Today's Reading - Proverbs 23

Who Do You Envy?

"Envy" is the feeling which looks longingly at the prosperity and enjoyment of others. It is that sense of “I wish I had” what they have.

It is wrong to long after those who find their prosperity and enjoyment outside of God. Let not your heart envy sinners. This type of envy is sin. It leads to jealousy and resentment. But, did you know there is a RIGHT type of envy? The way this verse is structured in the original Hebrew, it indicates that is right to long after those who find their prosperity and enjoyment in the Lord. Literally translated, this verse reads “Let not your heart be envious at sinners, but instead be envious of those who fear Yahweh all the day.”

Did you know that it is okay to look at the godly, spiritual qualities of other believers and “envy” those qualities in your own life?  This is not the type of envy that leads to jealousy, bitterness, or resentment. This is the type of envy that leads to a prayerful pursuit of those same qualities in your own life. As you look longingly at godly people, you will begin emulating their example. In 1 Corinthians 4:16, the Apostle Paul said, “I urge you, then, be imitators of me.” Envying the spiritual qualities of others will help us imitate those qualities.

Do you “wish you had” the level of compassion you see in a fellow believer? Or, do you listen to your pastor and his anointed exegesis of Scripture and say, “I wish I could teach like that”? Or, perhaps “wish” you were more like your friend who is “on-fire” for Jesus and chronically reaches out to others with the Gospel message. There are many godly qualities in others that we should look longingly at: faith, virtue, patience, humility, servanthood, and much more. The reality is that when you envy these qualities, you are – in fact – envying Christ. Your heart is longing to be more like Him.

The good news is that you CAN have the qualities you long for. God has promised to bring forth Christlike character from your life. "The fruit of the Spirit is Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance” (Galatians 5:22-23). Put off the works of the flesh and be continually filled with the Holy Spirit and you will have the very qualities you envy.

So, go ahead and look longingly at the prosperity and enjoyment of those mature and spiritual Christians around you. Let your heart envy them. Then go to God and ask Him to “make it so” in you. Don’t be envious of worldly prosperity, but be envious of those who fear Yahweh all the day.

 

Today's Reading - Proverbs 22

 

Duck Or Get Clobbered

Unlike God, who sees the future with crystal clarity, we humans are unable to do so. We don’t know what lies around the next corner. We are blind to what awaits us. Accordingly, God in His mercy has granted us three faculties to manage our journey into the future: truth, trust, and prudence.

By God’s truth, we can see God’s master plan for the future. We know what awaits us as we draw nearer to the last days. We also know what awaits us when our life on earth is done. What a blessing that God has shown us the end of the story.

By trust, we anticipate and expect good from the hand of God, who has promised that He has a plan for each one of us – a plan of blessing. When we put our trust in Him, we need not fear what lies ahead. Whatever it is, the Lord will make it work for our good and our blessing.

By prudence, we avoid the pitfalls and injury that come to those who proceed in the face of danger. Prudence is the faculty by which we exercise good judgement and common sense as we make choices in life. The Hebrew word translated “prudent” in verse 3 means to be subtle, shrewd, crafty, sly, sensible. It is the God-given means by which we can step out of the way and protect ourself from unnecessary pain and sorrow. This can apply to something as simple as avoiding sharp knives or eating foods that cause indigestion to more serious matters such as avoiding teachers of false doctrine, entering an unhealthy relationship, or giving in to our sinful nature.

The opposite of prudence is foolishness. Foolish ("the simple") people are often reckless, attempting things that the prudent person avoids. As the old saying goes, “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.” Without prudence, the foolish and inexperienced person is headstrong and proceeds down the path of danger.  They take undue risks because they haven’t considered the outcome of a situation.

Whatever choices you are making in your life, be sure to pause before proceeding. Consider the potential pitfalls and injury that could come from a hasty or unwise decision. Do not proceed without taking the necessary precautions to hide yourself from injury. Do yourself a favor by using your God-given prudence.

The Message paraphrase puts it like this, “A prudent person sees trouble coming and ducks; a simpleton walks in blindly and is clobbered.” (MSG)

Today's Reading - Proverbs 21

Ritual vs Righteousness

The way you behave in your dealings with others means far more to God than your religious performance.  

