High Fidelity.

Proverbs 5

"Drink water from your own well – share your love only with your wife. Why spill the water of your springs in the streets, having sex with just anyone?" – Proverbs 5:15-16 NLT

fidelity: strict observance of promises, conjugal faithfulness

We live in a world where little is certain or sure any more, including moral absolutes. Everyone does what's right in his own eyes. Tolerance is in, conviction is out. There seem to be no standards of right or wrong, and the idea of putting any kind of expectations on behavior is old-fashioned and intolerant. We are constantly reminded not to try and legislate morality or force our standards on others. So what we end up with is a society drowning in sea of uncertainty.

But God has standards. He has rules and expectations for keeping them. Yes, He is a God of grace, mercy and forgiveness, but none of that diminishes the fact that God is holy and requires His people to be the same. Over in 1 Thessalonians 4:3, Paul reminds us, "God's will is for you to be holy…" And he goes on to say, "…so stay away from all sexual sin." A big part of our holiness or separateness, the thing that should make us stand out from the crowd, is the way we behave. Paul continues, "Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor – not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. Never harm or cheat a Christian brother in this matter by violating his wife, for the Lord avenges all such sins…God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives" (1 Thessalonians 4:4-7 NLT). Paul is making the same point that Solomon makes in Proverbs 5. We are to live lives of fidelity and faithfulness that shows up in our behavior, both sexually and socially. Men are to be faithful to their wives. Wives are to remain faithful to their husbands. But in our society, that is seen as an antiquated, out-dated virtue that no longer has a place. So adultery is common place and a normal part of everyday life. Infidelity is in. You see it in movies, on TV, in the lives of celebrities, and even in the homes of godly Christian couples. Solomon describes those who embrace this lifestyle as evil, and he says they "will die for lack of self-control" (Proverbs 5:23 NLT). Those who turn their back on fidelity are held captive by their own sins. Their passions control them, causing them to abandon their commitments and default on their faithfulness – to one another and, ultimately, to God.

We have been called to a higher standard – to lives of high fidelity. We are to model what it means to live in holiness, separateness, uniqueness, and distinctiveness. Our lives are to be different, because we have been changed by the life-transforming power of God. We have been given the capacity to live according to a higher calling, and it should show up in our behavior. God's will for us is holiness. God's desire for us is fidelity.

Father, give me a growing desire to remain faithful. Not just to You, but in all my relationship. Especially with the wife you have given me. Don't let me get sucked into believing the lie of the enemy or allow myself to be driven by my passions. May my love for You motivate my desire to obey You and live in fidelity, each and every day of my life, in both my actions and attitudes. Amen

Focus.

Proverbs 4

"Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don't get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil." – Proverbs 4:25-27 NLT

The other day I got a text from my son who is a freshman in college. In his message, he talked about how difficult college was proving to be. One of the things he said to me was very insightful. He simply said that college was full of distractions. Oh, how true. And the same thing can be said of life in general. Every day, we all face circumstances, situations, and even individuals who can easily distract us from what really matters in life. There are fires to put out, problems to handle. difficult people to deal with, deals to close, opportunities to take advantage of, and a myriad of other things, both large and small, that can get our eye off of the prize. We can easily lose focus. We can become distracted and even disoriented, losing touch with what really matters. So Solomon warns us to keep our eyes straight ahead. He tells us to not lose focus and allow ourselves to get distracted by all that life has to offer. And this guy is speaking from experience. Remember, he is the wisest and wealthiest king that the nation of Israel every knew. Listen how he describes his experience with lost focus:

I said to myself, “Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.” But I found that this, too, was meaningless.So I said, “Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?”After much thought, I decided to cheer myself with wine. And while still seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness. In this way, I tried to experience the only happiness most people find during their brief life in this world. I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards.I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees.I built reservoirs to collect the water to irrigate my many flourishing groves. I bought slaves, both men and women, and others were born into my household. I also owned large herds and flocks, more than any of the kings who had lived in Jerusalem before me. I collected great sums of silver and gold, the treasure of many kings and provinces. I hired wonderful singers, both men and women, and had many beautiful concubines. I had everything a man could desire! So I became greater than all who had lived in Jerusalem before me, and my wisdom never failed me. Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors. But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere. – Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 NLT

Wow! Talk about distractions. Pleasure, wine, palaces, vineyards, gardens, parks, reservoirs, slaves, flocks, silver, gold, singers – but it was all like chasing the wind. Fleeting, ephemeral, meaningless and, ultimately, unfulfilling. Solomon had allowed himself to look in the wrong places for what he hoped would be the right solution to his problem. Instead of keeping his eyes focused on God, he got sidetracked and, ultimately, sidelined. Solomon's lack of focus wasn't just a short-lived event, but a lifelong obsession that cost him dearly. Take a look at this recap of the last days of his life.

Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh’s daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites. The Lord had clearly instructed the people of Israel, ‘You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.’ Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord. In Solomon’s old age, they turned his heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the Lord his God, as his father, David, had been. – 1 Kings 11:1-4 NLT

Solomon didn't listen to his own advice. He refused his own counsel. He didn't look straight ahead. He didn't keep his eyes fixed on the Lord. He strayed off the straight path and found himself wandering around in the high weeds along the road of life. And the same thing can happen to us as believers. We can lose our focus. We can become distracted. We can allow the things of this world to entice and entrap us, leaving us ineffective and a far cry from the victorious conquerors God intended us to be. Don't lose your focus. Keep your eye on the prize. Don't let God out of your sights. Make your pursuit of Christ your highest priority and greatest joy. Nothing else matters.

Father, this world can be a distracting place. We can be like kids in a toy store who find themselves surrounded with all kinds of tempting, tantalizing treasures that promise to bring us joy. But they can't deliver. Only You can bring us true joy, fulfillment and worth. Help us keep our eyes on You. Amen

Consider the Source.

Proverbs 3

"By wisdom the Lord founded the earth; by understanding he created the heavens. By his knowledge the deep fountains of the earth burst forth, and the dew settles beneath the night sky." – Proverbs 3:19-20 NLT

Whenever you purchase a product, you like to know where it came from. Inexpensive is great, but not if it means poor quality. Lousy workmanship is unacceptable at just about any price. So when it comes to something as important as wisdom, understanding and knowledge, why would we settle for anything less than the best? We regularly accept knock-off knowledge and imitation understanding. We waste our time with worthless wisdom that sounds good at first, but fails to deliver as advertised. There are a steady stream of counterfeit and ersatz options out there from which to choose, but there is only one real source for true wisdom, understanding and knowledge: God! Solomon reminds us over and over again that the wisdom he is talking about is godly wisdom. It finds its source in God. It's the very same wisdom God used to create the world and establish the universe from one end to the other. We're talking unexplainable, unfathomable, inexhaustible wisdom here. This isn't some cheap, imitation wisdom, manufactured in some seedy warehouse and offered at half the cost. It is the real deal. It is life-changing, soul-refreshing, guidance-giving, joy-producing, heart-stirring, health-giving wisdom that comes from the very throne of God. The very one who created life gives us the ability to live life – to its fullest. Every other source of wisdom is unreliable. If it's not from God, it's counterfeit and counter-productive. Which is why Solomon reminds us to "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). Do you need wisdom? Consider the source. Turn to God.

