What will you inherit?

“The wise will inherit honor, but fools get disgrace.”
-Proverbs 3:35

Today I’ve been thinking a little about what the world puts up as wisdom. And, honestly, the line of thoughts on this subject makes me very sad. I see people in the grocery store looking at the magazines, trying to find the sage advice that will fix their lives. I see people flocking to Oprah and Dr. Phil, hoping they will say something that will mend the mistakes. We turn to politicians, the great wise leaders of this age, for ideas to fix the problems other politicians created. And then we reelect those politicians when they only make things worse. We ask celebrities their opinions on everything, hoping some manner of wisdom will be gleaned. We turn to horoscopes and fortune cookies. We all bought into the great lie that we need to live for our own pleasure, our own greed, and then we desperately search for wisdom to fill us up when money and sex do not.

Those who come forward as “the wise” very rarely are. They spout axioms and encourage more greed and selfishness. Concentrate on yourselves, they say. Somehow, a change in job or spouse will solve everything.

In religion, the great thinkers tell us everyone is okay, that surely we’re just fine in God’s eyes, which may be the silliest statement of them all. And yet when someone points out that we’re not okay, and that we probably should start looking to God and living for Him, he is mocked as intolerant and narrow-minded.

Scientists are absolutely sure there is no God. Which is quite a bold statement, considering that we’ve only experienced a short sliver of time compared to the history of time, and that we’ve only seen a tiny slice of earth, which is a tiny slice of the Solar System, which is a tiny slice of the galaxy. Quite a bold statement to say that we can know for a fact that there is no God when we are not omniscient to know that for sure. (And if we were, we would be God.)

Wisdom in God’s eyes is not like wisdom in the world’s eyes. They can sometimes be as different as night and day, which is why Paul wrote of others, “Claiming to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:22). Sometimes, the most amazing statements the world can offer (such as, “There is no God”) collapse under the weight of God’s understanding.

Is it wise to ignore the counsel of the truly wise? Obviously, it is not. So when the author of wisdom, God Himself, speaks to us, the wise will be silent and listen. That’s another part of wisdom the world does not understand – silence. The wise of the world tend to speak much more than listen.

The spiritually wise seek the ways of God, for those ways are unfailing, straight, and true. They lead to life.

It is Jesus who shows us this way. He is “the way, the truth, and the life.” Who that is wise does not seek these things? Who does not want the way? Who that is wise does not seek truth? What about life?

The spiritually wise seek Christ. When I was lost, I thought myself wise. I thought so highly of myself. But it was when I submitted in humility to Him who is truth that I learned how foolish I had actually been.

When I follow Him, I am astounded at what I learned. When I repent when He tells me I should, I always find that He was right all along. When I obey, I find life in every step, and I will for eternity.

The wise will seek for themselves to see if these claims are true. Only the foolish will dismiss them. The fools may have the world, but that is all they will inherit. The wise will inherit life.

I need to get through that door!

“Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor.”
-Proverbs 3:34

It’s one of my pet peeves – those people who try to bully their way into everything. If there’s anything they want, anything they want to be a part of, they will shove and push and complain until they get it.

Half the time, they succeed, but everyone gets annoyed when they do. Everyone sees the injustice of it, and it just grates on you.

It’s so much different when someone comes in humility – those people who respectfully ask, who go through the right processes. In the long run, I think this tends to get better results. A kind word does wonders with people, while such pride turns people off. I have a tendency to resist people when they try to put me on the defensive. But if you come kindly and respectfully, that will go a long way with me. And when I go to others in that same way, I tend to fare a little better.

But that’s not our first instinct, is it? Our first instinct is to demand our rights. There is something about the human heart that just NEEDS to get through that closed door. It may be an exclusive club, a special deal, getting out of a speeding ticket, or a beautiful girlfriend that should be way out of your league. If there is a door that seems closed, it is out nature to try to bust it down.

So many of our arguments and feuds are based on pride alone. I am so convinced I am right that I am willing to destroy a relationship rather than accept otherwise. That is that closed door in that moment – being justified as right – and we will knock down anyone who stands in our way.

Meanwhile, you get someone humble enough to not care whether he is right or not, and you’ll have a hard time having an argument. You get someone who is trying to work out of love, and the relationship will probably remain strong.

We can’t stand those people who always act out of pride, and yet we are the exact same way. We’re that way with our friends, our family, our coworkers, the businesses we frequent, and our spouses. We’re like that with God.

We’re probably like that with God most of all. You ask people on the street if they are going to Heaven, they’ll tell you a resounding Yes, even if they can’t really explain why they are so sure of it. Keep talking to them: you’ll find out they want the Final Judgment to be on their terms, not God’s. They’ll say, “I’m a good person,” without a single mention of what God may consider to be good. “God will let me in,” they say in the same way they say, “That club will let me in.”

In truth, it is pride that got Satan kicked out of Heaven. Why do we think we will fare better with it? Why do we think God will let us into Heaven because WE say He will? We scoff at His expectations, at His Word, and His Son. We rely, instead, on ourselves.

In the New Testament, this passage is quoted as saying that “God opposes the proud.” That’s not so hard to understand. We all oppose the proud. We just don’t think of ourselves as “the proud.” But we are. We scoff at God and instead tell Him what He needs to do with us.

Jesus told of two men who went to the Temple to pray. The first thanked God that he wasn’t like all of these sinners around him. The second begged for mercy. Mercy was granted to the second, but not to the proud first man. Which one are you?

Jesus too came in humility, even to a death upon a Cross. In that humble death, He has provided us a way to forgiveness. In our pride God opposes us, but Jesus took our place in punishment, so now we can come in humility and be saved. Without Him there is no way. If we repent and believe, we will find His favor.

Who is cursed; who is blessed?

“The LORD’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous.”
-Proverbs 3:33

I think we wish this were more true. Or let me put it this way – I think that we believe this is less true than we would like. We so often see evil people prosper and wish something would happen to make them suffer.

So often we have heard God’s justice questioned – “What kind of God would allow this to happen?” some will ask. “Why would God allow me to suffer?” Indeed, for a time at least, it does seem that “his sun rise[s] on the evil and on the good, and [he] sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45).

