Today's Reading - 2 Chronicles 8 & Proverbs 25

 

Like Vinegar on Soda

The Book of Proverbs advises its readers about making wise choices. It also advises us about not making unwise choices. Here in Proverbs 25:20 we are advised NOT to sing songs to someone with a heavy heart. In fact, we are cautioned about the absurdity of doing so. Singing cheerful songs to a person with a heavy heart is like taking someone’s coat in cold weather or pouring vinegar on soda.

Have you ever struggled with what to say or do for persons experiencing a difficult time such as illness, accident, job loss, divorce or death?  This proverb describes an all-too-human problem each of us faces from time to time. We want to reach out and help those who are hurting—but the words or actions we use may unintentionally add to their burden instead of easing their pain.

Instinctively, we want to cheer up those with heavy hearts. We may think that our cheerful songs will “rub off on them” and cheer them up. But this proverb tells us that signing happy songs to struggling people can often be cruel – as cruel as taking away their coat on a cold day. This makes them feel exposed, alone, misunderstood and unprotected. It can also be inflaming – like pouring vinegar on soda which leads to an eruption. When we try to make sad people happy, our efforts to cheer them up may seem heartless and could cause an emotional outburst.

When someone is trying to come to terms with loss, rushing the process is never helpful. People need space to grieve and to process what they’re facing. So, instead of singing happy songs to a heavy heart, try just sitting with them and just listening. Pray for them. Offer words of empathy and encouragement – reminding them that the Lord is with them in the fire (Isaiah 43:2). It is okay to remain quiet if the Lord doesn’t give you words to share. If your heavy-hearted friend speaks, let them do so without judging, interrupting, or correcting them. Let them share their thoughts and name their struggles.

Just sitting with your friend tells them you feel their pain and are willing to draw close to them in time of need.  It also reminds them that the Lord sees their pain and He will never leave them. And always pray for them – pray for God’s comfort and encouragement. Trust them to the Lord, and, in due time, He will turn their “mourning into joy” (Jeremiah 31:3).

Today's Reading: 1 Kings 9

Limitless Access to God

At the beginning of Solomon's reign, the Lord had appeared unto him while he was in Gibeon, there offering sacrifices unto God. And the Lord basically said to Solomon, "Ask me whatever you want." Solomon went on to ask for the divine wisdom to govern God’s people.

Now the Lord appears to Solomon “a second time.” What a blessing it is to know that access to God is not restricted to a one-time event. We can come to Him a second, third, fourth or fifth time. Actually, we can access Him for a limitless number of times. Our access to Him is perpetual and boundless. There are no membership fees or monthly access charges.

One of the key themes of the Bible is that of access to God. That access is depicted in different ways through the various parts of the Christian story but it all leads to an understanding that we can have personal, relational, and unlimited access to God. One of the distinctives of the Christian faith is that we don’t have to do anything to have full access to God except to come to Him through His Son, Jesus – “For through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.” (Ephesians 2:18)

We don’t have to say any particular prayers, we don’t have to earn any particular merit, we don’t have to perform any particular rituals, we don’t have to give any particular gifts to gain access to the very throne of God Himself. We aren’t on a waiting list. We aren’t required to have any particular dress code. We aren’t limited in our access to God because of what we have done. No, we can go with confidence and approach God for His help in our time of need.

Always keep this in mind – God WANTS to hear from you. “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers.” (Psalm 34:15) You can approach Him anytime day or night as often as you wish. He will not be perturbed by, or indifferent to, your requests. So, have boldness! Approach God’s throne! Do it with confidence! Do it now! “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

 

Today's Reading - Psalms 148, 149, 150

 

Let Everything Praise the Lord!

What an apt ending to the Psalms: “Let Everything Praise the Lord!”

Psalms is a collection of Hebrew poems and songs. The book was originally titled Tehillim, which means “praise songs” in Hebrew. The Psalms express the emotion of the individual Psalmists to God or about God. Different types of Psalms were written to communicate different feelings and thoughts regarding a Psalmist’s situation.

The book of Psalms expresses worship. Throughout its many pages, Psalms encourages its readers to praise God for who He is and what He has done. The Psalms illuminate the greatness of our God, confirm His faithfulness to us in times of trouble, and remind us of the absolute centrality of His Word. As the Psalms present a clear picture of God lovingly guiding His people, the responses of praise and worship to God are never far from the Psalmists’ pens. The portrayal of worship in the Psalms offers us glimpse after glimpse of hearts devoted to God, individuals repentant before Him, and lives changed through encounters with Him.

