Tag: christ

Buy Dirt

In my younger days, I was never much of a fan of country music. In more recent times though, I must admit to enjoying it much more. Not all of it is particularly edifying of course, so I’d advise you be selective (as with all things) if you tune in to country radio.

I heard a song the other day called “Buy Dirt” by Jordan Davis and featuring Luke Bryan. I will put a link below in case you are not familiar with it.

The song is about a younger man sitting down and sharing a coffee with an older gentleman, perhaps a grandfather. Over the course of their beverage, the older man shares some wisdom with the younger, and I thought I’d examine the wisdom given in light of Scripture with you today.

Chasing the dollar

When the older man asks the younger what he’s been up to, the younger replies that he’s been “chasing the dollar.” This is what prompts the wisdom sharing.

We cannot deny that all of us need money, and earning it takes up no small amount of our lives. Chasing after it though is a dangerous thing.

The Bible says:

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

1 Timothy 6:10 (WEB)

This does not say that money is evil, but that loving it is a root of all kinds of evil. Having too much or too little money can lead us into temptation. Loving money can even lead us away from our faith, so let each of us have a proper relationship with it.

Some devote their lives to earning and having more. To do this, they can sacrifice their health, their families, their friends and even their relationship with God. The thing is, when you are on your death bed, you are unlikely to ask for your accountant. Instead, you will be wanting the comfort of family and faith.

Do What You Love, But Call It Work

The older man advises the younger to do what you love, and call it work. This is a great nugget of wisdom in my view. It has been said that if you love what you do, you will never have to work a day in your life. This is so true!

There have been times in my life where I really did not enjoy my job, and those days were hard indeed! In more recent times, I have loved doing my job, and when that is the case, it does not feel like work at all.

We must remember it is a privilege to enjoy one’s job, as there are many who work to pay their bills and support their family, and “enjoyment” does not even come in to it.

As with all things, it is a balance. If you are doing a job you hate, then prayerfully consider a change. If you have little choice because of financial demands or to support those you love, then clearly I am not telling you to quit, do a job you love and face bankruptcy. Do what you need to do of course, but also do not feel trapped where you are. And look for opportunities to move towards a job that you love.

Throw a Little Money

At one point in the song, the advice is given to throw a little money in the church offering. While I do not want to overthink such a line, as it is clearly not a theological song, it does give you pause to think.

It is good advice to give, no question about that. The Bible is full of instruction for us to give to God’s work. Throwing a little money in the collection plate though is not the way we ought to be giving. That smacks of someone who is unprepared and just grabbing whatever they have in their pocket at the time. Our giving should be more purposeful than that.

Paul says:

Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I commanded the assemblies of Galatia, you do likewise. 2 On the first day of every week, let each one of you save, as he may prosper, that no collections are made when I come.

1 Corinthians 16:1-2 (WEB)

This instruction suggests planning on our part, and deliberate giving. Notice it is on the first day of the week, so that God is given to first and does not end up with whatever we have left over at the end.

Giving is also connected to the points above about working. We work, not for our own pleasure, but rather so that we might have something to share with the church.

In Ephesians, Paul states:

Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.

Ephesians 4:28 (NIV)

We work to support ourselves and our families yes, but we work primarily that we might have something to give to the family of believers.

Send Your Prayers Up and Your Roots Down

This gem of wisdom needs little explaining. Indeed, we ought to be sending up our prayers regularly. In fact, not just regularly, but at all times.

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word[a] of God; 18 with all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the saints:

Ephesians 6:17-18 (WEB)

Likewise, putting down roots, in the context of the song at least, is about building your family in the community. As I write, I cannot think of a specific verse to quote here, but believe it is biblical for us to be a positive force in the place where we live. You could point to the Great Commission for instance on that one. I also feel that Christians should have a good level of commitment to the place where they live.

It All Goes By Real Quick

It sure does! Need I emphasise this point to you? Life is short, and goes by very quickly indeed! We must make the most of it, and never forget it is the preparation for all eternity.

In the psalms, we read:

You have made my days a mere handbreadth;

    the span of my years is as nothing before you.

Everyone is but a breath,

    even those who seem secure

Psalm 39:5 (NIV)

It may seem negative to point out the shortness of life, but I do not mean it to be. Even a life of 100+ years is short in comparison to all eternity. God is Eternal, unending and beyond time itself. Our handful of decades here is a mere blip next to the infinite life to come. Ensure you make the most of it while you are here, and be ready for the next!