Father, only You can provide the wisdom, understanding and knowledge we need for life. Forgive me for the many times I turn elsewhere. Don't let me settle for cheap, imitation knock-offs. I want Your wisdom. I need Your wisdom. Nothing less will do. Amen

Priority One.

Proverbs 2

“Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures.” – Proverbs 2:3-4 NLT

Over and over again, the Book of Proverbs personifies the wisdom of God as calling out to men and women, offering them all that they need to survive and thrive in this world. Wisdom, understanding, insight, knowledge, common sense, discernment – they're all available and there for the taking, but there is effort involved. You have to want them. You have to seek them. You have to search for them like hidden treasures. In other words, they have to have some inherent value to you. Otherwise, you will never make them a priority in your life. And sadly, many of us never cry out for insight from God because we really don't believe we need it. We don't ask for understanding from God because we seem to think we already have a good grasp on life. They're not a priority because they're not a necessity.

Solomon makes it clear that the wisdom, knowledge and understanding he is talking about are only available from God, and that access to them begins with a fear of God. The fear of God is simply an understanding that He is God and I am not. He is all-knowing and I am not. He is all-powerful and I am not. He is in control of all things and I am not. The fear of the Lord involves humility and dependency. We recognize our need for Him and humbly turn to Him for help, hope, and healing. Solomon says that if we cry out for insight, ask for understanding, and seek for them like hidden treasures, THEN we will understand what it means to fear the Lord. In other words, our recognition of our need for these things and our humble crying out for them are key to comprehending what it means to fear the Lord. We will grow in our knowledge of God as we grow in our dependence upon Him. When we drop our self-righteous, I-can-do-it-all-myself attitude and humbly turn to Him, He "grants wisdom. From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest" (Proverbs 2:6-7 NLT).

But it begins with making Him our highest priority. We have to realize and recognize our need for Him. We have to begin to pursue Him more than anything or anyone else in this world. We must make Him our objective. Wisdom, understanding, and knowledge are the benefits of knowing Him. Common sense is a byproduct of a growing knowledge of God. Discernment, direction, discipline and discretion are all outcomes of making God our highest priority.

Father, I want to make much of You. I want to learn to seek You for who You are, not just for what I get out of it. I benefit from a relationship with You, but that should not be my sole motivation. Help me make you my highest priority because You are worthy of my highest admiration, attention, and worship. Amen.

The Call of the Wise.

Proverbs 1

“How long, you simpletons, will you insist on being simpleminded? How long will you mockers relish your mocking? Come and listen to my counsel. I'll share my heart with you and make you wise.” – Proverbs 1:22-23 NLT

In these verses, God, personified as wisdom, calls out to mankind, inviting them to come to Him for wisdom. He specifically targets two different types of fool: The simple fool and the scorning fool. They represent two different extremes in foolish behavior. The simple fool is someone who, like a child, lacks basic common sense. They don't know right from wrong and are prone to make unwise choices because they just don't know any better. The scorning fool is further down the road in their foolish behavior and have learned to despise all authority in their lives. They actually enjoy their foolish behavior, defend it and reject anyone who tries to convict them about it. They mock those who would counsel them to change. They refuse to accept correction and visually disdain anyone who attempts to point them in the right direction. They "relish" their mocking.

The answer for both of these individuals is the same. They need God in their lives. They need to listen to His counsel and apply His principles to their lives. The simple fool needs to wake up and realize that he is simpleminded. He is an easy target for the enemy and has a tendency to have a simplified outlook on life. That's perfectly acceptable for a small child, but there comes a time when we are to grow out of our childish ways. The scorning fool actually enjoys his mocking ways. He has convinced himself that he is right and everyone else, including God, is wrong. They both hate knowledge. They prefer life as it is, doing what is right in their own eyes. But God calls out to them, offering to share His heart with them. He offers wisdom in place of foolishness. Life in place of a slow march toward death.

But in spite of God's patient, persistent calls, they have refused to come. They paid no attention. They ignored His advice. They reject the correction He offered. So God warns them" "So I will laugh when you are in trouble. I will mock you when disaster overtakes you – when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster engulfs you like a cyclone, and anguish and distress overwhelm you" (Proverbs 1:26-17 NLT). There will come a time when they frantically search for God and cry out to Him for help, but they will not find Him. Why? Because they did not want what He had to offer. They hated knowledge and chose not to fear Him (Proverbs 1:29). They rejected His advice and ignored His loving correction. So God will allow them to "eat the bitter fruit of living their own way, choking on their own schemes" (Proverbs 1:31 NLT). We've all seen it happen. Perhaps we've seen it happen to ourselves. We've allowed our foolishness to result in pain and disappointment, all because we refused to accept God's offer of wisdom. We have refused to admit out need for Him. He reminds us that "all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm" (Proverbs 1:33 NLT). God cries out daily to all of us who struggle with being simpleminded and scornful. He pleads with us to listen to His wisdom. He offers us His heart. But too often we insist on being simpleminded and relish our own mocking. How long will we continue? How long until we listen? How long until we learn?

Father, You are all the wisdom I need in this world. You have all I need to live this life and yet I so often prefer my own foolishness over Your wisdom. I choose to live unwisely and then wonder why I suffer so much hurt and heartache because of the foolish things I end up doing. Open my eyes and help me see that it is YOU I need. Amen.

Honesty Really Is the Best Policy.

Proverbs 28

“People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.” – Proverbs 28:13 NLT

Honesty. Transparency. Accountability.

Those are not particularly popular words among most Christians, especially those of the male variety. We have been raised to keep things close to the vest, not to let the other guy see our hand, and to never reveal a weakness to the competition. This attitude has resulted in a level of dishonesty and disingenuousness that is dangerous for us as believers. We have become masters at hiding our sins, masking our faults, and faking spirituality. We struggle with sin, but refuse to let anyone else know, even God. Yet, we are told, "if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness" (1 John 1:9 NLT). In James we are told "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed" (James 1:15 NLT). Yet, we continue to cover up and gloss over our sins, allowing fear of rejection and our own stubborn pride prevent us from enjoying the life-giving benefits of confession.

Hiding your sins may fool others, but only ends up harming you. Unconfessed sin becomes like a deadly toxin in our soul, a cancer that slowly eats away at our lives from the inside out. It saps us of spiritual vitality, robs us of joy, and diminishes our capacity to receive and enjoy the love, grace, and mercy of God in our lives. Like a child who has done something wrong, we tend to ignore and avoid any contact with God because we feel guilty about what we have done. We hide rather than run to Him for forgiveness. When we are around fellow believers, we tend to put up a facade that all is well, refusing to let them know that we are struggling. When we do so, we miss out on their prayers, encouragement, and support. Confession is cathartic. There is something therapeutic about letting the cat out of the bag and allowing someone else to know our secret. The moment we share and allow someone else to know our struggle is when we begin the journey toward healing and recovery.

