Proverbs 17:28–Just Be Quiet

Proverbs 17:28–"Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent."

For someone who is prone to speaking when it would be best to remain quiet, this verse is provocatively profound.  In reality, I have confirmed this verse to be true many times.  But even with all this experience I am still prone to foolishness, opening my mouth to speak when it would be best to keep it shut tight.  Who knows, maybe I could sound wise by not making a sound at all!

Proverbs 29:25–Safety Is Trusting In The Lord

Proverbs 29:25–"The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe."

This verse presents a juxtaposition, an unequal equation of sorts.  On one side we have safety, stability, and security–to be found only through trusting in the Lord.  On the other side there is fear, the fear of man.  To be sure, there is no choosing in this equation: only a fool would choose to fear men rather than trusting in the Lord.  But the reality is that so many of us, without any actual consideration, quickly desert trusting in the Lord because we fear men.  This is an example of fearing that which can be seen for lack of trust in Him who is unseen.  Ultimately, though, this is no tradeoff at all.

The only secure and safe position is trusting wholeheartedly in the Lord. (Period)

Proverbs 18:2–A Fool Only Wants To Share Opinions

Proverbs 18:2–"A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his own opinion."

I have been so prone to this special sort of foolishness in my life.  Perhaps there is a piece of me that is broken, a trigger that gets flipped and prohibits my ears from hearing, my brain from thinking, and starts my mouth moving without much consideration for what it's saying.  It is at these moments of intellectual incapacity where deficiencies of wisdom bring the reality of this verse to light in my life.

In truth, I have been a fool far more often than I would care to admit but I am also keenly aware that the trick to overcoming this particular form of foolishness is a matter of pleasure.  If we would become most pleased with learning and gaining insight rather than merely voicing our opinions, we will go a long way to safeguarding ourselves from being a fool of this ilk.

Proverbs 3:5-6–Trust in the Lord

Proverbs 3:5-6–"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths."

Far be it for me to say something completely obvious but life is hard.  It is full of disappointment and a whole lot of, well, junk.  Amidst the vertiginous reality of this world, however, we have a sure and certain security: the Lord.  Only in Him and in His truth will our paths be made straight and our ways be secure.  It is for this very reason that we should not lean on our own understanding but should, in all our ways, acknowledge Him.

Proverbs 15:8–Pleasing the Lord in Prayer

Proverbs 15:8–"The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases Him."

This is one among many passages of Scripture that speak about what God is looking for in His children.  The point here is not that some pray while others offer sacrifices.  The reason the Lord detests the sacrifice of some but the prayer of others has nothing to do with the content of the prayer or the subject of the sacrifices; it's all about the heart of the person.  The wicked will not please God no matter how heartily they pray or even how much they give to charities; God is interested in the heart.  Let us then strive to be a people of honest goodness, made righteous by the atoning sacrifice of Christ Jesus.

Proverbs 17:10–Rebuke: the Refiner of Wisdom

Proverbs 17:10–"A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool."

This is a theme of Proverbs and of wisdom in general.  How we handle rebuke and instruction speaks volumes to maturity and wisdom.  In so many ways wisdom is weighed when our foolishness is confronted and exposed.  It is in these moments, when we are rebuked and admonished, that the true depth of wisdom is challenged.  But like silver is refined in the crucible so is wisdom purified when foolishness is revealed through rebuke.  So when we are rebuked let us pay close attention to how we would react, realizing that our reaction could be the very thing that refines us to be more wise.

Proverbs 11:28–Trust In?

Proverbs 11:28–"Whoever trusts in his riches will fail, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf."

This verse offers a distinction.  On one hand there are those people who would put their trust in wealth, in riches.  These people are held in contrast to the righteous who will "flourish like a green leaf."  It would seem that, at the surface level, this verse is about trust.  However, I submit that there is something else, something deeper.

The question I have to ask is: why do the righteous flourish like a leaf?

The answer must take into account that those who trust in riches will fail but the righteous will flourish. Riches are not the reason that some will fail; it is their trust in riches that causes their failure.  The most obvious inference would be to say that what causes the righteous to flourish is, at the very least, that they do not place their trust in riches.

The appropriate follow-up question is: what do the righteous put their trust in?