Buy Dirt and Thank the Good Lord For It

The song is titled “Buy Dirt,” and says although you cannot buy happiness, you can buy a home and build a good life for yourself and your family. This is true, and while a nice house does not make a home, we can all do the best with what we have and make our lives worth living.

Throughout it all, when times are both good and bad, we thank the good Lord for it all. He has given us life, and our very breath is dependent upon Him.

Join me in thanking Him today for all the good things in our lives, and for what we have learned from the bad.

Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

Here’s the song, and I hope you enjoy it.

One Thing I Ask

The one thing I ask of the Lord—

    the thing I seek most—

is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

    delighting in the Lord’s perfections

    and meditating in his Temple.

Psalm 27:4 (WEB)

I recall a time when I was speaking to a group of students about what heaven might be like. One of them thought it would be like a perpetual praise service, with unending worship, music and dancing. Another student thought that sounded more like torture than paradise!

In this verse from the Psalms, King David is making a request. He does not ask for gold or silver, victory in battle nor wives and children. Instead, he requests that he might live in the house of the Lord all the days of his life.

Does that sound like something you would want?

Sometimes we are guilty of wanting the gifts more than the Giver, and for seeking God’s presents instead of His presence. The Lord Himself is our reward though, and far greater than any gift we could want.

The psalm points out two things we might do in His presence.

The first is to delight! Delight is a wonderful word, and means to have a “high degree of pleasure or enjoyment.” That sounds like something we want to do more of! Delighting in what though? In the Lord’s perfections. We might think of this as delighting in God’s character or attributes.

God is an infinite God, with wonders beyond measure. A day dwelling on who He is and enjoying His character is a day well spent in my book. How often do you set aside time to do nothing else but simply enjoy the Lord?

The second thing is meditation. Meditation is not emptying one’s mind of thought, but instead it is filling it with the wonders of God and His Word. It is said that meditation is like rumination, which is the action of a cow chewing the grass over and over again. When we meditate on God, we are deploying our thinking on all the goodness of His character and ways.

To meditate on the Lord is, I believe, to begin to delight in Him also. One leads to the other. The more we meditate, the more delighted we become, and the more delighted we are, the more we want to dwell on who He is.

Paul says, in Philippians:

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

You need not think about everything that pops into your head, but can direct your thoughts on to Jesus.

You need not #think about everything that pops into your head, but can direct your thoughts on to #Jesus. #Bible

Set aside some time when you can, even if it is just fifteen minutes, and delight yourself in the Lord. Make a list of all the good things He has done for you, and note down the aspects of His character which most excite you. It will be time well spent indeed!

For more thoughts on Philippians 4:8, check out my post – Pure vs OK

Be Careful for Nothing!

I would highly recommend the writing of both Alan and Bruce in their two separate blogs. if you are looking for something new, then please do check them out.

I am pleased to introduce a guest post by brother Bruce Cooper, one the brethren filling in for me while I am busy preparing for a family wedding. …

Be Careful for Nothing!

Trust in the Lord (Proverbs 3:5-6)

In our study of the book of Proverbs, we reach a set of rather well-known verses. At some point in my life, I committed these to memory and they have never faded. There are many people who would recognise these, but I wonder how many actually put them into practice?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;

    do not depend on your own understanding.

6 Seek his will in all you do,

    and he will show you which path to take.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)

Trust

It seems obvious that Christians should trust the Lord, and if you asked them, then I guess most would say they do. Sometimes though, our actions betray that we do not really trust Him. Worry, for example, is a clear indication that we are not fully trusting in the Lord. When we worry, we are not acting in faith but rehearsing all the things that might go wrong. If we cannot trust God enough not to worry about a minor problem we have, then how can we trust Him for eternal salvation?

If we cannot #trust #God enough not to #worry about a minor problem we have, then how can we trust Him for eternal #salvation? #Bible #Wisdom #Jesus

A few days ago, some Christian friends and I were discussing persecution and even martyrdom. There are Christians in this world who face death simply for acknowledging Jesus as Lord. Yet we crumble if someone makes fun of us for our faith, or merely laughs at us.

If we really trust Him, then we must trust Him even unto death itself. That is surely the point of our faith?

All Your Heart

As we trust in God, we do not do so in a small way. We cannot partially trust Him! Instead, we must trust Him fully and completely, with all of our heart.

Our hearts must not be divided. We should not say we trust in God, but then have a backup plan.