I wonder what we would say if we saw as God sees. I wonder if we would make the same claims if we understood as He does. We howl at the pain in our lives, little thinking of the greater vision of what is happening. A dog who is undergoing surgery does not realize the surgery will save his life; he only knows the pain of the moment. Are we like that? Without the fullness of time to show us the meaning of it all, do we wonder about justice for the moment?

In this moment, I may compare myself to someone I saw on television, and I will think, “I am a good person.” God sees my life as a whole and holds it against His perfect standard. He sees my pride, lust, arrogance, hatred, anger, and greed. He sees all of that. If it were laid before on a table, surely I would cry out like Isaiah did when he saw Jesus, realizing immediately that I deserve death.

He can see the dark currents that my sin has set off in my life. He can see the sadness and regret that has clouded my heart. He can see the loneliness caused when my sin drove others away. You may only see the car I drive, the home I have, my job, and my wife, but He sees more.

He can see how these sins have tainted everything.

And He can see the end, when all will be judged for their own actions and motives. If a murderer is arrested, do we complain that he has not received his punishment before the trial even starts? No, of course not. We wait until the trial is done, and then judge the justice of the sentence and how it is carried out. In the same way, our trial has not yet been, and justice is coming swiftly. It may not be here yet, but the wicked will find their just end.

God sees that too, and so He sees the justice that will come. It is a justice that I may fear, for I know my own heart, except for Jesus.

It is true – we all deserve death, but it is the righteousness of Christ that brings the ultimately blessing. For those who repent and believe in Him, we will find the blessing that comes with His righteousness, not our own. We will find life. In love He gave us the gift of His Blood, and that Blood can pay for our sins.

The blessings I gain all come from Him. In the best ways my wife and I are one are because we are one around Him. We have been blessed already by His forgiveness, and we will find blessings still to come.

Don’t be devious

“for the devious person is an abomination to the LORD, but the upright are in his confidence.”
-Proverbs 3:32

I really don’t like the modern theory of customer service, which is really only this: The squeaky wheel gets the grease. The concept is this – those who complain loudly enough will get their way. If you don’t like what the person in front of you is saying, ask for a manager. Work your way up. Most of the time, you’ll get what you want.

Ironically, the best customers will almost never ask for a deal. They’ll come quietly and respectfully and take what is given. Those are the customers who really deserve the lower prices or special deals. Some businesses still operate this way, but too few of them.

I worked in a bookstore once, and one lady complained that a book was scratched up and she deserved a discount. Honestly, I don’t recall there being a mark on that book at all, but she insisted that we call a manager. The line behind her was growing as she argued with the manager. Later, when I spoke with her again, she told me that she would make such complaints regularly. She would find something wrong everywhere she went and would demand a discount no matter where she was.

It worked for her, but while the manager was arguing with her, I was looking at the people who were waiting in line, wondering if any of them would get such deals. I had a few customers I thought deserved them, since they were so loyal and kind, but we never made those offers.

Sadly, in this world, it is often the devious who win. It is often those who will make demands over everything, as though they deserved one bit of it.

There are so many who are willing to step on anyone to get a dollar (and sometimes only that!). And I wonder how many I’ve willingly stepped on in my own life. I can think of a few.

The momentary reward will fad. That dollar will be gone eventually, probably very quickly. Even if you keep doing it, keep taking, taking, taking, it will not last beyond the grave. But you will. I don’t care about your portfolio – how do YOU look?

All our tricks and betrayals over money may just work in this life, but they do not work with God. He sees through every motive, every word. It is our heart He judges, and no amount of complaining or threatening to call His manager is going to help you.

Jesus acted rightly in every circumstance. In every way He was upright. He never manipulated others for His own gain. He never manipulated the system to achieve His desires. He walked in honesty and integrity, and it so offended those around Him that they killed Him. He did not yell and curse for His way. Instead, He came in love. For us.

And now, Jesus sits at the right hand of God. He will return in glory, and every knee will bow before Him. It was not His bank account that brought Him this far, and our own bank accounts will not ingratiate us with Him. It will be our hearts.

Don’t envy evil

“Do not envy a man of violence and do not choose any of his ways,”
-Proverbs 3:31

I was getting my lunch together today to eat and then write this very entry when I happened upon some celebrity gossip magazines. There are plenty of them in grocery stores and the like, surely. The covers promised juicy gossip about the most faddish stars. What draws us to these magazines? Gossip? Of course. Envy? Yes. Godliness? Obviously not. We want to be like these people, always on TV and living in enormous homes.

It’s not just Hollywood. We regard almost anyone wealthy in this way. We either want to know how they did it (so we can do it too) or tear them down out of jealousy. My home state, as do many, has a lottery, where the state makes tons of money every year off people who are trying to get it all without working for it. We want to be rich. We want to be successful.

This is not a verse against success. The Bible is not opposed to success or being wealthy. It’s about what we’re willing to do to get there.

This verse tells us not to envy violent men. “Violent men” is the literal translation, but the connotation gives us something a little more board. It’s talking about those who murder and hurt to get their way, those who cheat and steal. Those who are successful by pulling others down.

We know about people like this, right? We hear about the CEOs who get rich off the backs of their employees. We hear about those who take lavish vacations while at the same time firing people “to save money.” We hear about those who stab others in the back just to get ahead. We hear of those who manipulate others just to make a buck.

Do we envy them? How far would you go to be like one of those celebrities? Who would you step on to get there? Who would you hurt? What price would you pay?

You may scoff at the question. I wonder if you tried to make a coworker look bad last year so you would get the promotion instead. I wonder if you cheated on your taxes, making another pay your share, to save a little. Did you try to squeeze every penny out of a business deal? How much do you neglect your family in order to stay late at work?

When Jesus was tempted in the desert, he was offered the world if He would just bow a knee to Satan. Just like that, He could have had it all. Instead, He chose homelessness, ridicule, and finally death. He did it because there are things that are more important than fame and money. There is love. And that’s why He died – for love.