As we read through the Psalms, we are struck by the range of emotions expressed by the various Psalmists. There are lament Psalms – expressing the writer’s crying out to God in difficult situations. There are praise Psalms – the offering of direct admiration to God. There are thanksgiving Psalms – reflecting the writer’s gratitude for God’s provision and protection. There are “pilgrim” Psalms (also known as “Psalms of ascent”) – which were sung by Hebrew pilgrims going up to Jerusalem for one of the annual festivals. There are also wisdom Psalms, victory Psalms, and “songs of Zion.” And, there are Messianic Psalms (or “Royal Psalms”) – speaking prophetically of the “Coming One”, Israel’s king and Messiah, Jesus Christ.

The Psalms prompt you to thank God for allowing you to express your deepest emotions to Him. If you are hurting, take a look at Psalm 13. If you are rejoicing, meditate on Psalm 30. Are you looking for a life secured in God’s truth, look to Psalm 1.  Do you need comfort, turn to Psalm 91. Looking for strength – Psalm 46. And the list goes on and on. You get it – God has provided a poem and song that applies to every circumstance of your life.

The Book of Psalms is a wonderful gift given to us by our loving Creator. He knew our needs and our emotions and our need to worship before we were even born.  Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!

Today's Reading - Psalms 134, 146, & 147

Help and Hope

The word “blessed” means “oh how happy.” This verse expresses the wonderful and happy experience of being helped by – and finding your hope in – the Lord.

There is no better source of HELP than the Lord our God. After all, He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry. He frees the prisoners. He opens the eyes of the blind. He lifts up those who are weighed down. He cares for the orphans and widows. The Lord is all-powerful. There is no problem He cannot solve, no burden He cannot lift, no injury He cannot heal, no relationship He cannot restore, no heart He cannot transform, no sin He cannot forgive, and no sinner He cannot redeem.

What do you need help with today? Do you need help paying your bills? Do you need help finding a job? Do you need help dealing with depression and discouragement? Do you need help salvaging a damaged marriage? Do you need help dealing with disease or sickness in your body? Do you need deliverance from an addiction? Whatever is going on in your life right now, don’t look “inside yourself” for the help you need. Look to the Lord your God. Cry out to Him for His supernatural help. It is there. Lay your burden down, let Him carry it. Let Him help. Oh, how happy you are if you are finding your help in the God of Jacob!

Also, there is no better source of HOPE than in the Lord our God. Hope is the optimistic anticipation of future good. Hope is not “wishful thinking.” It is the firm faith we place in the future that God (who cannot lie) has promised us. We can find so much hope through the gift of eternal life made possible through God’s Son, Jesus Christ. No matter what trials, temptations or pain we may suffer, we can always hold onto the hope God extends to us. The Apostle Peter wrote, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).

It is easy to lose hope in our world darkened by sin. We see so much of the dark side of humanity that we can easily drift to hopelessness. But, in Christ there is a never-ending source of true hope and courage for the future. Do you need more hope in your life today? Look to the Lord your God. Cry out for Him to restore your hope and make your hope shine like a light for other hope-deprived people to be drawn to and find salvation in Christ. Oh, how happy you are if you are finding your hope in the Lord your God!

 

Today's Reading - 2 Chronicles 7 & Psalm 136

Prescription for National Restoration

Psalm 136 is all about giving thanks to the God of Heaven for His steadfast love which endures forever. We don’t know for sure who wrote Psalm 136, but we do know that it was sung at the dedication of Solomon’s Temple. (See 2 Chr 7:3,6). As the people gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the Temple, the one thing that was on their mind was thankfulness – and rightly so. God had so blessed the people of Israel with His providence, provision, and protection for many centuries that it was time to give Him praise and thanksgiving for His enduring love.

After the festivities of the day, as Solomon lay on his bed, the Lord spoke to him about the days ahead when the people’s hearts would turn away from God. As complacency and apathy set in, the people would turn to selfish and wicked pursuits. God knew they would one day drift away from His commandments and statutes and decay into a nation that was no longer thankful and no longer carried God at the center of their national life. When this happens, God told Solomon that His blessing would give way to His judgment.

Instead of plentiful rain to water their crops, God would “shut up” the heavens so there is no rain. He would send locusts into their gardens and farms. He would send diseases and pandemics upon the people. It would not be a pretty sight. This may seem like such a “downer” on a day that was full of celebration and joy and thankfulness. But the reason God spoke to Solomon about this was because He wanted to give him the “prescription” to remedy their condition. Because His steadfast love endures forever, He made sure they knew exactly how to end their coming days of trouble.