But while confession is essential, there is a second step that often gets left out. Admitting your sins to God or another Christ-follower is a huge step in the right direction, but it shouldn't end there. This verse says, "if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy" (Proverbs 2813 NLT). The word "turn" is actually the Hebrew word azab, and it means "to depart from, leave behind, abandon." This is a two step process. First, you have to admit your sin, then, you have to turn from it. To confess and continue in your sin is not enough. There have to be steps taken toward change. Even in the 1 John passage, there is an aspect of repentance built into the idea of confession. God forgives and cleanses, but He expects change. He expects us to turn from and abandon our sinful ways, not continue in them. "If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts" (1 John 1:8-10 NLT). Confession is a lost art in the church today. As a result, many of us walk around with unconfessed sin that is destroying our lives and damaging our walk with God. It puts up barriers between ourselves and other believers. We end up living fake, opaque lives that prevent anyone from seeing what we're really like. And the silly part is that we all know that we all sin. There is no one without sin. So confession should not be a shock. The content of our confession may be, but God is greater than our greatest sin. He is able to forgive any transgression, no matter how large. We should be able to hear and lovingly accept the confession of any believer, no matter how a shock to our system it may be. Their openness is a key to the Body's oneness. Our acceptance and love is a sign that we are truly Christ's disciples. Honesty, transparency and accountability are the best policy for us as believers.

Father, break down the walls. Help us get rid of our stubborn pride and resistance to admitting our sins one to another. Create a transparency in the church like we've never seen before, and let it begin with me. Amen.

Insatiable.

Proverbs 27

“Just as Death and Destruction are never satisfied, so human desire is never satisfied.” – Proverbs 27:20 NLT

It was the Rolling Stones who made famous the statement, "I can't get no satisfaction," but the message of those lyrics is timeless, even older than Mick Jagger himself. From the days of Adam and Eve, mankind has wrestled with an insatiable desire for more. It seems we have never satisfied. The garden, as good as God deemed it to be, just wasn't good enough for them. They had to have more. They had to get their hands on the ONE thing God told them they couldn't have. And the enemy turned that one prohibition into dissatisfaction and, ultimately into rebellion against God. God had given them all that they needed, but they determined it wasn't enough. They needed more.

The Message has a unique way of paraphrasing Scripture that makes it hit home. It says, "Hell has a voracious appetite, and lust just never quits." Hell is a bottomless pit whose quota never gets reached and whose occupancy sign is always shining brightly. There's always room for one more there. And our desire for more is just as insatiable and unquenchable. The world calls out to us like the old Lay's Potato chip commercial, "Bet you can't eat just one." It holds out its bag of delicious delicacies, tempting us with just a nibble, but knowing that once our taste buds kick into gear we won't be able to say no. One won't be enough. You'll have to have more. You won't be able to resist. Before you know it, the bag lays empty at your feet and your stomach aches with the uncomfortable fullness of having over-indulged once again.

There is a certain sense in which the degree of our satisfaction is directly linked to the level of our sanctification. The more we grow in God, the more satisfied we become in Him. The more holy we become, the more wholly we find out needs met in Him. We find ourselves needing less and less of what the world has to offer to meet our needs and satiate our desire for more. We grow increasingly more content with Him. Paul tells us from firsthand experience that "true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth" (1 Timothy 6:6 NLT). Godliness and contentment go hand in hand. They are two sides of the same coin. You can't be truly godly and lack contentment. You can't ever be content without a vibrant, growing relationship with God. It is our dissatisfaction with God that drives our search for satisfaction in the things of this world. But if we try and fill the God-shaped vacuum in our lives with anything other than God, we will find ourselves constantly disappointed and desiring even more.

If you find yourself unable to "get no satisfaction," it may be time for you to examine what source you're seeking your satisfaction from. God never disappoints. He never fails to satisfy. He is fully capable of meeting all our needs and satisfying all our desires. He fills AND fulfills us. He scratches our itch. He quenches our thirst. He satisfies our longings and eliminates our insatiable addiction for more. Human desire without divine intervention is unquenchable and uncontrollable. It is a demanding task master that's never satisfied until we find our satisfaction in Christ.

Father, forgive me for the many times I have turned to this world in an attempt to satisfy my desires. I have taken my eyes off of You and looked elsewhere for those things that only You can provide. Keep me focused on You. Keep me resting in You. Let me find my satisfaction in You. Amen.

A Pandemic of Spiritual Laziness.

Proverbs 26

“As a door swings back and forth on its hinges, so the lazy person turns over in bed.” – Proverbs 26:14 NLT

"I'm too tired."

"I just don't have enough time."

"I had to get up early to go to work."

"The baby was up all night."

"I'll do it tomorrow."

Excuses. We all make them. And as Christians, we tend to make a lot of them when it comes to have our "quiet time" or daily devotionals. We inherently know we're supposed to read our Bible and spend time in prayer, but we just keep putting it off. In those rare moments when we do set aside a few minutes for reading the Scriptures, we discover it's tough going. We don't know where to begin and aren't sure what we've read when we're done. And if we attempt to pray, we find our minds wandering all over the place and spend more time thinking about what we have to do that day than actually talking to God. The whole experience is less than enjoyable, so it makes it even harder to conjure up the will power to attempt it the next day. That's when the excuses come in. And we can get very clever with them. But the excuses are simply a cover-up for our own spiritual lethargy and laziness. We don't want to spend time with God, so we come up with all kinds of reasons to justify our inaction. And we justify our laziness with busyness.

The Book of Proverbs has a lot to say about laziness, and while it doesn't necessarily deal with it from the spiritual stand point, it most certainly applies. I am certain there are those of us who are lazy when it comes to work, chores, paying the bills, cleaning the house, maintaining our cars, doing our homework, and a myriad of other day-to-day responsibilities, far more of us struggle with spiritual laziness. Think about what Solomon records in this chapter.

The lazy person claims, “There's a lion on the road! Yes, I'm sure there's a lion out there!" – Proverbs 26:13 NLT

This is a far-fetched, desperate kind of excuse that justifies inaction due to inherent danger. It seems ridiculous and hard to believe. But to the one making the excuse, it is all he or she needs to keep them from doing what they need to do. They conjure up all kinds of reasons for not meeting their obligations. We do the same thing with our spiritual lives. We can come up with all kinds of pathetic, unrealistic excuses for not spending time with God. And after a while, we can begin to convince ourselves they're true.

Lazy people take food in their hand but don't even lift it to their mouth. – Proverbs 26:15 NLT

This is really pathetic. This pictures a person so lazy they don't even have the energy to feed themselves. But think about that image when it comes to our spiritual well-being. We have access to the Word of God, all kinds of spiritual tools and resources at our disposal, Bible studies galore, and yet we can't muster up enough energy to feed ourselves spiritually. So we starve to death spiritually surrounded by everything we need to grow and mature.

Lazy people consider themselves smarter than seven wise counselors. – Proverbs 26:16 NLT

When someone is spiritually lazy, you can't get them to listen to reason. They have bought into their own excuses and will refuse to listen to any counsel that suggests they're wrong. You can tell them about the importance of spending time with God. You can give them helpful tips on how to study God's Word more effectively. But they won't listen. Because the reality is that they don't want to study God's Word. They find it difficult to do, so they rationalize away any responsibility on their part. They're lazy and unteachable.

As a door swing back and forth on its hinges, so the lazy person turns over in bed. – Proverbs 26:14 NLT

We hit the snooze alarm. We grant ourselves a few more minutes of precious, well-deserved sleep. We roll over in bed and squander any time we might have spent in God's Word. We'll get up early to go on vacation, hit the gym, go for a run, head into the office, or a hundred other activities we WANT to do. But we can make up all kinds of excuses to avoid spending time with God. And our laziness results in spiritual lethargy and anemia. We find ourselves low on spiritual energy and our minds devoid of spiritual understanding. We operate on fumes and go through our days lacking the spiritual vitality to deal with the struggles of life. Back in chapter 24, Solomon warns us of the danger of spiritual apathy and laziness. It does have consequences.

