31 Days In Proverbs -- Day 7

      Proverbs 3:27 -- "Do not withhold good from whom it is due, when it is in your power to act."

     The Proverb that we are focusing on today is one that really speaks to me. It is a proverbial statement, but it is also a command. If we have the power to do what is good, we should do it. There really is no excuse. 

     There are two different ways at least to think about good for whom it is due. One way to look at this is to think about those who are in need. There are people that are hungry, need clothing and those who need shelter as well as medical care. If we have the resources to help, we need to do that. 

     There is another way to think about the phrase. There are people who have done good things in this world. They have acted nobly in the pursuit of what is right and in what will make this world a better place. These individuals should be recognized for the good that they have done in our world. It always distresses me that sports figures and Hollywood stars get so many accolades while great scientists who have discovered cures that have saved millions of lives are barely known by the general public. 

     In this series, I've tried when I can to tie these Proverbs into the New Testament. In I John 3:17 we read, "If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?" James tells us in James 1 that part of practicing pure religion is to visit the widows and orphans in their affliction." Both of these passages tell the Christian that it is his or her duty to help those who are in need. If we have the power to act, then we must act in the name of Jesus. 

31 Days In Proverbs -- Day 6

      Proverbs 3:9 tells us, "Honor the Lord from your wealth, and from the first of all your produce." Let us see how we can apply this Proverb to our lives.

     In the Old Testament, the people of Israel were commanded by the Lord to give a tithe of what they earned. If this was in the form of crops or produce, they were to give a tenth of the first portion of what they brought in. Before they used their money or goods for anything else, they were to give the first portion of their increase to the Lord.

     I really don't believe that tithing is commanded in the New Testament. However, we are called to be givers and to honor the Lord with our wealth just as this Proverb teaches us. In many cases, that will involve giving much more than a tenth. 

     There are some people who have vast amounts of money. They have more money than they could possible spend on themselves in their entire life. People like this need to honor God by using large amounts of their wealth to help others and to make this world a better place. Of course, there are others who could only give a very little because they just have enough to get by in this world. 

     We are each to purpose in our own hearts what it is that the Lord would have us to give in order to bring honor and glory to Him. The Holy Spirit will deal with each individual believer in the area of giving. When we do give unto the Lord, we should do so with joy and not begrudgingly. The Bible says that the Lord loves a cheerful giver. 

     Where should we give of our resources so that we can honor God? Churches need funds to carry on their local  ministries. Missionaries need funds to carry the Gospel around the world. There are many charitable organizations that help people by providing food and medical care as well as educational opportunities. There are also many organizations that need help protecting the environment and the animals that God has made. 

     Let us all ask God what He would have us do, and then let us do it joyfully as unto the Lord. 

31 Days In Proverbs -- Day 5

      Our Proverb for day five in our series has some important New Testament connections as well. Proverbs 3:3 states, "Do not let kindness and truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart." Some Bible translations translate kindness as love in this verse, so let us speak about them together. 

     The writer of Proverbs believes that love and kindness are so important in our lives, that we should bind them to us. He means that they must become an essential quality in all that we do. They should be so much a part of us that we don't even stop to think about being loving and kind, it's just part of who we are and what we do. 

     Jesus told us that we are to do unto others as we would have done to us. We are to love our neighbors as ourselves. In Ephesians 4:32, Paul tells us to be kind to one another. It is so important that those who follow the Lord Jesus be kind, compassionate and loving people. Those who we encounter in this life are watching our behavior. If we claim that we belong to Jesus and then act in ways that are not kind and not loving, that will turn people away from coming to know the Lord Jesus. 

     The only way that we can become more kind and more loving is to keep our eyes on Jesus. He was the epitome of love and kindness in action. If we study what Jesus did while He was here on this Earth, we will know how to act in a kind and loving manner in all of our relationships. We must live and act as Jesus did and as He would want us to. 

     

31 Days In Proverbs -- Day 4

      We are now on day 4 of our Proverbs series. Today, I want us to focus on Proverbs 3:5-6 which states, "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight."

     First of all, what does it  mean to trust in the Lord with all of one's heart? I believe that it means that we trust in the Lord with all that is within us. We trust in the Lord to help us in every area of our lives. If we need help with our finances, we trust that the Lord will provide for us what we need. If we need help with our relationships, we ask the Lord to sustain our friendships and help us to love one another and be good to one another. If we need help when we are facing health concerns, we trust that the Lord will heal us, be with us and see us through. When we face the end of our days, we trust in the promise of the Lord that He has prepared a place for us so that we can be with Him forever. 

     This Proverb also tells us not to lean on our understanding. There is a way that seems right to us, but that is not always the way that we should go. If we trust in our own human reasoning, we can go down the wrong path and be led into sin. For this reason, we seek the guidance of the Lord in the Bible and through prayer. That is how we will know how to proceed through this life and make the correct decisions about our present and our future. 

