Two Calls, One Choice

Ever seen the image where a man has a decision to make and he is being pulled in two different directions by small personages on each shoulder? One is usually depicted as an angel and one is depicted as a devil. Each presents his case as to why the decision should be made from that point of view. The angel speaks from a moral and righteous perspective, and the devil speaks from a selfish and deviant perspective. There are two voices--two calls—but one choice to be made.

In a similar way, Proverbs 9 presents two personages and two calls. Wisdom and Folly are seen as women wooing those who pass by. Wisdom makes a much better offer than Folly. Notice that Wisdom has made preparations and sends out messengers with formal invitations. She provides a delicious meal with all the trimmings. Along with the meal she offers good advice and instruction.

Folly on the other hand, has made no preparations. She herself sits and calls out her invitation. She offers nothing except an example of laziness and a willingness to obtain what she wants and needs in an underhanded way. Rather than give, she seeks to take, and what she takes is the very essence of life.

What is the choice? Listen to Wisdom because she does not speak out of turn. She speaks words that provide substance and sustenance. Her words will give your life direction and protection. She is calling you today. What is your choice?

Guarding The Mouth

Arrogant speech is pervasive in our culture. We not only use words as weapons to destroy others, but we also use words to bolster our egos. How often is it said, "I would not take that," or "If it were me, I would..." What usually follows are not words of wisdom, temperance, or peace, but words of retaliation, vindictiveness, or insult. Few of us would even consider these words as unsavory, much less boastful and full of pride. In that lies a great problem.

Two things that God says He hates are pride and boasting. Really they are two sides of the same coin. Whoever is proud of heart will certainly boast, and you can be sure that whoever boasts is proud of heart.

Changing King's Hearts

Recently, I was promoted on my job to a rather choice position. The reason I am joyful is because it was not a position into which I manipulated myself. I had applied for several other positions for which I was well qualified only to see those jobs given to others. On each occassion, I was told that I had done a great job in the interview, but someone else got the position. To say the least, I was disappointed each time. I even wanted to feel cheated and complain. But I remembered that God is sovereign over all things even my selection for a position at work. If I had gotten any of the other jobs, it would have meant a promotion, but any raise I would have gotten would have been nullified by the expenses associated with driving my own car to work. With the position He has given, I received a significant raise and a company vehicle to drive.

Proverbs 21:1 says, "The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will." This not only applies to those who are heads of state, but it applies to anyone who is in charge. As far as heads of state are concerned, there is great comfort for those who trust in God because we know that no matter who gets elected as President, Senator, Governor, etc., God will turn the ruler's heart in the direction that coincides with His plans. A quick reading of the Old Testament books of Nehemiah and Esther will demonstate this truth.

The same is true of those who are in charge at any level. God is not only interested in the affairs of state, He is also interested in my affairs. He does not necessarily give me what I want unless my wants are in line with His plans. But when the two line up, i.e., His will and my desires, He has promised to answer affirmatively. "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him." 1John 5:14, 15

So, when you are striving for something and someone in charge seems to be standing in your way, do not become angry, bitter, frustrated, etc. Remember, if you want what God wants, He is able to turn that heart as He pleases. What God has for you, He has for you.

What Poverty Teaches Us

When one thinks about poor people, more times than not a feeling of pity floods the mind. How often have we seen the commercials on TV that present scores of poor children in some foreign country with sad eyes and swollen bellies, and been moved to send some money. Having so many of the creature comforts of life available to us, it is easy to feel guilty when we see the desperate plight of the poor of the world. If we are not careful, our good will can be seen as nothing more than a condescending handout.

According to the writer of Proverbs 19, there are a few things that we do well to learn from the poor. First, he says that poverty is not necessarily disassociated with good character. "Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool." (ESV) Integrity is one of those difficult words to define. Here, it means that poor people who are honest, who hold themselves to a sound moral standard, who do not let their poverty dictate their values are better than those who use crooked means to get what they want. Does this mean that the honest poor will have more? No, it does not if more means more earthly possessions. But he will possess something far greater in value. He will have a better standing before God.

A second thing that can be learned from the poor is genuine friendship. "Wealth brings many new friends, but a poor man is deserted by his friend." When we have friends because of who we are and not because of what we can do for them, we have true friends. It is those who stick by us in our poverty that are our true friends. Poverty is not always a lack of material things; it can be anything which we greatly lack. When our health fails, we have a poverty of health. When we loose a loved one or get divorced, this too is a poverty of sort. How we need our friends at these times, and it is our true friends that will come through for us.