A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest – then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber. – Proverbs 24:33 NLT

We need to wake up, get up, and get into God's Word. We need to stop making excuses and start making time for God. Spiritual laziness is killing us. It's leaving us spiritual impoverished and easy pickings for the enemy. We are too weak to defend ourselves against the assault of the enemy and too spiritually malnourished to survive the daily onslaught of the spiritual battle in which we find ourselves.

Father, wake us up. Help us get rid of all our excuses and get into Your Word on a daily basis. Forgive us of our spiritual laziness. Replace it with a zeal for You and a desire to spend time in Your Word so that we might learn Your ways and be equipped to fight Your battle as members of Your spiritual army. Amen.

You CAN Have Too Much Of A Good Thing.

Proverbs 25

“Do you like honey? Don't eat too much, or it will make you sick!” – Proverbs 25:16 NLT

A good meal can make you good and sick, if you eat too much. Too much sleep can leave you feeling tired. Too much money can make you lazy, overconfident, and unwilling to work. Too much exercise can lead to injury. Too much of anything can lead to overindulgence. So God calls us to live lives of moderation, not excess, because you really can have too much of a good thing. This particular truth is so apparent and obvious, yet we see it violated everyday in so many ways. Children are spoiled by parents who give in to their kid's demands, showering them with everything they want. You've seen the child with too many toys, too much control, too much money and too little in the way of boundaries. It's not a pretty picture. But then neither is the man or woman who has too much alcohol. They can be obnoxious and even dangerous if they get behind the wheel of a car. And then there's obesity, the national pandemic that illustrates our love affair with food and inability to moderate our intake.

Too much food. Too much TV. Too much work. Too many clothes. Too much house. Too much noise. Too many sweets. Too much stimulation. Too much self.

Wait a minute, what does SELF have to do with excess and moderation? At the end of the day, so much of our excess is self-directed. We are trying to satisfy our own selfish desires. We crave sleep, so we give ourselves more than we need. We refuse to deny our desires. We want clothes, so we buy more than we could possibly wear. We want recognition, so we work more hours than necessary, in hopes that our sacrifice will be recognized and rewarded. We want food, but instead of simply meeting our body's need for fuel, we attempt to satisfy some inner craving for more. Overindulgence is out of control in our society, and in many of our lives. But many of us don't even recognize it any more. We excuse it and rationalize it. We have become comfortable with it.

But a godly person understands that more is not necessarily better. There is a contentment that comes with godliness. There is a satisfaction that comes from knowing God and appreciating what He gives that will never be matched by more of anything else. Too much honey just makes you sick. But you can never have too much of God. You can have too much religion. You can do too many spiritually looking things – like attend too many Bible studies, read too many Christian books, attend too many Christian seminars or download too much Christian music. When we finally understand that God is our sole source of sustenance and satisfaction, all the other things in life we consume and get consumed by, will mean less to us, so we won't constantly need more. There is an old chorus whose lyrics state this same truth: "Little is much when God is in it! Labor not for wealth or fame. There’s a crown — and you can win it, if you go in Jesus’ Name."

A truly satisfied man needs little. If we are satisfied in Jesus, nothing else is required. More of anything else becomes unnecessary. More clothes won't make us happy. More food won't make us full. More house won't make us significant. More money won't meet our needs. More work won't make us more worthy. More friends won't make us popular. A godly man or woman is a satisfied man or woman. They have learned that, in Christ, they have all they need.

I am satisfied with Jesus,

He has done so much for me:

He has suffered to redeem me,

He has died to set me free.

Father, I am surrounded by too much. I desire too much. I already have too much. But my own selfish heart too often desires more. Help me learn to be satisfied with You and all You have done for me. Amen.

The Key To A Strong, Healthy Family.

Proverbs 24

“A house is built by wisdom and becomes strong through common sense. Through knowledge its rooms are filled with all sorts of precious riches and valuables.” – Proverbs 24:3-4 NLT

You can read countless books on parenting. You can attend any of a number of seminars on the topic. You can get parenting advice, both good and bad, from all kinds of people. They'll tell you about the importance of communication, the need for consistent discipline, the danger of a home without rules, but the damage that can be done if your home is too strict. Everyone has opinions. Everyone is ready to give their advice. But there are few who truly know the secret to having a healthy, thriving family – except Solomon. The word he uses for "house" in this passage can be translated "family" and is probably best seen as a metaphor for establishing a strong, vibrant home life, not about building a structure. We all know that a well-built home is no guarantee of a healthy, whole family. There are many beautiful homes in the best of neighborhoods filled with children who despise their parents, husbands and wives who have fallen out of love long ago, and where domestic bliss is nowhere to be found. No, Solomon is not giving us construction tips, but the key to a healthy family. And this advice applies not only to our biological family, but to our spiritual family as well. The church, the body of Christ, is also a family. As believers, we are all members of the family of God and are His children. And just like our biological family, the family of God can become dysfunctional and unhealthy if we ignore the counsel of Solomon.

He tells us a home, a family is built by wisdom. Which reminds me of Solomon's advice found in the very first chapter of his book: "Start with God – the first step in learning is bowing down to God" (Proverbs 1:7 MSG). This is a paraphrase from The Message, but I find it paints a very accurate description of what it means to "fear the Lord." To fear the Lord is to recognize that He is God and we are not. It is to understand that He is the source of all wisdom, not us. It is to humble ourselves under His mighty power, recognizing our own weakness. The key to gaining wisdom is starting with God. It is focusing all of our attention on Him and making Him the center of our lives. This is true when it comes to our homes or families. He has to be number one. Not our kids. Not our careers. Not our marriages. Not our own selfish wills and self-centered desires. We must start with God. Our homes must be built on Him. He must be the foundation on which we construct our families. Marriage is difficult. Raising kids is a real challenge. Having a healthy family in the world in which we live is next to impossible – unless you do it with God's help. Only He can give us the wisdom we need, the good sense we require, the knowledge life demands, and the outcome we desire.

But God can't be an add-on or an afterthought. He must be the focus of our families. We must make His Word a daily part of our lives and the manual by which we parent. Our kids must see that we not only believe in God, but that we obey Him. They must see that our faith is real and that it lives itself out in real life. Solomon tells us that if we begin with God, if we turn to God, He will gives us wisdom, good sense and knowledge. And as a result, our homes will be filled with "all sorts of precious riches and valuables" (Proverbs 24:4 NLT). This is not a promise of financial success, but a reminder that living God's way produces treasures that are priceless and not of this world. We will experience His peace even when our kids rebel, endurance when our marriage is less than perfect, patience when life becomes difficult, and a growing awareness of the presence of God that is more valuable than anything money can buy.

Father, I want to build my home on You. I can't do this without You. And I know because I have tried far too many times. I want to start with You. I want to continue with You. I want to end with You. Amen.

X-Ray Vision.