Without wasting too much literary space, the answer to the above question is simple.  The righteous place their trust solely in God.  Trusting in God alone is the only way to ensure that one will flourish and not fail. There is only one sure Rock, only one Fortress.  Until or unless we place our trust solely and securely in He who is, then we will always seek something else to place our trust in that is neither trustworthy nor worthy of it.

In Christ alone.

Proverbs 21:21–The Pursuit of Righteousness

Proverbs 21:21–"Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor."

This is an easily misunderstood proverb.  If one were not careful this verse could be interpreted out of context, thinking that the type of righteousness and kindness that is pursued is of little relevance to the discussion.  But I assure you that this is not the case.  What I mean to say is that our own righteousness is a worthless trinket compared to the surpassing awesomeness of God's righteousness, like the difference between a a grain of sand and sunshine.

Righteousness, of the kind and degree that this verse encourages, is wholly dependent upon God so that the effects–life, righteousness, and honor–would come to fruition in our lives.  Quite literally, it is as we receive the righteousness of God through faith in Christ Jesus (Rom. 3:22) that we are able then to fulfill all of the requirements that a righteousness of this kind demands.

So in the end this verse is not about us striving to be more righteous or more kind.  This verse is, like nearly every passage of Scripture, about faith.  O that we would devote ourselves to the righteousness of God that only comes through faith!

Proverbs 16:9–Plans Established by God

Proverbs 16:9–"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps."

2014 is upon us, a new year has arrived full of potential and promise.  My prayer for you this year is that you would see God's awesome blessings in your life and that you would see Him establish your heart's desire this year.  That is why this verse seems so appropriate today, New Year's Day.  Even the best laid plans require the Lord's input for success.  Because of this, I don't think that we can overemphasize the necessity for prayer as we consider and develop our goals for 2014.  For only through God will we be blessed!

Proverbs 15:23–A Good Word in Season

Proverbs 15:23–"To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!"

There have been many times have I been in a conversation in which a well-chosen, timely word can come to mind that is exactly the word that the other person needs to hear.  This is often, I have learned, the presence of the Holy Spirit whispering in my mind, utilizing me as a vessel to speak to another. The point is that a good response or a kind word can be like salve to the soul of the hearer.  Wisdom is all about doing and saying the right things at the right times.

Let us then take this step towards wisdom, striving to offer an apt answer and a timely word when it's right!

Proverbs 29:11–Holding Back Wisely

Proverbs 29:11–"A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back."

When ready Proverbs today, I ran across this verse and stopped.  I had to read it again.  And again.  And again.  It convicted me.

It turns out that , according to this verse, I am most certainly a fool.  Now I do not desire to be a fool nor do I wish to continue to live life as a fool, however, I fear that my proclivities in this sector of my life have become so engrained that to become a wise man in this regard will truly take a miracle.

You see, I, like many members of my family, are opinionated.  And when I say opinionated, I mean that not only do I possess specific opinions on a wide array of topics but, and here's the downfall, I feel that it is my right, nay, my duty to inform the people around me my opinions. This is made all the more important when other's opinions happen to disagree or contradict my own.  In such a case as this, I have often been prone to fully venting my spirit in a excited display of opinionated portrayals.  In other words, I have exposed that I am both a fool and a jack@$$.

When I read this verse, I immediately tried to dismiss it under the presumption that I must be the wise man.  That facade, though, did not last long.  Midway into reading the next verse I had to go back and re-read verse 11 to make sure.  Yep, I thought to myself, I am a fool.

Therefore, my concluding prayer today is for myself and for all the opinionated fools like me:

May God grant that He would transform our foolish selves so that we would be content in holding back our opinions so that they could be shared quietly, effectively, and wisely.

Proverbs 9:13-Beware the Seduction of Folly

Proverbs 9:13: "The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing."

To say that Folly is a loud and seductive woman that ultimately knows nothing is to say that the one who brazenly gloats of his indiscretion and seduces others to follow him, in the end, is but a fool who truly knows nothing.  This may be a bitter pill to swallow if you are anything like me. That is, if you have a proclivity, a natural tendency towards folly and foolishness.

