to the consequences of her lifestyle, and she thrives on immediate gratification. Today, consider the "adulterous" type relationships that tempt you, i.e. those people or even things that you allow to draw your affections away from the Lord, your spouse or even your children. Proverbs warns us, beware of those who are ruled by the desires of their flesh, who are unable to delay gratification, as they are likely to find themselves in relationships that are full of difficulty and ultimately lead to despair. If you find yourself ruled by desires other than a desire for Christ, repent of your sin, turn away from it and fully embrace the only relationship that is fully satisfying - a relationship with Jesus the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

For further study: Judges 16:15-22

THE HOPE IN HUMILITY

If you have been trapped by what you said...go and humble yourself; press your plea with your neighbor! - Proverbs 6:2-3

Oh my, if we always made our yea, yea and our nay, nay. But alas, it is human nature to from time to time mess up, and as Proverbs states, become ensnared by the words of our own mouth. Making empty promises leads to despair because it damages relationships as well as one's reputation. Proverbs tells us though, there is a remedy for such folly. That remedy is to come clean with your neighbor, to not let another moment pass by without humbling yourself before the person to whom you have made the promise and confess that you are unable to fulfill your obligation. Have you spoken hastily about a matter recently that you now regret? Humble yourself first before the Lord and then before your neighbor, and go and press your plea.

Tuesday 10-16-01

THE HOPE OF WORK

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! - Proverbs 6:6

Wednesday 10-17-01

THE COMMANDS OF LIFE

Keep my commands and you will live, guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. - Proverbs 7:2

The wisdom literature of Proverbs teaches us the art of living well. Proverbs 7 encourages us to keep God's commands and to consider them as dear to us as our own relatives. Chapter 7 goes on to give a specific example of a young man and woman who lacked judgment, even going so far as describing their poor behavior and communication patterns. Finally the writer describes the consequences of such poor judgment and once again encourages the reader to attend to God's word. This chapter reminds me that through the provision of God's word, He has already given us everything we need to understand others and ourselves, and to live rightly and successfully. So save your money, forget the self-help books that offer slick solutions to all your problems, simply tolle lege - take up your Bible and read.

For further study: Proverbs 9:6, 10

Thursday 10-18-01

BRINGING HOPE TO OTHERS

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life...Proverbs 10:11

Jesus Christ is the Word of God made flesh. Paul said the power of God unto salvation is in the gospel. God spoke and by the power of His word He made all of creation. The point being, there is power in the spoken word. James refers to the words of the tongue as having the power to corrupt the whole person - as powerful as a spark that can set a whole forest on fire. God has given us the power of life and death, so to speak, in our tongues. The words we speak to others can just as easily crush their spirits as they can bring them healing and hope. Never underestimate the power of your words. Choose today to use your words to offer the refreshment of a fountain of life.

For further study: Proverbs 12:18, 15:4

Friday 10-19-01

A PICTURE OF HOPE

The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and ask God for help. - 1 Timothy 5:5

Hope, like faith, is an intangible thing until the time comes when we need to put it to work for ourselves. We may say we have hope, but until hope is deferred by some loss - tangible or intangible in our life - we really are not sure of how securely our anchor of hope is moored on the rock of Jesus Christ. Paul writes to Timothy here describing a picture of someone who truly has hope. He tells us that one of the ways that hope is demonstrated in our lives is by depending on God through fervent prayer, offered continually, especially when circumstances are difficult.

For further study: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

SONS OF THE LIGHT

Let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. - 1 Thessalonians 5:8

Paul exhorts the Thessalonians in chapter 5 that despite the fact the day of the Lord was approaching like a thief in the night, they did not have to be worried. They knew their final destiny was secured in Christ. As sons of the light and of the day, we too have no need of worry. Although the battles of this world rage around us, and often times the hope we had in temporal things fades away, as God's children we can cling to the promise that we were not appointed to suffer His wrath, but we were appointed as heirs of His salvation (vs 9). In fact Paul says to put on the hope of salvation like a helmet. A helmet is a piece of battle equipment designed to protect the head. A blow to the head can easily be a fatal wound, but with the helmet of salvation we needn't ever worry about being taken out by the enemy. Christ has secured our victory for eternity. Hallelujah!