We have all fallen into those moments of greed and envy, but on the Cross Jesus paid the price for the sins we have committed. Instead of taking all He the wealth He could from this world, He instead asked for the sin and death we should have paid. In repentance and faith in Him, we can be free from our envy and greed. Instead of seeking after those things, we can find life.

Don’t do evil over nothing

“Do not contend with a man for no reason, when he has done you no harm.”
-Proverbs 3:30

First reaction when reading this verse was this – what in the world am I going to talk about here? Am I going to try to encourage people to not get into battles when there is nothing to fight over? Do we really do that? Surely we don’t really wage wars over nothing, do we?

Then I thought about it, and my second reaction was this – how in the world am I going to write about all the wars we wage over nothing?

I know we always THINK we have a good reason to get angry at one another, to really go at it, to argue and battle. At the time, these reasons seem really, really important.

But what are we standing out ground over? In politics we start massive arguments and debates over two people who usually agree on almost every issue. At work we instantly dislike those who may get in the way of a promotion, even though we are working at the same place for the same goal. At home you get angry at the kids for leaving a toy out on the floor.

In the Church, we seem constantly angry at other Christians over something. We will mock those who would agree with us on every single point except maybe baptism or the rapture (it amazes me how dogmatic people are on the rapture, by the way). Some churches will not allow those who have a slightly different view of communion from partaking of the table, even if that person agrees with every single critical point of the Christian faith. And then some whole churches will focus their wrath against sinners of some sort, either homosexuals, drunks, or fornicators.

Some denominations have even been birthed out of frustration because of this struggle. They falsely believe that it is the doctrine that is the problem, since we always fight over doctrine, so they toss doctrine out the window. And then what do they do? They mock churches that hold onto the Word, proving that it wasn’t the doctrine that was the problem at all, but us.

Every day, we hold our own private grudge matches against people who don’t use their blinkers, who live in sin, who didn’t agree with us at the last meeting, who sings too loudly at church (and off key at that!), or who talks in the theater.

And most of the time, these people have done very little, if any, harm. And even if they had, love would have solved the problem when hatred only makes things worse.

We fall so naturally and easily into cliques, into factions. Even with Christians, our default mode seems to be to run to the like-minded and shut out the rest of the world. But that is not what we have been called to do. We have been called to love.

If Jesus judged us with half the ferocity that we judge each other, we would all end up in damnation. Thankfully, He does not. If we repent and believe in Him, then we are not judged by our many, many sins, but by Grace.

Consider that next time you judge another for some small issue. How would you fare under the same degree of judgment. Let us treat each other with mercy, as He has treated us.

Don’t do evil

“Do not plan evil against your neighbor, who dwells trustingly beside you.”
-Proverbs 3:29

For a few months while in college, I had a neighbor right above me. Every Saturday and Sunday mornings, starting at about 7:00 or 8:00, he would start playing country music really loud. I doubt that would be a problem for me today, since I am an early riser, but at the time, I was working on Friday and Saturday nights until after midnight. In addition, I absolutely loath modern country music, so this was sort of adding insult to injury.

As annoying as that was, it’s not really what this verse is talking about. Perhaps, when I was wakened so early by the noise, I would have considered this a grievous evil. And indeed, we should be considerate of our neighbors, but Solomon is thinking a little bigger here.

The Pharisees in Jesus’ day made the mistake of interpreting the word “neighbor” here to only mean those who live next to you or those whom you like. That’s not what it means. Your neighbor is, yes, those who live next to you and your friends, but it is also the people in your town, your countrymen, and even those in neighboring countries. They are the people you encounter online, those you see on the television, and those on the other side of the world who need your help. In short, everyone you encounter is your neighbor.

We don’t often plan evil for our friends, but what about our customers? Do we intentionally misrepresent ourselves to people for money? In politics, do we vote for those people who promise to shift problems to another county or state? For example, do we vote to have power plants built anywhere but where we live? Do we vote to increase the taxes on people of another tax bracket than we are in, like when we of the middle class vote to increase taxes on the wealthy? How quick are we to sue someone if there is a chance to get a little money? What about suing a company? That is easier still, since we sort of view companies as inhuman entities, not realizing that court judgments against them will result in stockholders losing sometimes much needed money and employees losing jobs. There are so many situations where we will use what power we have to take advantage of another person.

This becomes a lot easier as our cities grow bigger. I live in a city where I can pass someone on the street and never see that person again, simply because this city is so large. It’s so easy to take advantage of someone you will never see again.

This is one of the most wonderful things about Jesus – that He did not plan evil against us. He was mocked, challenged, beaten, betrayed, and crucified, and yet He still prayed for us to be forgiven. Surely we deserve evil against us; our lives are filled with selfishness, pride, hatred, lust, greed, and irreverence toward God, but still Jesus died to provide for us a way to return to the Father. If we repent and believe in Him, we will be saved.

We may not take that way. We may reject Him and go our own way. But if we do that, it is on us, not Him. He has given us chance after chance to come to life. He does not plan evil against us, but instead provides the way to good.

Doing good when you can do it

“Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it’ – when you have it with you.”
-Proverbs 3:28

Not long ago, we had a terrible flood in the Houston area, and the parking lot in my apartment complex was filled with water. Almost every car parked there was a little flooded. It wasn’t bad, but everyone’s floorboards were pretty well soaked.

A lot of people helped one another out. A lot of people didn’t. Obviously, there was a difference in the results. For those who came together, pooled their resources, and helped one another out, they went to bed that night very, very tired, but with dry cars. The others didn’t seem to fare as well.

It seemed like a rather obvious solution. One person had a wet-dry vac, another an extension cord, another something else. Together, it worked out. It wouldn’t have worked out if everyone had said, “Eh! We’ll worry about it tomorrow.”

In certain times, the situation makes it clear that we need to help out now. On that day, we needed to work right away. It was obvious. Normally, it is not so clear.

My wife and I recently found some charities to support, but even though we had decided to help, I didn’t actually send the money for some time. I finally did. I don’t know if the delay made any difference at all, but I can imagine ways it could have.
It certainly didn’t help, waiting so long.