In what ways do you find it difficult to trust God? Is it with your health, your family, your career or something else? Whatever it may be, you can rely on God. The Bible is full of promises which you can build your trust upon. Dig into that Word and strengthen your faith by storing those promises deep within your heart. Not every promise is for the here and now, but a day will come when every Word God has spoken will be fulfilled – in this life or the next.

God is not a man that He should lie, and every single thing He has said will be proved true.

God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Num 23:19 #Bible

Leave any doubts behind, and follow Him with all of your heart. You can fully rely on Him and what He has promised.

Lean Not On Your Own Understanding

Verse five tells us not just to trust God, but to lean not on our own understanding. To put it another way, we must not reason or use our own thinking to determine our path. I do want to be careful here, as clearly we have a brain and God intended us to use it. The difference is though that we are not to pursue it if it contradicts what God is telling us.

Take giving for an example. Our brains would tell us that to give is to have less. The Bible, and therefore God, tells us that if we give, it will be given back to us – a good measure, pressed down and shaken together (Luke 6:37). If we think and our understanding says, do not give, then we should dismiss it and instead follow the command of the Lord.

Our understanding will always be limited, because we are limited and sinful beings. God’s understanding is complete, because He knows the end from the beginning, and we would do well to defer to His judgement instead of our own.

Seek and Acknowledge

6 Seek his will in all you do,

    and he will show you which path to take.

Proverbs 3:6 (NLT(

Verse six, rendered here from the New Living Translation, advises us to seek God’s will. In the New International Version, it is instead telling us to acknowledge God. These two translations paint slightly different pictures, and yet both are extremely helpful and powerful advice.

Seek God’s will in your life, and not your own. Do not simply live your life in whatever way you see fit, but instead, put God in charge and follow Him. Do not merely follow Him in word only, but let your deeds show that you are directed by God, not your feelings, dreams or wants.

Acknowledging God is to consider Him in all that you do. It means when you go to work, you recognise that God goes with you. When you go shopping, you do so aware of the Lord’s presence. It is really about doing life with God. We do not simply call on Him on a Sunday morning, but live with Him throughout the week.

All You Do

Verse six says to acknowledge God, or to seek Him, in all that we do. As above, this means that whatever it is you do, do it all unto the Lord. God is not reserved for only the spiritual aspects of life, but for the entire thing. God wants to be involved in your every day, no matter if you are doing DIY, running errands or watching TV.

In fact, acknowledging God is all you do means that it will be far more difficult for you to step into sin. Imagine walking down the street with the physical Jesus by your side. If temptation came your way, it would be far easier to avoid it with Jesus stood right there. Even though the physical Jesus is not walking alongside us, the Holy Spirit is. He is every bit as real and present as a physical being, but He is easier for us to ignore. Let us not ignore Him! Let each of us constantly remind ourselves of His presence with us, and we will say no to sin when it comes our way.

The Result

Trusting in the Lord with all of our hearts, and leaning not on our understanding. Acknowledging Him in all we do, and seeking His will for our lives will result in what exactly? In God showing us which path to take!

This is no small outcome. Each and every day we face choices, and to the best of our abilities we try to make right ones. Imagine how different our lives would be if we knew for sure which road to choose. God, if we trust Him fully and completely, will guide us. That will lead to success (God’s kind, not the world’s kind).

If you want to succeed in this life and the next, then there is only one way to achieve it. Trust. Trust in the Lord this day, and forever more!

Kindness and Favour (Proverbs 3:3-4)

I know that I am only taking bitesize chunks of Proverbs, but the text is so rich I do not want to miss any of it! I today focus on two more verses from chapter three, focussing on something very important.

Never let loyalty and kindness leave you!

    Tie them around your neck as a reminder.

    Write them deep within your heart.

4 Then you will find favour with both God and people,

    and you will earn a good reputation.

Proverbs 3:3-4 (NLT)

Kindness

Verse three tells us plainly to never allow kindness to leave us. This simply means that we should always be kind to those around us. It sounds so straightforward that Christians should be kind, and yet some things that don’t need to be said, need to be said!

We have all seen or heard of examples of Christians not being kind. When that happens, it harms the witness of not only that individual, but of the church as a whole. “Christians are just a bunch of hypocrites!” they say, and this stems from those who say they are Christian but act like the devil!