There are four simple (but not easy) steps they must follow when they are ready for God’s forgiveness and healing of their land. First, they must HUMBLE THEMSELVES. This means they must acknowledge that they have been wrong in their disregard for God and turn away from their pride and self-sufficiency. Second, they must PRAY. Lack of prayer is one of the sure signs that a person or a nation has turned away from God. To remedy this, they must turn back to a life of prayer. Third, they must SEEK GOD’S FACE. When we seek the face of God, we are seeking His presence – seeking His involvement in our lives – seeking to end our estrangement from Him. Finally, they must TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS. This means they must repent – intentionally turn their back on the direction they are going and turn back to God’s ways and rule over their nation.

God then promised Solomon that when His people followed this “prescription,” that He would forgive their sins and heal their land. What an amazing promise from the God of Heaven whose steadfast love endures forever! This promise applies to any nation who, at one time, sought God and followed His truth but has drifted away from Him into complacency, apathy, selfishness, pride, and sin. Our loving God will do the same for that nation.

 

Today's Reading - Proverbs 7

The Apple of Your Eye

In today’s jargon, the phrase “apple of my eye” means that something or someone is cherished above all others. When a father, for example, has many beloved children, but there is one in particular who is treasured and cherished above the others, that child is considered the “apple of his eye.” There were many beautiful belles at the ball, but only Cinderella was the apple of Prince Charming’s eye – he cherished her above all the others.

Here in Proverbs 7, we are urged to keep the Lord’s teaching as the apple of our eye. Certainly, that means to cherish it and treasure it above all else. There are many reasons to cherish the word of God. It reveals the one true and living God. It comes from our Creator, Himself, who inspired every word. It unveils God’s plan of redemption for humanity. It contains fathomless wisdom and understanding. It tells us how human history will end. It teaches us how to deal with every aspect of our lives. It brings fresh spiritual refreshment to our daily lives. It instructs us how to live righteously before Him. God is truly honored when we cherish Him and His words above all else.

But there’s more to the phrase “apple of my eye” as found in the Bible. The Biblical phrase comes from a Hebrew expression that literally means ‘little man of the eye.’ It refers to the tiny reflection that you can see in other people’s pupils when they are looking directly at someone or something. To be the apple of someone’s eye meant that they were focusing on and watching something so closely that you could see the reflection in their pupils. Thus, ‘apple of your eye’ literally meant to be your singular focus.

Here in this Proverb, we are instructed to keep God’s teaching so central in our view that it is our singular focus – the apple of our eye.  It means focusing on God by remaining focused on His word. Jesus once said those who had believed in Him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples.” (John 8:31) What this phrase “truly my disciples” indicates is that there are disciples who are not truly disciples. The word “truly” means “really” — “really my disciples.” In other words, there are real and unreal disciples. There are authentic and inauthentic disciples. There is discipleship that is merely outward, and discipleship that goes down to the root. The difference is in those who “abide” (live under the sway of) His word.

God’s call is for us to be truly His disciples by keeping His teachings as the most cherished and singular focus of our lives. He wants us to avoid being under the sway of worldly wisdom and man’s ideas and to come solely under the sway of His truth. Keep God’s word as your singular focus. Watch it so closely and intently that you can see its reflection in your pupil and in your way of life.

 

Today's Reading - Proverbs 24

 

Wise Counsel and Lots of It

War is serious! The decisions made during war are serious and can have grave consequences. Here in Proverbs 24, Solomon is warning his son that making decisions during war must be done with wise counsel, and lots of it.

Most of us do not make decisions about war. At least not in the military sense of the word. But all of us are in a war, a spiritual war. There are many ways we may be fighting spiritual battles in our lives and world today. We may not see it, we might even forget it’s there, but it is a real war and has serious consequences. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12) If you are a follower of Jesus, you are on the frontlines of this cosmic battle.

Spiritual warfare is serious business. That’s why we need to be careful in the way we approach it. We all need to be aware that God has an enemy who is committed to making us ineffective by whatever means necessary. There are life-altering decisions we must make in this war. Decisions about a mate, a career, a specific job, a church, a promotion, a house, an investment, a business, a friend, a move, a problem with a child, a problem with health, and so forth. Here in Proverbs 24, we are exhorted not to fight these battles or make these decisions alone. We, like any military leader, must seek wise counsel about these decisions.

There are two parts to this proverb. First, he says, “don’t go to war without wise guidance.” Not just any guidance will do. You must use WISE advisers, which means you consult cautious, experienced, successful, and God-fearing mature believers. It is not prudent to ask immature young believers. And, it is especially inappropriate to seek the guidance of those who do not fear God or follow Christ. Their thoughts are worthless on any subject.

Secondly, he says “to win, you need lots of this type of counsel.” Asking just one or two wise counselors is not enough. The proverb teaches that wisdom is found in a MULTITUDE of counselors. By taking the time to hear many opinions and weighing them carefully, we would be saved from foolish and hurtful decisions. 

So, don’t go to war without wise guidance; victory depends on having many advisers.