Tuesday 10-23-01

FUTURE HOPE

I know that my Redeemer lives...I myself will see him with my own eyes...Job 19:25a, 27a

Wednesday 10-24-01

UNYIELDING HOPE

Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him. Job 13:15a

Job lost all of his children, all of his livestock and then was personally afflicted beyond recognition with the horror of all kinds of disease. He experienced unrelenting pain, skin that was plagued with festering sores and infested with worms, kidneys that failed him, and a psyche that was so darkened by emotional and physical anguish that he wished he had never been born. So how could Job say in the midst of hell on earth, "despite all this unjust punishment, all this pain and all this sorrow, I will hope in the One who has allowed this calamity in my life"? There is only one answer, Job's anchor held within the veil (Hebrews 6:19). It was moored on the promises of God, and the ultimate promise of the coming Messiah.

For further study: 2 Corinthian 4:10-11

Thursday 10-25-01

HOPING IN GOD

Will he find delight in the Almighty? Will he call upon God at all times?
- Job 27:10

In Job's response to Bildad the Shuhite who tries to convince Job that no man is righteous before God, Job makes a case for his own righteousness by saying that when the unrighteous experience calamity they no longer call upon God or delight in the Almighty. Precisely the things that Job continues to do despite all the calamity he has experienced. He continues to honor God, and vows not to curse God or to speak wickedness. His hope remains solidly entrenched in his Creator. And though we know that Bildad was right in the sense that no man is righteous before God standing on his own merit. Job, like Abraham, was made righteous through his faith in God and His promises. Job was rightly confident that, though he felt like he was being punished, his fate would ultimately be different from that of the wicked, because he was indeed a righteous man.

For further study: Romans 5:19

Friday 10-26-01

THE POWER OF HOPE

"My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead." - Acts 23:6b

Paul made this statement standing in front of the Sanhedrin after being rescued from a mob of Jews to whom he had given his testimony. The mob would have beat him to death had it not been for the commander of the Roman troops who apprehended him out of the crowd. Paul, however, was willing to risk life and limb to continue to preach the truth of the gospel. The truth that states, not only was Christ resurrected, but those who place their hope in Him will also be resurrected to glory with Him, both Jew and Gentile. The Sanhedrin were infuriated with Paul for preaching this and were determined to kill him. Yet Paul persevered through such trials because his hope rested on Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

For further study: 2 Corinthians 4:10-12

THE HOPE OF GLORY

To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
- Colossians 1:27

This is such a beautiful and rich passage of hope. How easy it is to forget the reality of who we are in Christ. We have not only been given new natures, we have not only had our hearts of stone replaced with hearts of flesh, but Christ Himself dwells within us. Do you really understand this awesome truth - Christ has not only come to live in us, He has said never will I leave you. It is because the Spirit and power of the resurrected Christ lives in us that we have the hope of eternal glory, which is to be completely redeemed from these sinful bodies and minds and to live in God's presence for all eternity. Maranatha Lord Jesus, come quickly.

Tuesday 10-30-01

THE ENDURANCE OF HOPE

We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. - 1 Thessalonians 1:3

Wednesday 10-31-01

THE HOPE OF HIS PEOPLE

There I will give her back her vineyards, and I will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. - Hosea 2:15

God is indeed good and indeed remarkable and indeed so unlike man. The book of Hosea gives much cause for hope, especially to those who are discouraged that their backslidden loved one's will never come around and truly dedicate themselves to God. We see in Hosea that it is God who allures the one He loves back to Himself. Never forget that God is the one who is always pursuing those whom He has called to Himself. God takes our troubles - our own personal valleys of Achor - and because He pursues us, He turns them into a door of hope. Only our God can do that.

For further study: Joel 3:16

Thursday 11-1-01

PRISONERS OF HOPE

Return to your fortress, O prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you. - Zechariah 9:12

Indeed our God is a God of hope. He does not respond to us like any human being we have ever met, let alone one with authority over us. He continually draws His people with cords of loving kindness for the purpose of restoring them completely and fully. It amazes me that God not only forgives and forgets, but he restores and rewards us instead of punishing us, as we deserve. The next time you have been hurt by someone or you are in a position of authority over someone who has done you wrong, consider how God has treated you with loving kindness, instead of with His wrath and judgment, because of Jesus Christ.

For further study: Isaiah 61:7

Friday 11-2-01

IS YOUR HOPE IN GOD?

A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love...Psalm 33: 17-18

We say we trust in the Lord, we say our hope is in Him. But how do we feel when the stock market takes a sharp downturn and our portfolio follows? Or what about those deadlines at work that just don't seem attainable anymore and the pressure is building? Do these situations result in your worrying or becoming angry? Our response to situations such as these should cause us to pause and consider the question "In whom or what have I put my hope?" Remember there is only One who is worthy, only One who is able, only One who is capable - He is the Lord.

For further study: Zechariah 4: 6