Don’t call yourself a #Christian and then act like the devil! #Bible #Christianity #Jesus

Kindness is a fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23) and is something we should all practice. It is not always easy to be kind, especially when we are being badly treated, but it is a powerful act of love.

Kindness need not be costly either, and every one of us has the ability to do it.

Some suggestions might include:

  • Smile, just smile!
  • Pay someone a compliment
  • Be encouraging
  • Help someone in need
  • Give someone a lift
  • Pick up a neighbour’s shopping for them
  • Tip well in a restaurant

There are countless examples I could give, and I am sure you can think of many of your own. If you can make a big enough list, why not write them down on Post-it/sticky notes or slips of paper, put them in a jar and draw one out to do each day.

Make kindness your mission. It will be fun! See how many people you can bless and be kind to, it won’t be long before someone asks you why, and you can tell them about Christ!

The verse instructs us to tie them around our necks, this is a way of remembering. You can certainly wear a sign like a sandwich board to remind you if you wish, but a more convenient method might be to set a reminder on your phone! Whatever works for you!

The more you do this, the more kindness will become a part of you. As verse three concludes, kindness will be written on your very heart. Kindness will become second-nature, it will be an automatic response for you. You will be known for your kind ways.

Why? Why go to all this trouble just to be kind? Because of…

Favour

4 Then you will find favour with both God and people,

    and you will earn a good reputation.

Proverbs 3:4 (NLT)

If you are kind, then you will find favour with both God and man.

Favour is something I pray over my children regularly. When they go to school, I ask the Lord to bless them with favour; with their teachers, with their classmates, with the bus driver… with whomever they meet.

Favour is to be favoured, that is, to receive some form of special treatment in deed or attitude. When I ask for favour for my children with their teachers say, I am asking God to ensure that the teacher is particularly aware of my children’s needs, treats them well and takes special care of them. When I ask for favour for their friendships, I am asking God to ensure they make the right friends, and friends who will benefit them and not pull them away from their faith.

Favour is to have doors of opportunity opened to you to share the Gospel. It is also to find just the right parking spot. One way to describe it might be a nod from God in our direction, in a big or small way, to know that He is with us and preparing the way ahead of us as His own children.

This is not to say that everything in life will be easy and smooth, and that we’ll never hit any problems. That is not realistic. We will face trials and difficulty as long as we walk this Earth, but favour comes from being a child of God. Even if my children face troubles, I will still be there to help them and make it easier if at all possible. God is a better Father than I am.

Kindness breeds favour because it marks us out as people who go a little further to help or assist. When people see us being kind, they remember it, and that may open a door for us in future. There will always be people who try to take advantage of us for being kind, but that should not stop us. While some may abuse our kindness, God’s favour on us will override it.

Favour also means to have a good reputation, as verse four points out. Reputations are hard to earn and easy to lose. Having a good one in our career, church or community is a real blessing and can strengthen our witness in many respects.

Reputations are hard to earn and easy to lose #truth #Christianity #Bible #Wisdom

Be kind. Gain favour. And build a good reputation.

Dear Lord,

We thank You that You are the perfect example of kindness. Help us to follow Your lead and be kind to all that we meet. Please give us creative ideas of how we can show love and be generous to the people in our lives.

We ask for Your favour today and every day. May we have favour with our families, friends, employers, teachers and all those we interact with. Let Your favour go before us, preparing the way, and please open doors for us to share Your truth with those who need it.

May You help us to build a good reputation that we might have a powerful witness, and that those who see us will want to know more about You and Your ways.

Let our goal not be to gain favour with men, but to please You in all we do. In Jesus’ mighty Name!

Amen!

Eternity In Our Hearts

Photo by Ryan, Private lake in our neighborhood With everything that has happened with the intense turmoil we have all gone through the last two …

Eternity In Our Hearts

Your Plans? (PoW)

Pearls of Wisdom

God does not have to bless your plan

Are you ever guilty of running ahead of God? I know I am!

There have been times when someone has asked me to do something, or I have made a commitment in some way, but did not first check it with the Lord. I went ahead and made my plan, and only later thought to ask God if it was what He wanted for me.

Rather than seeking the Lord for His guidance in what we are to do, we make our own plans and then ask Him to bless them as if they were His own.

The truth is though, God does not have to bless your plan. He does not have to finish anything He did not start. We have no business going somewhere or doing something, and then just expecting God to make it right.

#God does not have to bless your #plan. He does not have to finish anything He did not start #Wisdom #Bible #Christianity

Instead, we need to make our plans in prayer, putting them before God and ensuring He is in the plans we make.