When we wait for tomorrow to help, we often find that tomorrows never end. We end up not helping at all, or not helping quickly enough. We all have big dreams of what we will do to help the world, but we just need a little more time, be a little more financially secure.

But that’s not love. Love sacrifices when a sacrifice is needed. Love gives up its last dollar for a friend, even when the chips in the vending machine looked pretty good. Love gives more than it can afford, and then tightens its belt a little to make up the difference.

Love does this because it thinks of others before itself. It puts the needs of others before its own desires.

We are able to love like this because we have a God who watches over us, who provides for us, who loves us so much more than we ever deserved. In love He sent His Son to us, to die in our place, and to rise again to lead us into life.

Frankly, I do not deserve that sort of love. I do not deserve His sacrifice. So why should it be difficult for me to sacrifice for others. Not tomorrow, but now, when it is needed.

Doing good

“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.”
-Proverbs 3:27

This verse really got me thinking. I wonder if I can say that I really do this. I try to be helpful and considerate at work or at home, but am I withholding good at times?

In fact, I can name a hundred times when I do. There have been many times when I’ve been caught up at work, and I use my extra time to get a little ahead rather than help someone else catch up. At home, I jump into an argument with fury rather than pulling back, though my wife certainly is due some mercy.

There are been organizations and people whom I could have supported financially, only I didn’t, even though they were worthy causes. There have been times when I didn’t help someone with a project because I already had my evening planned.

There have been countless times when I didn’t speak to someone about Jesus, though it was in my power. I withheld from them the greatest good of all.

This verse asks us to do something that should be obvious, and yet to actually follow it would be revolutionary. If we spent our time and money, when we were able, to help those people who could use it, how long before we transformed our communities?

And this is only for those who are worthy of it. Paul takes it a step further, saying, “Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord’” (Romans 12:17-19).

“So far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” No one is going to pretend that it is always in our power to make the world perfect. But how often do we return evil with evil? If someone at work slights me, do I seek some kind of revenge? If my wife gets angry at me, do I get angry back? Do I hold grudges? Do I rejoice when someone else falls?

God never returns evil for evil. Even though we have all gone our own ways, rejected Him and denied Him, He still seeks us. He sent His only Son to die for us, and even while we were placing Him upon the Cross to kill Him, He was praying for us, that we would be forgiven.

Jesus has the great good of life, and He offers it freely. He bids us to come and repent and believe, and in doing so live forever. He does not hold back, nor ask for something in return.

We have received that mercy, and it should inspire us to be merciful to others. So if someone at work gets me in trouble, I pray for the faith to forgive that person, because I’ve been forgiven of much greater wrongs. Those who refuse to repent and follow Jesus will be judged by Him. We don’t have to work of vengeance ourselves. Instead, let us pray for mercy. Let us pray for the change to do good for others. If we actually did it, it could change everything.

One step forward, two steps back

“for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.”
-Proverbs 3:26

We spend so much time in our lives trying to fix things that we messed up. We spend so much time looking back and trying to figure out what went wrong. From the very simple to the complex, we are always trying to put out metaphorical fires and retrace steps.

There’s not an important relationship in my life that I haven’t had to mend at some point or another. And the cracks in those relationships are usually over something pretty silly. I cannot tell you how many minor misunderstandings with my wife have turned into arguments.

A much more minor example would be this very paragraph. I began it one way and then decided against it, so I slapped down the delete key to try to find where the sentence went wrong. Before I publish it, I will read it over again and probably fix something else.

Almost every election we have is about someone wanting to fix the problems another guy caused. Politics is ultimately the art of trying to fix something we messed up ages ago.

Every day it seems I mess up with something, someone, or somehow. I am constantly going back to repair something I did.

How is it we can walk through this world with any sort of confidence at all? How can we walk with our head so high when we have so often tripped and fallen in the past? For many people, it is pride. I remember not too long ago when I was just consumed with pride. (I still struggle with pride daily, but a few years ago, it was bad.) I wonder now what caused me to be so proud, because I certainly hadn’t earned it in any way. Like most others, I was messing everything up all the time.

But it is pride, I think, that drives so many. They think that they have the answers, and that people need to listen to them. How strange. I know myself, and I, above all others, should know that there is no reason for me to be proud. I know how often I make mistakes, how often I ruin things for myself and others. And you know what? I still sometimes think I know the answers, when I should know that I don’t.

This promise of God is very special to me, and it’s for this very reason. I know that I’m not worth my own trust. And yet God, who is perfect in every way, has come beside me and told me, “Put your arm around Me; I’ll keep you from falling.”

As David said in his wonderful psalm: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

When Jesus came to earth, He showed us how to walk. He led the way for us, teaching us without a single misstep and without faltering. He bade us came after Him, telling us that He is “the way, and the truth, and the life.”

In His death, He followed us to death itself to insure that our stumbles would not cause us to be forever lost. He carried us back and set us upon His path again. He sent His Spirit to us as a guide, to teach us the way, to help us in every moment.

In Christ I can have confidence. I cannot have such confidence in myself, for I have tripped far too often. But in Him I know my feet are firmly planted. It is only when I get distracted and wander off from Him that I fall again. And yet He always comes for me, every time.

If you don’t know this sort of firm footing, you need to turn away from your own flawed efforts to stand and trust in Him. Repent of those old ways and believe in Jesus. You can have confidence in what He offers, for it is only through Him that we will find eternal life.

Will we mourn?

“Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes,”
-Proverbs 3:25

There is a fear, I must confess, that lingers in my heart. It is a fear for those I love who do not know Jesus. I have wondered on this quite a lot, and have prayed on it as much.

I fear sometimes because the ruin of the wicked will come. Judgment Day will come, when Jesus judges the righteous and unrighteous and separates us for eternity. For there is a heaven, and those who believe in Him will go there. And there is a hell, and those who refuse to repent will go there.

It’s a very difficult topic to address, and not one I do lightly. The thought of those I love being eternally damned does not sit well with me.