It seems that there is no shortage of people who are ready to do their religious duty on Sundays, but show no signs of a godly life the rest of the week. They meticulously make the “sacrifices” of attending church services, paying their tithes, saying their prayers, following their liturgy, singing their songs, and performing their rituals – but there is no attempt to live a righteous life before God. They just don’t get that God is more interested in their seeking to be righteous, just, and merciful than He is in them coming and offering such “sacrifices” to Him. 

David the Psalmist recognized this truth in Psalm 51 – “You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.” God is far more interested in matters of the heart than He is in our religious ceremony. Having this type of broken spirit and repentant heart will result in living the type of life that God finds acceptable and pleasing – a life of faith, mercy, kindness, justice, and righteousness.

Yahweh was very blunt about this truth with the prophet Isaiah when He questioned him about religious duty:

“’What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?’ says the Lord.

‘I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle.

I get no pleasure from the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.

When you come to worship me, who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony?

Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts; the incense of your offerings disgusts me!

As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath and your special days for fasting—they are all sinful and false.

I want no more of your pious meetings.’” (Isaiah 1:11-13)

The reality is that if our heart isn’t in it, God isn’t interested in our religion. He is seeking those with a humble and contrite heart who recognize their need for His grace and forgiveness and commit themselves to living righteously, justly, and mercifully through the power of His indwelling Spirit. The way you behave in your dealings with others means far more to God than your religious performance.  

Today's Reading - Proverbs 20

Wine is a Mocker

As you know, the drinking of wine, beer, and other alcoholic beverages is an accepted practice in our culture. In fact, you could say it is not only acceptable, but is expected and encouraged by nearly everyone. It is the "norm" of our society. It is simply our “way of life.” But, is it consistent with God’s “way of life?”

The reality is – and here comes the honesty – the Bible consistently and strongly advises against the consumption of wine and strong drink. It is true that the Bible sometimes refers to wine in positive ways when describing something satisfying (“Your mouth is like the best wine.” -  Song of Songs 7:9), or celebratory (“Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart” - Ecclesiastes 9:7), but it also strongly warns of the dangers of drinking.

Here in Proverbs 20, we read that “wine is a mocker” and that “strong drink (or beer) is a brawler” and that “whoever is led astray by them is not wise.” A mocker is somebody who is hostile to a life of righteousness and ridicules all who disagree with him. This statement is a warning against the harmful ways a person is affected by consuming too much wine.  Consuming too much wine (or any alcoholic beverage) negatively affects one’s thinking and behavior, which could lead to actions, words, or attitudes unpleasing to the Lord. Those who consume too much wine give themselves over to its influence and allow it to control them. In a sense, then, the wine “mocks” their lack of self-control.

The book of Proverbs provides instructions for living a wise and virtuous life—by avoiding actions that end up harming oneself and others. In Proverbs 20:1 specifically, wine and beer are described as enemies of wisdom. Whoever is led astray by alcohol is not wise.

While wine and other alcoholic beverages can be safely consumed without leading to sin, we should pay close attention to the Bible’s strong warnings against excessive consumption. Alcohol has a way of leading us away from the righteous and virtuous life God calls us to live.

Bottom line: The Bible does not strictly forbid drinking, but it does strongly discourage it and forbids drinking in excess, leading to drunkenness. If a Christian chooses to consume alcohol, they must do so with moderation, restraint, and self-control. If you cannot drink without such restraint, then you must avoid alcohol altogether. Whoever is led astray by alcohol is not wise. Check your heart on this matter. Have you adopted your culture’s values when it comes to drinking? Or, have you internalized God’s values and chosen to live above society’s “norm”?  

 

Today's Reading - Proverbs 19

Man's Plans | God's Purpose

You’ve probably heard it many times, “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” Don’t let your familiarity keep you from being awestruck and astonished by those words. Meditate on this truth for a moment – God has a plan for YOU!

In a world with nearly eight billion people, it’s easy to feel small—to feel as if our day-to-day lives aren’t worth much, especially when we’re occupied with seemingly mundane and unimportant matters. Yet God has a purpose and a plan for each and every one of us. We all have unique gifts, talents, positions, perspectives, and callings. God uses this tremendous diversity to carry out his will, and his plans are always bigger, bolder, and better than anything we could ever imagine.

Psalm 33:11 tells us, “The plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations.” It is an undeniable truth of Scripture that God has a “master narrative” (or “metanarrative”) by which He is governing our planet and guiding the affairs of our lives. It is this narrative and purpose that God is busy fulfilling every day. In a “macro” sense (largescale), His purpose covers the entirety of human history from the creation of the universe – to the redemption of mankind – to the events of the end times and ultimate end of our planet.