Finally, we can learn the importance of sincerity. "What is desired in a man is steadfast love, and a poor man is better than a liar." It is far better to have the desire to help but not the means than it is to have the means to help but not the desire. In addition, the poor who desires to help but makes no promises has done better than the rich who promises to help but makes no effort. The latter is a liar.

Hold Your Peace

The other day I found myself embroiled in a political argument with someone half my age. Although I appreciated the spirit in which the debate took place, I found myself thinking, "Whatever happened to young people listening to their elders?" Certainly that was an archaic thought because freedom of expression has been the hallmark of the post-World War II generation. This is not without reason since the youth of our day have more exposure to information on a wider plan than did their grandparents or parents. Most of the information that we get nowadays though is in the form of sound bites and captions. Unless we are willing to diligently research the sound bites we are hearing and the captions we are reading, we may find ourselves at a great disadvantage when discussing issues. Formulating views without digging into the issues for yourself will lead to shallow understanding and potential manipulation.

It is wise counsel for all of us to practice being swift to hear and slow to speak. Those who have many years behind them have experiences and knowledge that are still very valuable. The older one gets the better able he/she is to see the past and make assessment of it. History is still the best teacher if we will learn from its pages. I think this is what the Sage had in mind at the end of Proverbs 17. He says, "He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit. Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding."

As I reflect upon these verses, I can see that though I may have knowledge and experience in a certain area, it is better to be invited to share than to interject without invitation. Just because a conversation or subject is being tossed about, that does not mean that I have to try to catch it. It may be better to let it drop. If I do get an invitation to interject, what is said should be to the point. The wise person will not be drawn into debates with those whose minds are already made up.

A Great Treasure

Recently I saw a program on DIY TV about secret rooms and compartments. There was one man who had some valuable jewelry that he wanted to keep nearby, so he had a secret compartment built into a wall of his home. It was a very elaborate setup that required him to move certain objects on a shelf in a predetermined  pattern. Doing this would cause the secret compartment to open in his wall. He then had to enter a combination which would cause another compartment to rise up from within the wall and give him access to his valuables.

Proverbs 4:23 says, "Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." I wonder how many of us really regard our hearts as a treasure of such value that we would go through elaborate measures to guard it. The words of a popular song say,

                             Guard your heart, Guard your heart
                             Don't trade it for treasure
                             Don't give it away
                             Guard your heart, Guard your heart
                             As a payment for pleasure
                             It's a high price to pay
                             For a soul that remains sincere
                             With a conscience clear
                             Guard your heart
                             (Listen to entire song, http://youtube.com/watch?v=0k8TEGidlGA)

The heart is the seat of our emotion, will, and intellect. All of these are important in shaping and distinquishing our personalities. Some of us are emotional by nature, some of us are strong willed, and some of us are intellectuals. Yet all of us are succeptible to being lead astray if we are not aware of the methods of seduction.

Let's not cheapen ourselves by following the vainity of this present age. Remember, for most of us there will be many more tomorrows and the decisions about what we allow to influence us will shape those tomorrows.

Reckless Abandonment

Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. (Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT) Trusting God is quite different from trusting man. God is totally reliable and absolutely capable of whatever He choses to do. He is also completely right, just, moral, and good. To put my trust in One of such character is sensible, logical, and practical. Since the heart implies something within us, our core, our minds must reflect upon the nature and character of God, our emotions must rest upon the constancy of God, and our wills must submit to the faithfulness and wisdom of God. This is reckless abandonment to the absolute sovereignty of the almighty, all wise, ever present God. This is the only kind of abandonment that makes sense. In such yieldedness our understanding does not become the measure but our trust in the Person of God does. He is utterly trustworthy and able.

The Protection of Wisdom

In Proverbs 2:10-22 wisdom and knowledge are not passive but active -- active means of protection when I open myself to their power. Wisdom brings discretion, knowledge brings understanding and both protect me. From what do I need protection? I need to be delivered from evil men and seductive women. Men craft vices without number and snares along with them. The bartender, the pusher, the smut peddlar, the prosperity pimp, the leizure lord-- these all and more make evil good and would lead me from the straight path into the crooked paths. Women also have left good guidance to corrupt themselves by inappropriate dress, flurtatious conversations, men chasing, and inordinate affections. Misery loves company and those who follow the path of darkness are more than happy to share their misery with me. But wisdom and knowledge will deliver me from such so that I may walk in righteous paths. Thus will I be preserved and inhabit the place God has established for the upright.

What do I care about?