A lot of people cannot reconcile the existence of hell with a loving God. How could He send people there if He is loving? Well, that’s not really what’s happening. All people have a chance to turn away from their own sin and bow a knee to the One who truly deserves worship. All people have that chance, but many refuse and turn away. As C. S. Lewis so wonderfully put it, either a man will say to God, “Your will be done,” or God will say to the man, “Your will be done.” If the man will not accept God, then he does so to his own destruction. It is he who separates himself from God, not the other way around.

Those people I love who have rejected God have done so of their own will. They decided that sex or money or power was better than God, and so they made their choice. I pray that they change their minds, and I will try to help them with that, but it is not my choice to make. I went one way, and they another.

But I fear that day when it’s too late for them to change. I fear the day of their judgment. I should not be afraid.

I should not be afraid because God is still in control, and God can orchestrate the entire universe to His own ends. He is the one who can tell the end from the beginning and guides the course of history to His glory. There is no evil in Him, no sin. Whatever He ordains is ordained for the good.

I may not be able to see it now, but I will. I hope for that day, when the plan is laid before me and I see His glory in every moment of history. I long for that day.

And in that day, it will make sense. It will all fall into place. It will fall together perfectly, to the degree that I will not be able to have the slightest doubt as to His love and mercy. On that day I will respond, “It was best this way. Praise God.”

I don’t know how. It’s not for me to know how. It’s for me to trust Him. When His Son, Jesus, was judged and placed upon a Cross to die, the world could not know what good God had planned for that moment. And yet it was the greatest good of them all, for in His Blood we can be saved.

I still pray that those loved ones repent and trust in Jesus. Maybe they will. I can only place that into His hands. He gives people the chance. Perhaps He is giving you the chance right now. Don’t waste it.

So much to fear, so little time!

“Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes,”
-Proverbs 3:25

I usually don’t watch the news. I will glance through the news stories every day online to keep up, but I just can’t take thirty minutes of reporting that says the sky is falling.

Which is usually what it is. There is so much we could fear in this world, and the media latch onto every bit of it to keep us watching. In the last couple of years it has been global warming, swine flu, SARS, recession, depression, the dangers of tap water, war, nuclear bombs, hurricanes, tornados, firestorms, flooding, gangs, drugs, terrorism, banks failing, car manufacturers failing, businesses failing, identity theft, healthcare issues, poverty, the housing crisis, and so much more.

It has become common, at least where I live, to see someone walking around with a medical mask over his face to protect him from whatever germs or viruses may be around. People are panicking that they won’t be employed next week.

You know what? On one level it’s all legitimate. Almost everything on my list above is a legitimate concern.

And worrying about it doesn’t make one bit of difference.

Because on the other hand, none of our fear over this stuff is legitimate. It’s not legitimate because there is God, and “neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

When I was young, Hurricane Alisha came through Houston, but though I was young, I did not fear. I wasn’t afraid because I was with my father, and I knew he would protect me. As far as I recall, the only time I was really afraid during the whole thing was when my father went outside in the store to do something in the yard (I do not remember what). My parents may correct my memory on this, but I distinctly remember feeling safe with him.

So it is with our Father in Heaven. The only difference it, God never leaves to go do something in the yard. He is always here, always with me, and He has far more power than my dad.

If we just look at our situations, there are plenty of reasons to fear. But in faith we look to Him who controls all things, and we can believe that He will guide us through safely to Himself. Not even death can separate us from Him.

That is not to say the sudden terror won’t come. They will. But it is not they that control our fate. Our lives are in the hands of Jesus, who died as a ransom for us.

And this glorious promise is only for those who do have faith. If you have not repented and believed in Jesus as the Son of God who died for our sins, then the sudden terrors may be reason to fear. Trust Him instead, and He will guide you.

By His strength

[A lost blog post. This was supposed to be uploaded last week, but instead I uploaded the one for verse 22 twice. Alas! I’ll try to keep the order right in the future.]

“Then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble.”
-Proverbs 3:23

A couple of times a day, I try to take a walk around my office building, if only to get the juices flowing a little. We have a large parking lot, and there’s a sidewalk that runs around the entire thing, and so I’m usually not walking through grass or anything. However, there is a retention pond behind the parking lot, and yesterday I was beside that pond, watching a rather large snapping turtle in the grass.

As I walked away, I suddenly stepped into a crevice in the ground that had been hidden by the grass. I wasn’t at all hurt, but it was rather surprising.

In my walks, I’m used to much firmer footing. The sideways and parking lot are relatively new, and they are smooth and secure. I don’t really have to worry that much about where I step, except to make sure I’m not about to fall off the curb or something.

Wouldn’t we like that sort of security in life? The sort of firm footing where we don’t need to be looking at the ground in every step to make sure we’re not about to fall?

That’s exactly what Solomon is talking about in this verse. When you are following God, you are on that sort of firm footing. It is He, ultimately, who provides for us and protects us. He guides us in His grace, ever toward Him. We can trust Him.

Trust may not come easily. If I don’t really trust the sidewalk at my office, I’m going to staring at the ground, or maybe I won’t even walk! But that really doesn’t say anything about the sidewalk, but rather about me. The sidewalk is firm whether I trust it or not.

Likewise, God is strong, and He does not fail. Though we may be wary of the path ahead, He will guide us. Though we may worry about our food, clothing, or how long we will live, He holds us fast in His hand (Matthew 6:25-34). Though we may face trials, God is using those trials for our good (Romans 8:28).

And it is not just for this life, which is passing, but for all eternity. It is by the righteousness of Jesus that we have this firm footing, and so too is it by His righteousness that we have life. It is not if we are good enough (we’re not) or if we say the right things to God (we don’t), but by the perfection of Jesus, whose Blood was spilt for us, that we are saved.

To begin following Him, we must repent and believe in Him. He will lead you and forgive you. The path may not look all that wonderful to you. That’s okay. Trust Him for your footing; look up at His glory and follow.

Now I lay me down to sleep . . .