Paul was instructed to preach the Gospel, and he made plans to do so. In Acts 16, the Spirit of the Lord prevented him from entering Macedonia, and so he diverted his course. Imagine what would have happened had he just ignored the prompting of the Spirit and went anyway. Only God knows what would have happened to him!

If we go against God’s plan for us, then we will end up in trouble. If we do that, there is no sense in getting angry at God for not rescuing you. There are times when I tell my children not to do something. It may be to not touch the hot stove, or not to climb on something they shouldn’t. If they choose to ignore me, they could end up burning themselves or falling.

Don’t simply do whatever you want and expect or demand God makes it work. Rather, seek Him in all you do, and He will make your paths straight.

God bless you this day.

Do Not Forget (Proverbs 3:1)

We tackle Proverbs 3 this week, and before we jump in, I just want to say a huge thank you for your comments so far. I hope you have been enjoying it and it has increased your hunger for wisdom.

My difficulty in writing about the Proverbs is knowing how deep to dive. As you can imagine, we could study a single line each day and spend the next 10 years on the book! Perhaps that is not a bad thing, but I do want to encourage you to study the depths for yourself too.

My son, don’t forget my teaching;

    but let your heart keep my commandments:

Proverbs 3:1 (WEB)

The chapter opens with an instruction not to forget the teaching. That sounds simple enough, but I wonder how easy it is?

This post lands on a Monday, and if I ask you what your pastor taught on yesterday at church, can you remember? What about the previous Sunday?

I mentioned before that I enjoy a number of Christian podcasts, and listened to several over the weekend. What were they about? Am I able to give you a summary? Not easily! The reason is, although I listened, I did not engage with the teaching. I agreed with it, found it helpful, but took no notes and did other things while listening. I may retain some surface knowledge of the subject, but did not meditate on it nor store up the knowledge in my heart (as Proverbs 3:1b encourages us to).

God has been leading me to “consume” less and to engage more. It is not about how many sermons I listen to, but what I learn from the ones I do.

It is not about how many sermons I listen to, but what I learn from the ones I do. #Bible #Christianity #Memory

Being perfectly honest with you, I am not doing very well with this command. I have cut back on the range of messages I listen to, but I cannot say that I have taken the steps I need to really engage more.

What I need to do, and I offer this as a suggestion for you also, is as follows:

  • Slow down
  • Give it my full attention
  • Make notes
  • Apply

Taking each in turn, I must first slow down. I turn up the speed on my podcast player so that a 30-minute sermon takes much less time. This may be of use in certain situations, but if trying to learn something, then slow and steady is far better.

As above, I tend to plug my earbuds in, turn on a podcast and then do a hundred other things while listening. Again, this is not wholly wrong but it must also mean that I am not giving the teaching my full attention. I may hear the words being said, but are they penetrating my heart? Unlikely. Rather, I should be sat down, limiting distractions and focus on the subject at hand.

My memory is naturally good, and so I have never been too reliant on notes. the truth is though, that when we write notes about something we are listening to, we are processing that information. Our retention of that message will be far greater if we have written down key things that were important to us.

Many years ago, I started a journal of sorts where I wrote down particular Bible verses and bullet points about things the Lord had shared with me (be it directly or through others’ teaching). This was a very7 helpful practice and I had hoped to build an almost entire commentary over the course of my life. I have let it slip, although still have it, and perhaps this post is a nudge from God to pick that up again.

Finally, if we really want to ensure we do not forget a teaching, we must apply it. We need to assess what we have learned and decide what we will do about it. Not every passage in the Bible lends itself to practical action. For instance, it is easier to apply an instruction to pray from an epistle, than it is to apply something from a historical narrative or word of prophecy.

Most Bible teaching should lead us to some form of corresponding action. I am quite a practical person so am always reading the Scriptures, and looking for something I can do with them. Often I am thinking, “How would I teach this passage?” It is not always a healthy approach, and so we should handle the Bible text appropriately.

Having discussed only one verse from Proverbs 3, I am coming to a close on this post. All that I have said above about not forgetting teaching applies also to blogs you and I read. I follow a number of Bible and Christian blogs, and all are helpful at times. Do I fully engage with them though? The truth is not always. I read, like, and then move on to the next one, missing huge opportunities to grow in my faith. How about you?

Will you take the steps above to improve your recollection of Bible teaching? Let me know how you get on.