It has been remarkable, then, to see God  transform my vision in this regard, that by the power of His in dwelling Holy Spirit who applies His holy Word to my life, my attraction to the woman Folly has been replaced.  This has, I am convinced, been entirely a work of God in transforming me to have a distaste for Folly as It has been replaced by a hunger for the things of God.

Additionally, the aforementioned verse reminds me that while fools trapped in bed with Folly will speak boldly and deductively try to lead skeptical people wayward to become fools in partnership, the wise one will be able to recognize that the fool is all the more ignorant because of their love of Folly.  Therefore, the task for the godly is to be trained to spot the fool so as to guard one's heart against Folly's seductive and ignorant ways.

Proverbs 26:10–The Worst Kind of Fool

Proverbs 26:10: "Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes?  There is more hope for a fool than for him."

This verse and those like it have become sort of a rubric for me, a litmus test for gauging foolishness in both myself and the people around me.

It is a simple question: do I think I am wise?

The reality is that there are two kind of fools: the kind that do not know they are fools, and the other, far worse kind.  While it is not a good thing to be foolish, it is far worse to assume that one are not foolish when all the available data may, in fact, say that the person is foolish.  And what's worse, they not only do not know that they are foolish, but they even gloat about how wise they may be in face of their blatant foolishness.  After all, what could be worse than the fool that thinks he is wise?

Proverbs 14:34–Righteousness Versus Sin

Proverbs 14:34: "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people."

I think this verse is so timely for our present national predicament.  We live in a culture that calls good evil and thinks of sin as good.  We've so heralded personal freedom that we've lost touch with decency, modesty, and holiness.  But we need not think that this is how we must live; we are not obligated to follow along with the cultural milieu.  In fact, we are continually reminded by Christians that we are not of this world although we remain in it.  The truth is that we have an obligation to consecrate the sinfulness around us, beginning with the sin that is in us.  This happens, quite plainly, through giving ourselves fully to Christ.  Let us then set it in our minds and in our hearts to fix our eyes on Jesus and live lives of righteousness that He has called us to.

Proverbs 6:27-28–Don't Carry Fire

Proverbs 6:27-28: "Can a man carry a fire next to his chest and not get burned?  Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched?"

This whole chapter of Proverbs focuses on adultery but these two verses in particular can be applied across the spectrum.  Two questions, two poignant questions.  But could they be any more clear?

Truly, when it comes to sin of any kind, but especially of the carnal order, the most effective way to prevent sin is to keep the temptations as far away as possible.  We should not think our  resilience so strong that we need not be concerned about the weight and pull of fleshly temptations.  This would be the deadliest pride.


Instead we should admit our own proclivities as we seek God's hand of protection.  Let us put on the full armor not as an excuse to enter the battle but as an acknowledgment that the battles will take place.  Freedom in Christ comes into play here as well.  Our freedom is not only from sin but it is also from the inclination to sin too.  Thank You, Lord, that you have so saved us!  Please help us to protect the deposit of grace that You have invested in our hearts through Your Son!

Just Keep it to Yourself Even Though You Want to Blow Up!

Proverbs 12:16–"Fools show their annoyance at once,
but the prudent overlook an insult."

Proverbs 19:11–"Good sense makes one slow to anger,
and it is his glory to overlook an offense,"

Today was just one of those days.  You know, the kind of days in which you find yourself on the cusp of explosion at the next irritation.  In response, I did the only thing I could think of: I got frustrated to the point of anger and then, in a moment of divine clarity, I prayed.  In no way do I want to make it sound like my 'supreme' spirituality is what saved me from detonation.  Rather, I would like to praise God for His help in staying my unsteady emotions.  Referencing these verses, I am reminded that if there be any prudence or good sense in me it is only as God has bestowed His great mercy upon me.  And after a day like today, all I can say is: "Thank You, Lord!"

Proverbs 31:30–Fearing the Lord is the Real Treasure

Proverbs 31:30–"Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."

Being married to a woman who fears the Lord, I feel a certain degree of first-hand experience with this verse.  Those who rest their lives on charm can often veil their honesty by their charms.  Those that rely upon beauty rely upon vanity as sure as sinking sand.  But a person, particularly a woman in this verse, who fears the Lord is to be praised, that is, they are blessed as much as they are a blessing to all in whose lives they touch and affect.