“If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.”
-Proverbs 3:24

When I was very young, I had a dream once that a painting in my parents house attacked me. Now, I had been rather creeped out by this painting for some time, though I cannot say why now. It is of a man sitting in a chair. There’s nothing particularly ominous about it, save only that the eyes seem to follow you wherever you go. Perhaps that was it.

It hardly matters. The end result of this dream is that I slept with the light on for perhaps a month or more. I was afraid to be alone in the night, and I was afraid to sleep.

Even as an adult, there were times when I would fear sleep. Out of loneliness, anxiousness, or whatever, I did not want the next day to come. There have even been a couple of times when I feared because of a bad situation with another person – that perhaps that person would come get me in my sleep. Luckily, I’ve never had a health situation in which I feared not waking up, and yet we can see that there are many reasons that even an adult would fear sleep.

And then sleep also has another use, and that is the sleep of death, which almost everyone fears. We do not know what tomorrow will bring, but chances are it will bring much as today was. And yet death – too many are without the slightest inkling of what lies beyond that. That is a cause to fear, for it is utterly unknown to those people.

And this is where wisdom comes in. This is where understanding God helps. This understanding tells us some wonderful truths. First of all, the future is known by God. Not only that, but it is under His control. And not only that, but He can and does turn our situations to our good. In love he cares for us, provides for us, and leads us to Himself. What need have we to fear for tomorrow, for He guides even this.

Secondly, my greatest treasures are not here, but in heaven waiting for me. My money and my toys will all fade away. I won’t be able to take one bit of it with me. And yet, those things I can do to care for others, these things I can take. When I help the poor, when I teach of Jesus, when I help a friend with a broken heart – these treasures are eternal. What need have we to fear that our things will be taken, for any real treasure we have cannot be taken by anyone.

Lastly, we may not know exactly what happens after this life, but we know enough. We know there will be judgment of everything we have done wrong.

Now, at first, this may cause me more fear than ever. I haven’t been an evil person compared to others, perhaps, but I’ve done my share. I’ve lied and mislead, I’ve lusted and schemed, I’ve sought my own pleasure and greed, I’ve hated and shown anger. By God’s standard, which is love, I’ve fallen far short.

So sure, I’ve been a decent enough guy, but is that good enough to pass the judgment? Inside, I know it’s not. I haven’t been loving to everyone I’ve met. For that matter, I haven’t been loving to even a part of them.

But I do not have cause to fear death, because my place in eternity is not based on my own actions. We have all fallen short of God’s glory, but in love He sent Jesus to die in our places. In that death He takes the punishment meant for us. His forgiveness is a free gift to those who will repent and believe.

I believe. I believe that Jesus was the Son of God, and that He did die for me. What need have we to fear death, for Jesus has made a place for me in eternal life.

Wisdom shows us these answers very clearly, and so I can sleep well tonight, for God is watching over me.

The foolish and the wise

“and they [sound wisdom and discretion] will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck.”
-Proverbs 3:22

Have you every known someone who was so smart he made himself into a fool? I knew a man who was undoubtedly bright, and he knew he was bright. So much so that his pride precluded him from taking any advice, wisdom, or understanding from anyone else. He usually acted very poorly in the presence of other people because he was just so impressed with himself that he took no notice of others.

He’s an extreme case, but we all know people like this. At times, I think we’ve probably all been this guy. I know I have. There have been so many times in my life when I thought I knew best, and so I did not take the advice and counsel of others. On a few of these occasions, I ended up being right. More often, I made a fool of myself.

Wisdom and discretion are not about being smart. They are about knowing what to do with what you know. By definition, they are obvious in your day-to-day dealings.

You can be very smart and act foolishly. Obviously this is true. We are not speaking of the same thing here. It’s like saying someone is blond and has blue eyes. Both can coexist. Being smart is about how much you know. Being foolish is how you act. But you cannot be wise and foolish at the same time. You either act with wisdom or act with foolishness, but not both.

I would probably be considered, in most circles, a smart person. I act foolishly a lot though. I recognize this in my myself, and while I used to strive to be smart, I now strive to be wise.

In the same way, I know quite a bit about the Bible. I’m happy that I do. But the theology has not changed my life. It is the understanding of God that has changed me.

The difference is important. I can read a biography of a famous person and know OF him. But his friends actually know HIM. The former may be nice, but the latter is obviously superior.

I can (and did) learn about the Bible, about theology, about interpretations, but it was only when I repented and trusted in Jesus that I could say that I knew Him.

We have seen over and over again in Proverbs how Jesus and the personification of Wisdom are one in the same. This is yet another way. I can know about Him, but it is when I put that knowledge to use, when I act wisely, that I know Him.

That decision hangs about my neck. The change He has made in me is as from night to day. He has taken me from being a basically selfish person to a basically loving one. My understanding of Him must, by very definition, come though in my actions. It is as though I have a little wisdom now, when before I only understood.

The foolishness of our lives without Him is real. We seek to satisfy our lusts, selfishness, greed, ambition, and hateful grudges. We occupy ourselves in things that cannot last. We worry so much about tomorrow, until the day there are no tomorrows left.

But in Him do we seek after something a bit longer lasting and a bit more important. The decisions we make in regard to Jesus last forever. He is the way to life, for only through His Blood can we be saved and forgiven for our foolishness. To deny Him is to choose death. Choose wisely.

The foolish and the wise

“and they [sound wisdom and discretion] will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck.”
-Proverbs 3:22

Have you ever known someone who was so smart he made himself into a fool? Let me try to explain with an example. I knew a man who was undoubtedly bright, and he knew he was bright. So much so that his pride precluded him from taking any advice, wisdom, or understanding from anyone else. He usually acted very poorly in the presence of other people because he was just so impressed with himself that he took no notice of those around him.

He’s an extreme case, but we all know people like this. At times, I think we’ve probably all been this guy. I know I have. There have been so many times in my life when I thought I knew best, and so I did not take the advice and counsel of others. On a few of these occasions, I ended up being right. More often, I made a fool of myself.

Wisdom and discretion are not about being smart. They are about knowing what to do with what you know. By definition, they are obvious in your day-to-day dealings.