The Story So Far… (Proverbs 1-2)

As we reach the end of Proverbs 2, it is a good point at which to review what we have covered so far.

These first two chapters are essentially building a case for choosing wisdom. Similar themes have arisen throughout, namely justice, insight, the benefits of wisdom and the risks of foolishness. Solomon is trying to hammer home the idea that wisdom is the only sensible choice for us, and that wisdom’s only true source is from God.

Chapter two ends as follows:

20 So you may walk in the way of good men,

    and keep the paths of the righteous.

21 For the upright will dwell in the land.

    The perfect will remain in it.

22 But the wicked will be cut off from the land.

    The treacherous will be rooted out of it.

Proverbs 2:20-22 (WEB)

At first glance, these verses may not add anything new that we have not already seen so far. Verse 20 begins with a “So” and connects to previous verses. It loops in the idea that if we choose wisdom, and avoid evil, we will walk in the way of good men and follow the path of the righteous. Put simply, wisdom leads to righteous living.

In the Land

Verse 21 and 22 however introduce something new. They mention the idea of dwelling “in the land”, and the converse, to be “rooted out of it”. At the very basic level, this refers to life and death. To be alive is to live in the land, and to die is to be removed from it. In that sense, it is a restatement of the idea from earlier in the chapter where we see that sin leads to death.

When I see a reference to “the land” I often ponder if it refers to land generically speaking, or if it is a specific reference to the land of Israel. Some today believe that the physical land upon which Israel currently sits is no longer important, and yet others believe the land itself is part of God’s promise.

For instance, Genesis 17 states:

Abram fell on his face. God talked with him, saying, 4 “As for me, behold, my covenant is with you. You will be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 Your name will no more be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you. Kings will come out of you. 7 I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you and to your offspring after you. 8 I will give to you, and to your offspring after you, the land where you are traveling, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. I will be their God.”

Genesis 17:3-8 (WEB)

This appears to be an everlasting covenant between God and the descendants of Abraham, and verse 8 specifically mentions “the land”.

Many disagree on this point, so I will leave it to you to determine if you think the land itself is important or not, but if it is, then this point from Proverbs may link in.

As I say, verse 22 points out that the wicked or treacherous will be cut off from the land. If the land is specific to Israel as I ponder above, then this also may refer to the danger of ignoring God’s ways. We know that as the nation of Israel forsook the Lord in the generations that followed Solomon, not following the Law and worshipping other gods. This resulted in them being taken into captivity and the subsequent exile.

However you read these verses, the conclusion is clear. Following God’s ways and making wise choices will lead to good things, and not doing so will lead to bad. Insightful huh?

Perfect

Proverbs 2:21 says “The perfect will remain in it.” i.e. the land. This little word “perfect” leapt out at me, for I know I am far from it!

It reminds me of what Jesus said here:

You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5:48 (ESV)

Most translations do use the word perfect, which is a tough pill to swallow. Some say “will be perfect,” but I am not certain if the Greek implies a future perfection here.

How can we hope to be perfect?

We could infer that perfect does not mean perfect, but rather just good. Even so, can we dare to hope to be “good”? I am often uneasy about taking a word or phrase from the Bible and trying to argue that it does not mean what it says. Clearly, there are poetic or metaphorical examples which are not meant to be taken literally. We must handle the text appropriately therefore, and be sure not to allegorise something that was intended to be literal.

The truth is, I do not know for sure how best to interpret this. My suggestion is that it is a call to live uprightly of course, but also a distinction between who we are and what we do. While we may not act perfectly all of the time, we are righteous because of our position in Christ. Perhaps Jesus is directing us to live well, but to recognise our behaviour will never be perfect while on the earth, and instead to rely on His perfection. I will leave you to consider that for yourself.

Catching Up

If you have missed any of the previous posts on Proverbs, then here is a list for you to catch up on.

Thanks for your ongoing support by reading these posts. I hope they bless you.

God’s Glory or Your Comfort?

Pearls of Wisdom

God’s number one goal is NOT to make you comfortable

Some Christian TV channels are great, but not all of their content lines up with Scripture. You do have to be discerning. If you tune in to the wrong show or preacher, you might be misled into thinking that God’s number one priority is to make your life comfortable, easy and problem free. Not to burst your bubble, but this is not so!

God’s primary concern is His own glory.

God’s primary concern is His own glory. #Christianity #Bible #Jesus

If it were anyone else, that would be considered self-indulgent and self-centred. For God though, it is not. He is the only One truly deserving of all praise, honour and glory.