Proverbs 21

“People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their heart.” – Proverbs 21:2 NLT

As human beings we can be the masters of deceit and deception. Over time we can learn the art of spin, controlling what others think about us and manipulating how they perceive us. In fact, how we're perceived can become far more important to us than reality. Our persona becomes our pseudo-personality. Perception becomes reality. After a while we can even begin to believe our own PR. We can convince ourselves that the facade we've erected is real, not imaginary – that the aura we give off is authentic, not self-manufactured and fake.

But while we may fool others and even ourselves with our Academy-Award-winning ways, God remains unconvinced and unimpressed. He looks right past our plastic, fake facade and sees into the very recesses of our heart. He examines our heart. The word used there is a term for measuring, as in a balance scale. He places our heart on one side of the scale and measures its real worth. He doesn't take into account any of the excess exterior trappings we've spent so much time creating. He goes right to the heart of the matter – literally. God takes a look at the condition of our heart and He sees us for who we really are and, if we allow Him, He will expose that rather than being the measure of all things, we are being measured.

God x-rays our hearts and reveals what's really going on under the shiny surface of our lives. He exposes our pride, anger and arrogance. He shows us our selfishness and self-centeredness. He lets us see our fears, faithlessness, spiritual adultery, and embarrassing weaknesses. But like a doctor examining a patient, God's goal is not just to expose sickness, He wants to bring about healing. He wants to get us off the surface issues and deal with the hard realities of our hearts. He wants to heal our hearts so that we might truly be what He desires for us to be. "Whoever pursues righteousness and unfailing love will find life, righteousness, and honor" (Proverbs 21:21 NLT). We can pursue wealth, pleasure, popularity, and a host of other things, but they will never deliver what we need. We can attempt to ignore our hearts and live in a fairy tale land of false identity and fake reality, but we will never find joy, peace, and contentment. So God examines our hearts and He gives us the results. But He also provides us with a prescription and a remedy for healing. He is the Great Physician and He knows how to heal our hearts and restore our souls. But it begins with a thorough examination and a correct, sometimes shocking diagnosis. Once we accept His assessment and place ourselves under His loving, capable hands, the healing can begin. Our heart can be made whole again. The facade can come down, the false identity can be removed and the man or woman God designed us to be can begin to reveal itself – from the inside out.

Father, we are the masters of deceit. We know something is wrong inside, but we don't know what it is or what to do about it. So we cover it up and act as if everything is fine. We learn to appear as something we're not. We learn to act a certain way and give off the aura we think others want to see. Make us real Father. Show us the true conditions of our hearts. Change us from the inside out so that we might know what it means to be what You've called us to be. Amen.

Drink. Drank. Drunk.

Proverbs 20

“Wine produces mockers, alcohol leads to brawls. Those led astray by drink cannot be wise.” – Proverbs 20:1 NLT

Let's face it, alcohol is a permanent part of our society. It's even an accepted part of the lives of many believers today. Gone are the days when having alcohol in your home was unacceptable and unchristian. While there are still some denominations that speak out against alcohol and its consumption as inappropriate behavior for a Christ-follower, you rarely hear much said about it anymore. And while the Scriptures don't ban its consumption outright, there are clear warnings as to its use and potential abuse. Here in the wisdom literature of Proverbs we have an in-your-face warning included by Solomon that doesn't mince any words when it comes to the danger of alcohol. And he isn't talking about distilled alcohol, he's talking with everyday, run-of-the-mill, average Hebrew household wine. He describes it as a mocker. Too much wine or alcohol in the system can turn anyone into an obnoxious, inebriated blowhards who are offensive to be around. The NET Bible puts it this way: "Excessive use of intoxicants excites the drinker to boisterous behavior and aggressive attitudes – it turns then into mockers and brawlers." You've seen them, been around them, and may have been there once or twice yourself. Alcohol clouds your senses, dulls your thinking, and distorts your perspective. The weak become strong. The timid become brave. The quiet become bold. Inhibitions get tossed aside like a bottle cap and concern for decorum or reputation get lost in the euphoric, alcohol-induced buzz. The Message has a not-so-subtle way of paraphrasing this verse. "Wine makes you mean, beer makes you quarrelsome – a staggering drunk is not much fun." How sadly true.

Yet how quickly most people defend their right to drink. They rationalize that they are only a casual drinker. They claim about how they can hold their liquor. They assert their strong tolerance level and ability to know when to stop. Yet no matter how you look at it, alcohol is an intoxicant. It's a drug that alters perception and influences behavior, and not usually for the better. Loss of control at any degree is rarely a good thing whether we're talking about our tongue, thoughts, inhibitions, or motor skills. There is probably no more descriptive passage on the influence of alcohol than Proverbs 23:29-35.

Who has anguish? Who has sorrow? Who is always fighting? Who is always complaining? Who has unnecessary bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? It is the one who spends long hours in the taverns, trying out new drinks. Don’t gaze at the wine, seeing how red it is, how it sparkles in the cup, how smoothly it goes down. For in the end it bites like a poisonous snake; it stings like a viper. You will see hallucinations, and you will say crazy things. You will stagger like a sailor tossed at sea, clinging to a swaying mast. And you will say, “They hit me, but I didn’t feel it. I didn’t even know it when they beat me up. When will I wake up so I can look for another drink?”

What a sad picture. But what a realistic look at what alcohol can do to the average man or woman. So much of the sorrow and heartache in the world today can be linked directly to the influence of alcohol. It can rob men of their work ethic. It can tear apart families and destroy marriages. It deadens the emotions and kills incentive. It wastes time, money, and talent, and squanders vast amounts of human potential. Other than lining the pockets of the companies that manufacture it, alcohol has little in the way of redeeming value. Gone are the days when it was necessary for medicinal purposes. We have medicine and doctors for that. While it may calm the nerves and settle the soul, it can easily become a crutch that prevents us from dealing with reality. How many people have to have a drink when they get home to wipe away the effects of the day? But is that really necessary for a believer? Do we need to have a substance provide us with peace and tranquility when we have the Holy Spirit of God living within us? Now don't get me wrong. I am not calling for a ban or a prohibition on alcohol, but I am asking that we reassess its role in our lives and its impact on our society. Solomon closes out the Book of Proverbs with another powerful warning about alcohol.

Leaders can’t afford to make fools of themselves, gulping wine and swilling beer, Lest, hung over, they don’t know right from wrong, and the people who depend on them are hurt. Use wine and beer only as sedatives, to kill the pain and dull the ache Of the terminally ill, for whom life is a living death. – Proverbs 31:4-7 MSG

As believers, we are called to a higher standard. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. We should always want to be in full use of our faculties. We should never want to be out of control when it comes to our thoughts, speech or actions. There is no such thing as a wise drunk.

Father, give us a clear perspective on the use of alcohol. While we may be free to drink, it may not be the best thing for us or for those around us. Help us each see this issue from Your perspective, not our own. Let us be willing to die to our rights and live to Your will. Don't allow us to let our hearing, judgment, or faculties to be clouded or distorted by anyone or anything. Amen.

The Fake Vs. The Faithful Friend.