You can be very smart and act foolishly. Obviously this is true. We are not speaking of the same thing here. It’s like saying someone is blond and has blue eyes. Both can coexist. Being smart is about how much you know. Being foolish is how you act. But you cannot be wise and foolish at the same time. You either act with wisdom or act with foolishness, but not both.

I would probably be considered, in most circles, a smart person. Still, I act foolishly too much. I recognize this in myself, and while I used to strive to be smart, I now strive to be wise.

In the same way, I probably know a little bit about the Bible. I’m happy that I do. But the theology has not changed my life. It is the understanding of God that has changed me.

The difference is important. I can read a biography of a famous person and know OF him. But his friends actually know HIM. The former may be nice, but the latter is obviously superior.

I can (and did) learn about the Bible, about theology, about interpretations, but it was only when I repented and trusted in Jesus that I could say that I knew Him.

We have seen over and over again in Proverbs how Jesus and the personification of Wisdom are one in the same. This is yet another way. I can know about Him, but it is when I put that knowledge to use, when I act wisely, then I begin to know Him.

That decision I wear upon myself like a badge. The change He has made in me is as from night to day. He has taken me from being a basically selfish person to a basically loving one. My understanding of Him must, by very definition, come though in my actions. It is as though I have a little wisdom now, when before I only understood.

The foolishness of our lives without Him is real. We seek to satisfy our lusts, selfishness, greed, ambition, and hateful grudges. We occupy ourselves in things that cannot last. We worry so much about tomorrow, until the day there are no tomorrows left.

But in Him do we seek after something a bit longer lasting and a bit more important. The decisions we make in regard to Jesus last forever. He is the way to life, for only through His Blood can we be saved and forgiven for our foolishness. To deny Him is to choose death. Choose wisely.

Focus!

“My son, do not lose sight of these – keep sound wisdom and discretion,”
-Proverbs 3:21

When I was newly graduated from college, I was having trouble finding a job. There were a lot of reasons for that. The job market in the Houston area was not great at that time; there were quite a few highly qualified people looking for work. Me on the other hand – not really qualified for much. I also really didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t know where to look, and I was struggling just looking for something I could do.

But the last reason was something very simple: I wasn’t really focusing on it. Not completely. I’d shoot out five or so résumés a day, then I’d move on to other things.

It strikes me that our Christian life can often be like that. We do our prayers in the morning and evening, we read so many chapters of the Bible a day, maybe we have a devotional. But then we’re done (if we even do that much!).

What’s funny is that then we start getting frustrated with how our lives are going. We don’t feel connected with God, and a lot of times we blame Him for it. We walk ourselves right into bad situations and then ask our friends to pray about the outcome.

I do the same thing. There are a hundred things in my day that occupy my time. A lot of them are good things, like a job. Some of them aren’t so great. I sometimes get very frustrated at myself when I lose sight on God.

We’ve all those really foolish moments, haven’t we? Those times where we look back and think, “Wow, that was a really bad decision,” or, “I really spent my time worrying about that?” We spend most of our lives thinking about things and doing things that matter not one bit in the long run. Even a year, a month, a day, or even an hour later, we are disappointed in ourselves for wasting the time.

In my home, I waste so much time on seeking entertainment, on worrying about tomorrow, on trying to make everything perfect when it doesn’t need to be. And at the end of the day, I wonder how much of it has made me grow, or made my family stronger.

When I was looking for my first job, I spent quite a bit of time playing video games or reading silly books. I really don’t remember much of the details of what I was doing. It didn’t matter. What do I do now that won’t matter? Play Free Cell? Get upset with some slight event doesn’t go my way? Watch dull videos online?

Some of the things I do are harmless, but not helpful. Some of them are harmful. In either case, I’m chasing after something I think at the time is important enough, but ultimately it is not.

I am not saying that we should never have fun. Far from it! There is a time for rest, but I’m asking about our focus. I think most of the time we are like Peter, James, and John in the garden, and we keep falling asleep when Jesus has asked us to do something else.

Our focus should ever be on Him, for it is He who can deliver us from our pettiness and pride. We spend our lives running from one idea that will rescue us to another, but it is Jesus who is the way, truth, and life. And yet, we cannot seem to focus on He who can save us.

Balance

“by his knowledge the deeps broke open, and the clouds drop down the dew.”
-Proverbs 3:20

Have you ever wondered at the balance of this world? Have you ever wondered at the comfort of this place? We are perfectly set at a certain distance from the sun so that the temperature is typically nice. Even in summer, though I may complain of the heat, I am still able to go outside and walk around freely with combusting. The rain, in most areas, falls enough to water plants, animals, and people alike, yet not so much to dominate the weather.

The ground is such that it can produce enough food for all. Now certainly not everyone is getting the food, but that’s our fault, not the fault of creation. It has long been shown that there is enough food, but only that politics and greed keep it from getting to those who need it.

The world’s orbit does not cause it to fall into the sun, nor shoot off into the stars. The moon too is perfectly weighed and set upon its course. The air is mixed expertly, and a recycling system is set in place between us and plants to keep oxygen flowing.

The balance was in place when there were two people on the earth, and it still works just fine with billions. Have you thought of that? Any of us could design a system for two, but to set it in motion and have it still active for billions is astonishing.

Many will say that this balance is a result of evolution, that chance and time caused this world and its inhabitants to grow accustomed to one another. And yet the very foundation of evolution is change, and with change is balance hard to come by. To me, it all seems a little too perfect for it to be the result of chance. The very orbit of the earth, set at exactly this place, the only place that could have supported life, is too unlikely for me to credit to anything but planning.

Evolution does not seek balance, but superiority. Survival of the fittest – the best. Its very claims do not lend themselves to such balance. They do not lend themselves to working just as well with two as with billions.

It takes more than chance. It takes wisdom and understanding. It takes the hand of someone greater than us, greater than this place.

The Bible tells us that the world was formed through Jesus, the Son of God. In wisdom He made this place, even you and I. But He did not leave us to ourselves, but guides us through life. In love He came from Heaven to earth to teach us and die for us, taking our place in death which we earned because of our sin. And He rose again and prepares for us a place in heaven.