To know, to perceive, to receive, to give, to understand; these are the purposes expressly stated in Proverbs 1:1-6. None of these has as it's subject carnal things. Wisdom, instruction, understanding, justice, judgement, and interpretation of wise sayings are the subjects. Do I care at all about these things? Is it not better to get ability, craftiness, shrewdness, street wisdom, etc? Aren't these more useful in dealing with this world's affairs? The wisdom and methods of this world only lead to what this world has to offer: fame and fortune. Though these may seem to be what I want, in the long term they do not bring what I most want. Peace and prosperity are what I want, and they reach far beyond fame and fortune. They are qualities of a life that have little to do with my popularity or money. They come as a result of learning what is important and making the important things the priority. Getting this straight is no accident; it takes seeking the things described in these verses and applying the fruit of obtaining them. One has well said, "Any fool can learn from his own mistakes, the true wisdom is learning from other's mistakes." This crosses all boundaries, but is especially true of spritual truth. Yet there is futility and folly in seeking these things apart from the desire to be in close fellowship with God. All ends and purposes in the life of the believer should be to have close fellowship with God. Jesus said, "Abide in me...he that abideth in me...bringeth forth much fruit...herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit."

Why Be A Fool?

For most people being called a fool would be an insult.To say someone is a fool implies that he/she lacks common intellectual, moral, spiritual, and/or emotional falculties. It also implies that choices have been made by the individual that have deprived him of those falculties.

In the proverbs the word fool and foolish are used numerous times. There are three types of fools of which the proverbs speaks. Understanding the distinctions will give the reader a better grasp of how to apply the message that is given. For simplicity sakes, we will call the three: the simpleton, the scoffer, and the scorner.

First, let's look at the simpleton. This fool is he of whom Proverbs 1:7 speaks when it says he despises wisdom and instuction. This is the naive, inexperienced person. "Foolishness is bound in the heart of " such an one. (Proverbs 22:15) The cure for this kind of fool is listening to the wisdom that is all around him.

Next, there is the scoffer. This fool is of the opinion that his lot will be different from all others. Even though others have done what he is doing with detrimental results, his outcome will be different. He is wiser than his teachers. The cure for this kind of fool is a rod on his back, i.e., the harsh consequences of his behavior.

Last, there is the scorner. This fool has no regard for authority, law, or propriety. Neither his life nor the life of others are of any value to him. He has no boundaries to his desires nor to the means by which he fulfills them. There is little hope for him.

In any case, being a fool can be avoided. Listen to the words of the sage in  Proverbs 9:6, "Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding." There is no profit for the fool, only embarrassment, trouble, and death. Why be a fool?

A Mother's Advice

Mothers are wise! Such is the case of the mother of Lemuel in Proverbs 31. Much is said of the description of the virtuous woman in the chapter, and rightly so. The woman that is described in the latter verses of the chapter is truly remarkable and worth emulation. But note that the person from whom this description originates is a woman. This is not the fabrication of some sexist male trying to create the mold for the super mom. It is the instruction of a wise mother to her son about the kind of woman that will make a good wife. Yet prior to advising her son on the matter of wife selection, she warns Lemuel against three pitfalls that are common to youth in all ages. (Proverbs 31:1-9)

The first pitfall is infatuation. Some might call it love, but it is indeed infatuation. This is that sweaty palm, palpitating heart, whirling mind feeling you get when you become interested in someone of the opposite sex. There is nothing wrong with the attractions between the sexes, but Lemuel's mother warns him of the damage that misguided relationships can cause. In her words, "it destroys kings." What does she mean by this? It is simple. Relationships can so occupy your being that they distract you from what you should be doing for your future. The choices one makes at these times can literally destroy their aspirations and dreams.

The second pitfall is intoxication. Lemuel's mother warns him against drinking. Drinking has always been a problem. It is a problem today because it has become a fad to get drunk. Drinking mars our judgement and makes us feel we are more in control than we really are. The fact that recent research shows that some of us are genetically more susceptible to alcoholism is a good reason not to drink at all. But, drinking to get drunk is just plain dumb, not to mention immoral. This can also be extended to any substance that impairs us, so taking drugs to get high is just as dumb--nope, that's even dumber!

The final pitfall is injustice. Lemuel's mother warns him to defend the defenseless. Few of us will ever have an official capacity to make judgements on legal matters such as a king might. On the other hand, all of us make choices on how we will treat others every day. The greatest reflection on the kind of person we are is how we treat those who are of less fortune than ourselves. Standing up for that person no one likes, that everybody avoids, that no one talks to, etc., does not necessarily mean challenging others about it. It can simply mean that you notice them, talk to them, and/or like them yourself.