That is not to say that God is uninterested in you, or in what is happening in your life. Far from it! He wants good things for His children, as any Father does. Yet God does not run the universe on the basis of your comfort. The choices God makes are driven by what will bring Him the most glory. And rightly so!

For us, whatever we do or do not do, let it be done for the glory of God!

Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 (WEB) #Bible #Glory #Jesus #Christianity

Let us all focus less on what we might want, and more on what will bring Jesus glory. We can tolerate a little discomfort in this life, with the promise eternal heaven to come!

Then Wisdom (Proverbs 2:5-8)

In yesterday’s post – If Wisdom – we saw and understood that wisdom required certain things from us. A choice was given to us, and we could opt to follow the path of insight or to tread the way of foolishness.

What are the benefits of wisdom though? We posed the question yesterday, if I do this, then what? Our passage today seeks to answer that very point.

Recall that I likened it to a computer program. If… then… If you do A, then B will happen. If we opt for Wisdom, then what is the result?

5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord

    and find the knowledge of God.

6 For the Lord gives wisdom;

    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

7 He holds success in store for the upright,

    he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,

8 for he guards the course of the just

    and protects the way of his faithful ones.

Proverbs 2:5-8 (NIV)

The Fear of the Lord

It is hard to get past verse five. It promises something of a “big ticket” item as the first benefit of seeking wisdom’s way. If you choose wisdom, then you will understand the fear of the Lord.

This is no small promise. It all begins and ends with the fear of our Great God. Just so that it is said, “fear” here is not to be afraid, but rather to revere and respect – though those two words seem inadequate somehow.

Many people describe themselves as agnostic, meaning that they are uncertain if there is a God at all. They are not so adamant as atheists, but have questions they are yet to find the answers for. Some people believe in some form of god or higher being, others think there is some kind of universal energy but would hesitate to describe this as a conscious being.

Wisdom reveals the truth to us. There is a God, and He is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Choosing wisdom leads to understanding the fear of the Lord, and to knowledge of Him.

Perhaps the entire point of my series, or rather the entire thrust of the book of Proverbs is this; that wisdom leads to God. We do not seek wisdom for its own ends. We do not pursue it simply to be known as “wise.” While it may bring success in different areas of our lives, that is not the point either.

#Wisdom leads to the knowledge of #God #Bible #Christianity #Jesus

If there were no other benefits to the way of wisdom, gaining understanding of the fear of God is more than enough.

The Source of Wisdom

Verse six could not be more clear about the source of wisdom.

For the Lord gives #wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. #Proverbs 2:6 #Bible #Christianity

Wisdom – true wisdom – comes only from God. He gives it gladly to those who would follow after Him.

From His mouth comes understanding… and what comes from a person’s mouth? Their word of course. God’s Word, which we know as the Bible, is the only place to find wisdom more valuable than gold.

I recall a time as a young man when I spoke to a Christian Union meeting at the nearby university. I waved my Bible at them and almost yelled “Read your Bibles!” I was perhaps a little less subtle in those days! I hope they remembered it though, I know I did! I knew then as I do now that knowing your Bible is the key to success in this life. The Word speaks of Christ, and only by knowing Him can we make this life worth living.

(side note: success does not equate to wealth, fame or a high profile job title… but it does not exclude these either.)

Please, dear reader, study the Scriptures! In them you will find life. They speak of Jesus. They bestow wisdom.

Interchangeable Wisdom

Verses seven and eight switch gears slightly, as the author pauses to reflect on the benefits of knowing the Lord (rather than wisdom itself).

We see that God has stored up success for the righteous, and for those us bathed in the cleansing blood of the Lamb, we take a different view of what righteousness really is. It is not behaving well, but rather being in a position of good standing with God. We are not righteous because we are good, but because He is!

The Lord is a shield, and He guards the path of the just. And He protects the way of the faithful. Such benefits the Lord offers are reminiscent of those that come from wisdom herself. This touches on something I have always pondered about Proverbs. Knowledge of God and knowledge of wisdom appear largely interchangeable.

I will leave you this thought to meditate on. Is knowing wisdom the same as knowing God? Or rather, is knowing God the same as knowing wisdom?

One last thing, as it is in my mind. I do not know all there is to know about Proverbs (or the Bible as a whole for that matter). I hope that what I write is helpful and encouraging. I cannot however answer all questions you are likely to have. There are passages later in Proverbs which I will struggle with, no doubt, and as we reach them I will try to be open and honest with you.