     We are also to always submit to the will of the Lord. When we know what it is that He wants us to do, we need to act on that. We trust that He knows what is best for us. He will always lead us to what is good and not to what will cause harm to us. Our paths will run smooth and straight for time and for eternity when we place all of our trust in the Lord and cast our cares on Him. We must keep our eyes always fixed upon the Lord Jesus. 

31 Days In Proverbs -- Day 3

      As I've been going through these Proverbs and working to find the ones that I want to discuss here on the blog in our series, I've found verses in the New Testament coming readily to my mind that reiterate what the Proverb is teaching. That is definitely the case with the Proverb that I want to focus on today. 

     Proverbs 1:10 states, "My son, if sinful men entice you, do not give into them." This Proverb has me thinking about a couple of different things. First of all, we are not to give into temptations. One thing that you can be sure of if you are trying to follow the Lord Jesus is that there will be times of temptations. I Peter tells us that the devil goes out just like a roaring lion seeking who he can devour. We can resist the devil, and he will flee from us according to the book of James. James also tells us that it isn't just the devil that brings temptation. We are tempted when we are drawn away from the truth by our own lustful desires. We can resist temptation. All of those who have Jesus in their hearts have the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit to keep them from falling into sin. Also, I Corinthians 10:13 tells us that with every temptation, God will make sure that there is a way for us to escape from temptation. 

     Thinking more specifically about our Proverb for today, we are often led into doing what it wrong by those with whom we associate. I Corinthians 15:33 tells us that, "Bad company corrupts good character." This if so true. I've seen it happen many times especially with young people in college. They will start socializing with those who don't share their Christian values. Little by little, the Christian young person is drawn away from the things of God. II Corinthians 6:14 says that we are not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. This isn't just a verse about marriage. We need to guard the company that we keep so that we aren't drawn off the path that leads to life. We need to keep company with those who will encourage in what is right and in what is honoring to Jesus. 

31 Days In Proverbs -- Day 2

      Today is the day that we start getting into some of the individual Proverbs, and what better place to start than Proverbs 1:7. This Proverb states, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction." Right away, this verse brings to my mind the words of Psalm 14:1 that tell us, "The fool has said in his heart there is no god."

      If a person is going to have true knowledge and wisdom as he or she goes through this world, it has to all start with the fear of the Lord. What does it mean to fear the Lord? It does not mean that we cower in terror at the Lord. It means first of all that we recognize that there is a God and that following His way is the way that leads to knowledge and to life. Fearing the Lord means honoring Him for who He is. He is the creator and the sustainer of all that exists. He is the one who has given life. He is the judge, and He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. I also believe that fearing the Lord means that we honor Him by doing what He has instructed us to do in His Word. We need to read the Bible and do the things that God has commanded. Ultimately, God has spoken to us in His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to look to Him and follow Him wherever He leads. This is the way that we will have the knowledge and the wisdom that we need to make it through this world and on into eternity. 

     The Bible says that people are foolish who do not acknowledge and fear the Lord. Paul tells us in Romans 1:22 that there are those who claim to be wise, but in reality they are fools. Why? Because they do not honor God and His ways. They believe that their own wisdom is superior to that of the King of the Universe. A person that will not honor God and His ways may be very smart, but that person does not have the true wisdom that leads to eternal life and reward. 

     

31 Days In Proverbs -- Day 1

      This is the first day of 31 Days in Proverbs. If you were reading the blog last year, you know that we had a series called 30 Days 30 Psalms. Each day, I posted a meditation on a Psalm. This time, I will choose a proverb or two or three and have a daily meditation on the one or ones that I choose. While we are doing this through the month of October, I will not be posting the weekly verses, book reviews or sermons. All that will resume in November, Lord willing. 

     On this first day of 31 Days In Proverbs, let us start with an introduction to the book of Proverbs. This book is mostly a collection of proverbial sayings intended to make the reader wiser and to have a better life. There are sections in the work that are longer descriptions about wisdom in which wisdom is personified. 

     Most of the book of Proverbs is attributed to King Solomon. When he first became king of Israel after his father David, Solomon asked the Lord to give him wisdom so that he could rule over the Lord's people in the right way. God granted wisdom to Solomon, and accounts of his wisdom spread throughout his region of the world. 

      In addition to Solomon, there are two other people who are acknowledged as contributing to this book. Proverbs chapter 30 is attributed as being sayings of Agur. Chapter 31 of Proverbs is attributed to King Lemuel. 

      Many of the major themes of Proverbs are reinforced over and over again throughout the work. The writer of Proverbs wants the reader to know that seeking wisdom is one of the most important things that a person can do in this life. It is also reiterated time and again that a person needs to follow the right influences in order to stay away from trouble in this life. 

     Over the course of the next several postings in this series, we will learn from the book of Proverbs about keys to having the kind of life that is led by wisdom and led by God.