In a “micro” sense (smaller scale), God also has a master narrative for your life. Even before you were born, God knew the purpose and plan He had for you. As he told the prophet Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5)

In other words, you can't really fight against God or against God's plans. You may be making all kinds of plans. You may be figuring out various schemes, but ultimately, God's word and His purpose is going to stand. There is an old Greek saying, "The dice of the gods are loaded." That means you just can't go against God's will and win. God has said certain things and you may scheme and devise all you want. But the purpose of the Lord for your life is going to stand. He will arrange and establish your plans.

A person may make plans, but God is the one who determines their outcome. He knows your unseen motives and controls events according to His largescale purposes and His individual plan for your life. It is vitally important, therefore, to always bring God into your planning. When your wisdom comes from God, your decisions will always be right. The mysterious and amazing thing is that you may think your plan was your idea, but in the end, God planted that idea in your heart and mind because it was His purpose to do so. God’s purpose will prevail.

 

Today's Reading - Proverbs 18

The Forerunner of Ruin

One of the principles that is often repeated in the Bible is this: A proud person will soon be ruined – a humble person will soon be honored. James 4:6 says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”  Ultimately, God brings low the proud and raises the humble. 

It seems counter-intuitive — that putting ourselves low will raise us up, while putting ourselves first will end up with us last. But that’s exactly what the Bible says. Repeatedly. Proverbs 11:12 says, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.” Haughtiness, pride, and arrogance are the forerunners of ruin.

The call to follow Christ is a call to forsake pride, arrogance, haughtiness, and self-praise and to pursue humility from a sincere heart. We need to drop our pride because pride comes before a fall. Many proverbs warn that the sin of pride is a dangerous offense. Pride is the sin most likely to keep a person from crying out for a Savior.

Pride in the context of these verses refers to an arrogant attitude that manifests itself as self-reliance (haughtiness) and lack of dependence upon God. To be humble and thus avoid the pride that goes before a fall is to respect, reverence, and submit to the Lord in every area of your life. When we fear the Lord, we acknowledge our desperate need for God because He is infinitely wiser than we are. The proud person pursues his or her own way, but the humble one obeys God’s Word. Doing so makes us sure-footed so that we will not slip or stagger: “The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him.” (Psalm 37:23)

As seriously dangerous as pride is, it’s equally hard to spot. When it comes to diagnosing our hearts, those of us who have the disease of pride have a challenging time identifying our sickness. Some of the symptoms of pride include fault-finding, a harsh spirit, superficiality, defensiveness, taking God for granted, hunger for attention, and neglect of others. Do you see any of these symptoms in your life? Then you must repent, forsaking your pride and humbling yourself before God. If you do, God will honor your humbleness. If you don’t – watch out! Ruin in some form or another awaits you.

“For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” (Galatians 6:3)

Today's Reading - 2 Chronicles 5 & 6

 

Solomon's Prayer of Dedication

As the opening ceremonies of the Temple reached their climax, King Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the entire community of Israel, and he lifted his hands in prayer. Then he knelt in front of the entire community of Israel and lifted his hands toward heaven. He prayed, “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven and earth. You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion.”

The prayer that follows is one of the most heartfelt compilations of praises and petitions in the entire Bible. Solomon’s prayer culminated with this request, “O my God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive to all the prayers made to you in this place.”

Solomon longed for this Temple to be a place that was alive with the presence of the ever-living God. A place where people could connect with God. A place where prayers would be heard, people would be healed, sins would be forgiven, and lives would be changed. He desired that “God’s house” would be the center of community and national life for all of Israel.

Can you picture it? The political and military leader of the nation bowing in deep reverence with words of praise unto the Lord.  Solomon’s words ring true today just as they did that day. There is no God like Yahweh. He is the only true and living God. No matter how far you go – throughout heaven and earth – or how intently you search, you will never find anyone even remotely like Him. He is a God of His word – who always keeps His promises and covenants. He does this because of His “steadfast love” for His servants – those who have bowed the knee to Him as their Master and Lord.

What an amazing day this was. One of the highlights of human history for sure! And what an amazing God we serve! There is no God like Him in the skies above or on the earth below, who unswervingly keeps covenant with his servants and unfailingly loves them while they sincerely live in obedience to His ways. Praise be to God!