Proverbs 19

“Loyalty makes a person attractive. It is better to be poor than dishonest.” – Proverbs 19:22 NLT

Nobody likes fakes friends. You know the kind. They smile and act as if they're your best friend, but when your back is turned, they turn on you. They desert you. They prove to be disingenuous to you. But the very next time you see them, they act as if nothing has happened and all is well. They're fake and can be highly frustrating. Sometimes people can pretend to like us for what we own, less than for who we are. They like our "toys" and so they will tolerate us in order to have access to them. Solomon warns us about this kind of "friend." He says, "wealth makes many 'friends'; poverty drives them all away" (Proverbs 19:4 NLT). In other words, these are fair-weather friends who like us as long as we have something they want. Once that something goes away, so do they. Their friendship was just a facade to facilitate their own selfish desires. Sometimes what others want from us is our influence. They see us as a person of importance and so they come alongside us, offering to be our friend just so that they might have access to our circle of influence. Solomon warns us about these kinds of friends as well: "Many seek favors from a ruler; everyone is the friend of a person who gives gifts" (Proverbs 19:6 NLT). A powerful person can mistakenly believe that everyone beating a path to his door is truly interested in being his friend, when what they really want is not a relationship, but a favor. Everyone loves a generous person. Everyone is willing to put up with even the most obnoxious person as long as he gives them gifts. But these people are not true friends.

All of this reveals the sin that lurks in the heart of everyone of us. We can easily turn friendship into a self-centered pursuit that is all about us with little regard for the other person in the relationship. Think about how many friendships dissolve because the other person failed to meet our expectations, let us down, or were easily replaced by someone more popular, attractive, or beneficial to us in some way. Yet that is not the kind of friendship we are called to by God. Loyalty is important to Him. He doesn't want us to use one another and selfishly manipulate our relationships just to get the most out of them. Loyalty and love go hand in hand. Loyalty is an expression of love. Loyalty is what makes a person truly attractive as a friend (Proverbs 19:22). The faithful, unfailing friend is the one we will look for in the end. When all the fake friends have long deserted us, a faithful friend will still be there, waiting to reestablish the relationship we once had with them. Fake friends are fickle friends. Faithful friends are steadfast and true. What kind of a friend are you? Do you choose your friends based on what you are going to get out of the relationship? Is your motivation self-serving or selfless? Can you count the number of poor friends you have on one hand?

Solomon reminds us, "There are 'friends' who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24 NLT). Again, what kind of a friend are you?

Father, make me a faithful, not a fake, friend. I want to be honest, not disingenuous. I want to be real in my relationships. Forgive me for using people for my own selfish interests. Give me a heart like You have. Help me to give my life away, expecting nothing in return. Don't let me measure my friendships based on what I can get out of them, but instead, by what I can give. Amen.

Where To Run.

Proverbs 18

“The name of the Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe.” – Proverbs 18:10 NLT

Think about it. Where do you run when things get tough? Who do you turn to when facing difficult circumstances? In what or who do you put your trust or place your hope? Solomon says that the godly run to the Lord and are kept safe. But if we're honest, most of us have a long list of other options we consider before we go to God. We have our money, friends, family members, the government, and our own resourcefulness to bail us out in time of need. But again, Solomon reminds us that "the name of the Lord is a strong fortress" (Proverbs 18:10 NLT). Isn't it interesting that he refers to the name of the Lord. That is a common expression in the Old Testament and it speaks of God's reputation or fame. It refers to those things He has done that have established who He is. It is another way of expressing His character. God has made a name for Himself. He has a solid reputation. He is known by His actions. And in this context, God has proven Himself to be a safe place to turn to for protection. He is faithful, powerful, gracious, consistent, and never fails in providing the protection we need and seek.

God's reputation is impeccable and totally reliable. So the godly "run to him." They don't casually walk or stroll to God, they run. There is a sense of urgency and immediacy to this statement. There is no hesitation. He isn't a second or third option or a last resort. God is the first choice of the godly person. It reminds me of the response of my children when they were young and found themselves scared or in trouble. They would make a bee-line to dear old dad. No hesitation. No reservations. When in trouble or fearful, dad's arms were where they wanted to be. And the same thing should be true of us as believers. We should want to run to God, whole-heartedly, unashamedly, unwaveringly – because He has proven Himself trustworthy time and time again.

But as our kids grow older, they grow less willing to turn to dad when scared or in trouble. They have been trained to be self-sufficient. They learn to develop other options and plans for maintaining their safety. They develop other resources to keep them safe and secure. Dad becomes less necessary, and the thought of jumping into his arms for safety becomes slightly embarrassing. And we do the same thing with God. Over time, before we even know it, we have moved God way down the list in terms of where we turn in times of trouble. We even do our best to develop plans to stay out of trouble so we don't have to turn to God in the first place. It's interesting that the very next verse in Proverbs 18 says, "The rich think of their wealth as a strong defense; they imagine it to be a high wall of safety" (Proverbs 18:11 NLT). Plenty of people try to create their own safety net for life, and in our society, financial stability is seen as a high priority. Think of all the commercials you see that deal with money, savings, retirement planning and financial security. Money has become the new Messiah. It is the answer to all of life's problems, in spite of its lousy reputation for actually being able to deliver any real security or safety. There's nothing wrong with money, saving, planning, or preparing for the future financially. But when all is said and done, there is only one reliable place to turn for protection: The name of the Lord. His reputation is spotless.

Father, Your name or reputation is impeccable. You are completely trustworthy. You aren't just LIKE a strong fortress, You truly ARE one. You have proven Yourself to be a secure choice in the midst of life's difficulties time and time again. But I still look elsewhere so often. Forgive me. Help me understand that You are always the safest, most secure place to turn in times of trouble. Amen.

Conflict Resolution.

Proverbs 17

“Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.” – Proverbs 17:9 NLT

We've all seen it happen. Perhaps we've even had it happen to us. A close friendship dissolved over an unresolved issue. A disagreement that never was dealt with properly and which resulted in alienation, accusation, and acrimony. It happens to friendships and even the relationships between parents and children, brothers and sisters, and even Christ-followers. Many times these conflicts start with something fairly insignificant and small, but when left unresolved, they fester and grow, like an untreated wound. What began as a small things becomes a big thing because proper steps weren't taken to begin with. A hurtful word or a painful action causes a crack to develop in a relationship. And when it is not addressed in a godly and timely manner, the enemy takes advantage of the situation and begins to pry and press on that crack in an effort to widen and worsen it. Jesus told us that the enemy comes "to steal, kill and destroy" (John 10:10). He wants to destroy our relationships, kill our friendships, and steal the benefits available to us through community. Satan hates love. It's that simple. Yet Solomon reminds us that "love prospers when a fault is forgiven" (Proverbs 17:9 NLT). God is love and He desires that we live lives of love for Him and others. But it is impossible to love when we refuse to forgive. We are incapable of love if we demand our rights and hold on to all the bad things done to us. Our harboring of anger, resentment and bitterness to the other person does little to change or convict them, but it can end up destroying us – from the inside out. It produces a toxic blend of bitterness, anger, and resentment that becomes like a cancer in our system, eating us away internally and destroying us spiritually. Paul tells us, "Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you" (Ephesians 4:31-32 NLT). We are to forgive in the same way we have been forgiven by God. No qualifications. No conditions. No grading on the curve. Just forgive. Is forgiving hard to do? You bet. Especially when someone refuses to admit that they were wrong or that they even hurt us. And even harder than forgiving is forgetting. We may feel like we've forgiven that person, but then the next time we see them we are reminded once again of all that they did to us. The memories resurface and the resentment bubbles to the surface once again. It's normal and natural. But that's when we need to turn it over to the Lord and ask for His help. Letting go of a wrong done to us is difficult, but no impossible. God would not have commanded us to forgive one another if was impossible. He has provided us with all the power we need to obey through the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit. But we have to acknowledge our need for help and request His assistance. We have to confess our own anger, bitterness and unforgiving spirit and ask the Holy Spirit for the strength we need to give up and let go – whether the other party ever confesses their wrong or asks for our forgiveness. "Love prospers when a fault is forgiven" (Proverbs 17:9 NLT). It grows within us. It produces life instead of death. It thwarts the enemy's attempts to drive a wedge between us and others. It reminds us of how much we have been forgiven by God. Life is too short to spend it bitter, angry, and resentful. Listen to these words from The Message paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13.

Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, Doesn’t have a swelled head, Doesn’t force itself on others, Isn’t always “me first,” Doesn’t fly off the handle, Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, Doesn’t revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end.

Father, it is so easy to hold a grudge. It is so easy to get hurt and grow bitter by what others say or do to us. But You have called us to love. You have commanded us to forgive. And You have modeled it perfectly through the life of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Help me learn to let go of my grudges more quickly, forgive more readily, and love more willingly. Amen.

Entertaining Ourselves To Death.

Proverbs 14

“Laughter can conceal a heavy heart, but when the laughter ends, the grief remains.” – Proverbs 14:13 NLT

I love to laugh. I love to make people laugh. Laughter is contagious and, at times, therapeutic. It can lift the spirits and make difficult times more bearable. But laughter can't change circumstances. As the Proverb above says, it can conceal a heavy heart, but it can't heal one. Laughter may make you forget your troubles, but it can't make them go away. There is nothing wrong with laughter. It is a gift from God. I think God has a sense of humor. But laughter was never meant to be a replacement for guilt, a narcotic to deaden our pain, or an entertaining diversion to replace the joy and peace that can only come from God. Think about how many times you've found yourself down in the dumps and so you've turned on the TV to provide you with a few moments of laughter. Or you've gone to a movie to forget about all your cares. For a few brief moments you've been able to forget about your problems and laugh. But when the TV show ends or the movie is over, you find yourself right back where you started. Nothing has changed. "When the laughter ends, the grief remains."

I'm not saying that it's wrong to watch TV or go to the movies. I'm simply suggesting that to attempt to cover up our problems with a fleeting fix of humor is going to have the same effect as a sugar high or a caffeine buzz. The post-laughter let-down is going to make our problems seem even worse than before. In our society, we are slowly entertaining ourselves to death. We fill our days with fun. We are constantly coming up with new and novel ways to entertain and distract ourselves. We get bored far too easily and we find ourselves like junkies looking for the next fix. Unable to cope with the realities of life, many have chosen to live on a daily dose of laughter and mindless entertainment. Rather than have to think about life, we turn on the tube and let it do our thinking for us.

As believers, we have a built-in system for monitoring our behavior and revealing the condition of our heart. We call it a conscience, and it's overseen by the Holy Spirit Himself. Sometimes our heavy heart is the result of a guilty conscience. The Spirit is attempting to convict us of something. He is trying to reveal an area of our life that needs work. At times, He is trying to reveal sin in our lives so that we might confess it and receive forgiveness and healing. But rather than deal with it, we attempt to distract ourselves from it. We might even try to make light of it. But listen to what this Proverb says, "Fools make fun of guilt, but the godly acknowledge it and seek reconciliation" (Proverbs 14:9 NLT). When we feel the pangs of guilt, it's so easy to make light of it, ignore it, or find something to distract us from it. But the guilt never really goes away. The Holy Spirit never stops doing His job.

Laughter has its place. Even the Proverbs remind us of that. "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength" (Proverbs 17:22 NLT). But that verse is reminding us that joy or rejoicing is like good medicine. Finding things to be truly joyful for refreshes our soul. This is not talking about mindless entertainment. So much of what we seek to produce "cheer" in our lives is like cotton candy – tasty for the moment, but of no lasting nutritional value. It's all fluff and, in the long run, bad for you. True joy comes from God. You can't manufacture it. Anything we seek from anywhere else will always prove to be a poor substitute.

Father, thank You for laughter. But never let me make it a replacement for true joy. Keep me from entertaining and distracting myself from what You are trying to do in my life. When I am down, remind me that what I need is You, not a good laugh. I need healing and holiness, not a dose of cheap hilarity.  Amen.

Criticism Is Critical.

Proverbs 13

“If you ignore criticism, you will end in poverty and disgrace; if you accept correction, you will be honored.” – Proverbs 13:18 NLT

Counsel, criticism, and correction. The Proverbs talk about all three and remind us that those who are wise willingly and gladly accept all three equally. But the reality for most of us is that we, at best, tolerate one of them and despise the other two. We will listen to counsel if we think it will benefit us or if it doesn't vary too much from our preconceived plans. But criticism and correction are two separate matters. Nobody likes to be criticized. And few of us truly enjoy correction. But again, the wise are those who have learned the value of all three. Even a child can come to the place where they understand that their parents' discipline is beneficial. "A wise child accepts a parent's discipline, a mocker refuses to listen to correction" (Proverbs 13:1 NLT). Over in the book of Colossians, Paul tells us that, as believers, we have a responsibility to admonish or warn one another as part of our corporate experience as believers. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom" (Colossians 3:16 NIV). We all have blind spots, those areas of our lives that we're unable to see, and it takes a loving brother or sister in Christ to point them out so we can confess them and be cleansed from them. Those who are wise take counsel and correction equally. They see the benefit of both. "People who despise advice are asking for trouble" (Proverbs 13:13 NLT). "If you ignore criticism, you will end in poverty and disgrace" (Proverbs 13:18 NLT). Pretty serious stuff. Yet think about how often we reject the counsel, correction and criticism of others. We may accept it with a smile, but inside we can be angry and resentful. We may even avoid that person in the future, refusing to allow them to speak into our lives. When we do, we are the losers. We miss out on the benefits God has intended. Even when someone criticizes us unfairly or wrongly, we should learn to accept it patiently and lovingly, understanding that God knows our heart.

At the end of the day, our unwillingness to accept counsel, correction or criticism is all about pride. Admitting our flaws, acknowledging our ignorance, or accepting our need for correction is hard on our egos. But the wise rather increase in wisdom than worry about their pride. They would prefer to become more godly than simply pamper their egos with false flattery and pride-producing praise. Wise people know that it takes a true friend to tell you what everyone else is afraid to tell you. Wise people know that ignorance is NOT bliss and what you don't know CAN hurt you. Wise people know that criticism may hurt, but not as much as hypocrisy or lies disguised as praise. Wise people don't just tolerate counsel, they seek it. They depend on it. Counsel, criticism and correction. Three invaluable resources in the toolbox of the wise. You can't live well without them.

Father, thank You for those You have placed in my life who love me enough to be honest with me. Thank You for giving them the ability to see what I can't see and the determination to speak into my life revealing my flaws, sharing their wisdom, and lovingly correcting my mistakes. Give me an increasing love for godly counsel, correction and criticism in my life. Amen.

Deep Roots.