I recall a preacher I respect reading a passage once and asking “What does this mean?” His answer was as follows: “I have no idea!” I may have to hold up my hands and admit the same as some point. And likely, so will you.

Let each of us pray for wisdom, and a deeper knowledge of God and His Word. May the Holy Spirit reveal to us all we need to know, and help us to understand those passages and points we struggle with.

Remember, if you follow the path of wisdom, you will find Jesus.

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Three… Two… One and Only

Last Sunday (9th January) was known in some church traditions as Epiphany Sunday. This tradition celebrates the arrival of the Three Kings in Bethlehem to worship the child Jesus. You can read the entire account in Matthew 2, and although I won’t post the entire text in this post, I may refer to particular verses of interest.

If you do read the entire chapter, then there are a few points you might notice…

When?

First of all, despite the traditional nativity scene, it is unlikely the Magi arrived at the same time as the Shepherds and while the baby Jesus was in the manger. Epiphany is celebrated slightly after Christmas to denote that actually it isn’t really known how long afterwards they arrived.

Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked by the wise men, was exceedingly angry, and sent out and killed all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding countryside, from two years old and under, according to the exact time which he had learned from the wise men.

Matthew 2:16 (WEB)

Verse 16 suggests it could have been up to two years later that the men from the east arrived.

Who?

You are likely familiar with the Christmas carol entitled “Three Kings,” but is this biblically accurate?

For instance, does Matthew tell us that there were three of these so-called kings?

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, 2 “Where is he who is born King of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east, and have come to worship him.” 3 When King Herod heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

Matthew 2:1-3

Verse one does not say “three” at all, but rather “some.” It is not clear from this how many Magi came along. Tradition has grown up that there were three of them because of the three gifts that they brought. There were other suggestions too, and I do not think you can know for certain. It may be that there were three leaders, but I put it to you that the text alone implies far more than three simple men on camels!

Verse three tells us that King Herod was troubled by their arrival, and we will explore why in a moment, but he was not alone in feeling troubled. Verse three also states that he was troubled and “all Jerusalem with him.” While Jerusalem would have been somewhat different to how we know it today, even then it would not have been too concerned by the arrival of three men. It is likely, in my mind at least, that they came with a rather large caravan and something notable to set the wheels of gossip turning.

Were they kings?

Again, the text makes no mention of these travellers from the east being royal. Rather they are described as wise men or Magi. The word “Magi” is where we get our word “magician” from, and when we think of them, we should picture the wise men and scholars as depicted in the book of Daniel. In fact, I once read that Daniel may have begun the very group of Magi who were looking for the signs in the heavens that would tell them when Messiah was to be born… but I am not sure if such a claim can be verified.

So not three kings then, nor kings at all. If you look at the text carefully, then there are two people named as “kings.”

  1. King Herod – mentioned in verse one
  2. King of the Jews, i.e. Jesus – mentioned in verse two

There were not three kings, but only two in reality. Or were there?

Why was King Herod so bothered by the birth of a baby in the little town of Bethlehem? (Bethlehem meaning House of Bread, in case it ever comes up!)

Herod was deeply troubled by this news because he was no king at all. He was not part of the Davidic line, and so had no birth right to the throne. Instead, he had been placed there by the Roman rule to govern the nation. He did some good things for the people, but was known for being somewhat paranoid and even had his wife and children murdered because he thought they threatened his position.

We see the depths of his wickedness as he has all the baby boys in the area killed as a way of trying to rid himself of this Boy King. See verse 16 above.

We started with three kings, then reduced that to only two, and now only One remains. The baby in the manger. Arguably the least kingly of them all.

Others may claim kingship, but there is but One true King. And His name is Jesus. He is the Son, and Eternal Word of God. He came to live on this earth with us, and was born as a vulnerable baby in a cave (most likely). He lived a perfect, sinless life and was betrayed, tortured and executed having committed no crime. Jesus did this to pay the penalty for our sin. He was buried (in another cave) but death could not hold Him. On the third day, He rose again to new life, appearing to His friends and disciples. He later ascended into heaven where He is now seated at the right hand of the Father. One day, He will return.

All who put their trust in Jesus need not pay the penalty for their own sin. They can rest of His mercy and accept that He has done it all for us.

Do not delay, make a choice for Him today.