And one day He will reform this place and make a new Heaven and a new earth. Not as a result of chance, but in careful and loving consideration.

Darwin is interesting, but Darwin won’t get you to that place. Only Jesus can. He’s worth looking into.

Creation by wisdom

“The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens;”
-Proverbs 3:19

I had a friend point this verse out to me a year or so ago, and ever since it has not ceased to stun me. The implications of it make my mind quake with the possibilities.

By wisdom He founded the earth. He measured every curve, every orbit, every weight, and every pull, set this place upon a divinely ordained path, perfectly set for His creation. Every mountain He built, without error, down to every electron that spins within an atom. The weight and makeup of the air He created, flawlessly. It is His hand that guides history, turning everything toward the good for His children. He draws people to Him, even when their entire beings seek rebellion. Each person He knows from the womb and before, and He knows each hair on a man’s head. He provides for the birds and causes the flowers to bloom. All of this in magnificent balance He controls: all for His glory.

I am listening to Wagner as I write this, and I am amazed at how much musical understand it takes to compose a prelude as he did. The understanding of tone, of rhythm, and emotion. Where to swell and where to hold back. How to draw a heart into a piece of music.

This particular prelude is about eight minutes long (from the third act of Tristan und Isolde). In these eight minutes Wagner has done something that I have not the understanding to do. I have studied music my whole life, and I cannot compose like this. It is wondrous. And yet Wagner merely holds an orchestra together for eight minutes. How much greater still is He who holds all of history together for all of eternity!

I wonder how much wisdom I really bring to my own life. Am I coming to my marriage in wisdom, or in something else? What about my friendships? My job? I can hardly hold my own life together, I fear. How much greater is He who holds together even the cells in my body?

It’s strange how we follow our own wisdom in life, that same wisdom that has so often failed us. It’s strange that my default mode is to fix it myself instead of turning to God. In this, perhaps, I show how little wisdom I truly have.

By wisdom God created all that there is, and by wisdom He created me too. Perhaps the most wondrous thing of all is that He still loves me. He still hears me. He still speaks to me.

He died for me.

This verse is a pun. I’ve been reading it closely for a year, and I only now just got it. We’ve been talking a lot lately about how Wisdom, as depicted in this section of Proverbs, is a symbol for Jesus. So when it says that God founded the world by wisdom, it means that literally, but it also means that God founded the world by Jesus. And that’s exactly what we find is true in Hebrews 1:2: “but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.”

It was through Jesus that the world was created, and it is also Jesus that we can be saved. In my own wisdom, I have ruined nearly everything I’ve touched. I have no right to claim anything from God. And yet He has given me the right to be His adopted son through Jesus. How are we so stubborn as to not make Him to focus of our every breath? How is it we think we know better than Him? Does it not make sense to seek His way in our every turn?

By wisdom God founded the earth. By love He chased me, even into death. By grace He gives me life. By awe, wonder, and love I am brought time after time to Him.

The tree of life

“She [wisdom] is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed.”
-Proverbs 3:18

The tree of life. Do you remember this one? The tree of life only makes an appearance in three books of the Bible. It’s right at the beginning of Genesis, that is at the beginning of the Bible, and at the very end of Revelation, that is at the end of the Bible. The only other book to mention it is in Proverbs. This is the first of four times we will look at it here.

The tree of life is first found in the Garden of Eden. Before Adam had sinned, there was no prohibition against eating from this tree. The fruit of this tree did exactly what its name suggested – it granted life.

Adam sinned by disobeying God. You know, a lot of people think that God sets rules to ruin our fun. He doesn’t. The Garden is a great example of this. He provided a paradise, a place without pain and without death. But in disobedience, it was Adam who brought darkness into that place. And in doing that, Adam ruined everything.

Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden then, not again to eat of the tree of life. Obviously, we do not have this tree around now. We don’t have the fruit of the tree to put on our cereal in the mornings. In sin we have brought about death.

It’s sometimes hard to describe just how important this concept of sin is. So many people just blow it off, thinking God will just pass over it. Which in and of itself is sin. Can you imagine your children blowing off your commands like that? Let’s say your children rebel against you in the same way you have rebelled again God (God forbid, but let’s talk about it a moment). Say they ignored every word you said, and refused to speak with you. Their lives were spent chasing pride, lust, greed, and hatred, all against your heartfelt pleas for them to change. There would probably be a time when you would just let them go make their own fate.

I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, and yet we do this to God every day. He wants to guide us in wisdom, to provide for us as a Father should, to protect us, to love us, and we go our own way, not even speaking to Him at all!

A good father says things to guide his children to a good life. The children do not always see this, but the father does. How much more does our Heavenly Father see all? How much more can He guide us along the right paths? It’s not to ruin our fun, but to bring us completeness, forgiveness, and life.

We have lost the right to the tree of life, and yet God still wants us to repent of that rebellion and come back to enjoy it.

In sin we deserve death, but Jesus came to provide another way. In chapter 1 of Proverbs, we spoke of how “Wisdom” is really Jesus. So it is in this verse. Jesus came and, though He was perfect, He died on the Cross on our behalf. Think of this as when a young man gets in trouble with the law. He doesn’t have the money to pay his fine, so his father comes and pays the fine for Him. That’s what Jesus did. He paid our price for us.

If we repent and believe in Jesus, we can still find eternal life, even though we don’t deserve it. Out of love, God has provided another way to life, since we’ve already messed up the first way.

And then we see the tree of life again. In Revelation 2, Jesus tells us that those who follow Him will have the right to eat of the tree of life again. And then in Revelation 22 we see it. It sits within a garden in the New Jerusalem, God’s perfect city that He will build for us. In paradise it stood in Genesis, until sin took Adam away. In paradise it will stand again, but in that time there will be no more sin, no more death, and no more tears.

If you lay hold of Jesus, you will be given the fruit of the tree of life. Seek Him rather than seeking your own pleasures, for in Him you will find sweetness that you could never find in pride, lust, and anger. Though this whole world stand against you, still will you stand, for you will have life.