Proverbs 12

“Wickedness never brings stability, but the godly have deep roots.” ­– Proverbs 12:3 NLT

We live on about an acre of land that is covered with beautiful old oak trees. When we built our home there more than two decades ago, we chose to place it on the one open spot on the entire property because we didn't want to remove a single tree. In the 20-plus years we have lived there, we have left about half the property uncultivated and wild. There is no sprinkler system and we do little in the way of maintenance or manicuring. Yet even in the driest times of the year, the oaks in that part of our property are just as green and lush as the ones that enjoy the daily dose of water I provide. Why is that? How come the trees that receive no water look just as good as the those that benefit from my generous sprinkling? The answer is simple. They have a different source. They don't need my water because they get what they need from somewhere else. They have sunk their roots deep into the soil and have tapped into a water supply that I can't see. They are not dependent on my meager supply, but have discovered a virtually limitless flow of cool, clear water that more than meets their needs – regardless of the weather.

In this Proverb, we are reminded that the godly also have deep roots. "The godly are well rooted and bear their own fruit" (Proverbs 12:12b NLT). The image of the “root” (שֹׁרֶשׁ, shoresh) is a word picture that emphasizes the security and stability of the righteous. Those who are wise, or godly, have sunk their roots deep into the soil of God's gracious love, and are firmly planted. They are not only nourished as a result, but they can't be uprooted. David described these people as "trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do" (Psalm 1:3 NLT). Elsewhere in the Psalms we read, "But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. For they are transplanted to the Lord's own house. They flourish in the courts of our God. Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green" (Psalm 92:12-14 NLT).

There is a permanency and vitality to the life of the godly. When we seek our roots deep into God's unchanging faithfulness, we find ourselves with a firm foundation and a reliable, unfailing source of sustenance. The winds may blow, but we hold firm. The droughts may come, but we never thirst. The same can't be said for the wicked. Those who refuse to place their trust in God find themselves on shaky ground. They end up trying to quench their thirsts from other sources that dry up and never quite fill up their need. God put it this way in the book of Jeremiah: "Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land. But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit" (Jeremiah 17:5-8 NLT).

Deep roots are a metaphor for trust. When we trust in God, it is as if we have sunk our roots deep into a limitless source of refreshing, life-giving water. We can handle the droughts of life. We can withstand the storms of life. Our roots are strong. Our foundation is firm. Our hope is secure. In God!

Father, I want to sink my roots into Your firm foundation. I want to place my trust in You and not in "mere humans." I don't want to end up like a stunted shrub in the desert with no hope for the future. Keep teaching me to trust in You for all that I need. Nothing else can substitute for You. Amen.

Generous Living.

Proverbs 11

"The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed." – Proverbs 11:25 NLT

The true spirit of generosity is in short supply these days. Sure, there are still plenty of people giving money for worthy causes and writing checks to underwrite everything from political parties to homeless shelters, but biblical generosity seems to be something different altogether. There is a certain selflessness and sacrificial attitude that accompanies biblical generosity. It is not giving out of a surplus or for the tax benefits, it is having a heart of concern and care for those less fortunate and then doing something about it – willingly, gladly and generously. It is giving based on kindness, not coercion. "Your kindness will reward you…" (Proverbs 11:17 NLT). It is generosity that is motivated by compassion, not compensation. In other words, the truly generous person does not give to get. Yet, interestingly enough, God promises to reward those who give with blessings. They will prosper. They will be refreshed. Their willingness to give freely will result in a supernatural supply that allows them continue to do so. It reminds me of the old adage, "You can't out give God."

And the kind of generosity we are talking about here is not limited to money. We can be generous with our time, talents, energy, and other resources. Some people are generous with their possessions, making their homes, cars and other resources available to anyone and everyone, because they understand they are gifts from God to use for His glory and the good of others. Others give of their time, even though they are just as busy as the next person. They realize that people are more important than deadlines giving ourselves away for the good of others is more important than getting things done.

The opposite of generosity is stinginess, and stinginess is motivated by selfishness. The stingy person is unwilling to share because they are too self-consumed and self-centered to allow themselves to think about the needs of others. Stingy people tend to put their hope in their possessions. They fear losing them. They are convinced that if they were to share what they have, their worth would somehow be diminished. So they keep it all to themselves, hording their time, talents and treasures for their own use. But "riches won't help in the day of judgment…" (Proverbs 11:4 NLT). "Be stingy and lose everything…" (Proverbs 11:24 NLT). "Trust in your money and down you go!" (Proverbs 11:28 NLT).

True generosity requires a regenerated heart. Only God can transform a naturally selfish heart into a selfless one. He alone can give us the capacity to give compassionately. Godly people are generous people. They are giving people. Because their God is a generous, giving God. They have a refreshing influence over others. Their generosity is contagious, spreading through the community and pointing others to the generosity of God Himself.

Father, You are a generous, giving God. You gave Your own Son so that we might have new life. You give us undeserved grace and mercy each and every day of our lives. Make us a generous people who gladly give of ourselves as a reflection of Your generosity to us. Amen

The Source of True Pleasure.

 Proverbs 10

"Doing wrong is fun for a fool, but living wisely brings pleasure to the sensible." – Proverbs 10:23 NLT

Pleasure is the treasure all men seek. Every man and woman, old or young, is on a perpetual journey seeking to find a reliable source of pleasure or enjoyment. And the world is constantly offering up a wide range of alternatives from which to choose. Some are innocent enough, like food or relationships. But others can be destructive to ourselves as well as those around us. Pleasure is a God-given reaction that is inherently good, but it can be perverted by sin and man's inherent selfishness. In this verse we are gold that "doing wrong is fun for a fool." The word translated "fun" literally means "sport" in the Hebrew language. It is exhilarating and pleasurable. It paints the picture of a child at play, smiling with pleasure and enjoyment as a result of whatever activity he is doing. You've seen it before in children who are laughing uncontrollably as they swing higher and higher on a swing set in the park. It is a child who smiles broadly at the sight of an ice cream cone or the news of a day at the zoo. But in this verse, the fool is smiling at the thought of doing what is wrong. He finds pleasure and enjoyment in doing what is ungodly and unrighteous. It brings him pleasure. It makes him smile. What a disturbing picture of the perversity of sin. It warps our minds and distorts our perspective. What is good becomes bad. What is bad becomes good. It is not how God intended it to be, but it is where we end up when we decide to live apart from His plan for our lives.

But the person of understanding, who has received wisdom from God, finds his pleasure from living wisely. He finds enjoyment from doing what is right, not wrong. Wickedness is repulsive to him. Living righteousness and obediently before God puts a smile on his face. Putting others ahead of himself is something he enjoys, not dreads. Serving selflessly makes him happy. Saying no to temptation brings him far more pleasure than giving in. Doing what is right isn't a burden, but a blessing. But it all begins with wisdom, with a healthy fear of God and an understanding that God's way is always the best way. He has learned to put his hope in God and His promises, not the deceptive offers of this world. "The hopes of the godly result in happiness, but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing" (Proverbs 10:28 NLT). Hoping in God results in true happiness. Resting in His promises produce real pleasure. Living life according to God's terms puts a smile on the face and joy in the heart.

Father, pleasure comes from You, not this world. Don't let me get sucked into believing the lies of the enemy and giving in to the temptations he offers up. They will never result in true pleasure or real joy. Only You can provide those things in my life. Amen