It is a matter of valuing that which is truly valuable.  Charm is a lie, beauty a whim, but the fear of the Lord is ultimate.  If only our world would cherish the fear of the Lord...but it starts with individuals.  Let us then commit to value cherishing the Lord and praising the women who do!

Proverbs and Friendship

Friends are like mirrors.  In many ways, they can reveal to us who we are and show the type of person we may be, either wise or foolish, disciplined or sluggard.  Much of Scripture is concerned with friendship, perhaps nowhere more acutely as in the book of Proverbs.  Here are three particularly direct verses in regards to friendship for your consideration.

Proverbs 13:20: "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm."

Proverbs 27:6: "Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses."

Proverbs 27:17: "As iron sharpens iron so does one man sharpen another."

These verse paint a definite mural expressing the intent of friendship, the value of friendship, and the importance of making wise friends.  Friendship should not ever be undervalued and it should be cherished for all that it is worth for a true friend is like salve for the wounded soul and joy to the heavy heart.  Let us then praise God for the joy and pleasure of friendship!

Seeking After God and His Wisdom

The book of Proverbs is all about wisdom.  Over and over, the book can be summarized by the repeating phrase, "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."  This is a challenging concept in a world that thinks of fear in a negative sense.  Luckily, Solomon gives us clear and inspired instruction about how a person may learn about what is the fear of the Lord and what it means.

For this, one need not look much further than Proverbs 2:1-5.  In this sequence of verses, Solomon, the wisest man aside from Christ Jesus to ever live, lays out the path for a person to learn about the fear of the Lord.  Proverbs 2:1-5 reads as such:

"My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandment with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise you voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God."

The words have been italicized to emphasize the point of this passage.  There are preconditions that need to be met in the reception of wisdom from God.  Although there are multiple facets to these preconditions, they can be summarized in a single phrase: intentional pursuit.  The prominent word in these verses is then, for it indicates that what has been called for previously must be fulfilled in order for anyone to understand the fear of the Lord and to find the knowledge of God.

If we understand this as such, then what these verses say is astounding.  Basically, God does not reveal Himself to people who do not seek Him and He does not reveal Himself to latent, static, or passive observers.  Instead, God reveals His self, bestowing His infinites wisdom and knowledge, to those who treasure His commands, who listen attentively and incline their hearts to understanding, who cry out for insight and understanding, and who seek after it as if seeking buried treasure.  These are the necessary preconditions for knowing God that must be met before God reveals Himself.  Let us then take seriously our pursuit of the Lord God Almighty!

The "Joy" of Aging

Day by day, I get older.  In many ways this is a bittersweet ordeal.  For I am pleased to grow in faith at the work of God; however, the aging process is one of added aches and persistent pains that were not present years ago.  And, although I am not very old by the world's standards (a mere 29), I feel that the process of aging is one that is carried forward in a relatively the same fashion by all humans once they reach adulthood.

Truly, aging is a cold pill swallowed with a soothing cup of hot cocoa; the pill is the loss of youth but the relief comes with the addition of growth, both of knowledge and of wisdom.  My weight and figure is far-less stable than it once was, meaning that for the first time in my life I have to be cautious of what I eat.  And while this was devastating, the moment that the realities of aging hit me happened a couple years ago after casually brushing my hair and staring at the remnants left behind.  That's when it hit me.

I never knew that gray could be so discouraging.  Yet there it was: gray hair from my head?  I was stunned.  I spent the next several minutes staring at the mirror in disbelief, and the next several days under a hat to conceal my new found, unwelcome aging.  And though this could seem like a crisis of sorts for my early twenties self, God revealed Himself to me in His Word and comforted me in my struggle with my continually-growing age.

These two passages say all I need to hear whenever I feel depressed about aging:

"Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life (Pro. 16:31)."

"The glory of young men is their strength, but the splendor of old men is their gray hair (Pro. 20:29)."

Scripture can speak for itself.  Luckily, it speaks for us too!  So, if you find that you feel down over the effects of aging, you can find comfort and peace in the fact that your aging is a beautiful thing that is happening for a reason.  Just remember to always press on in faith!