Pondering Proverbs

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

This week we start with Proverbs of the Heart. Eugene Peterson in is inimitable and helpful way way paraphrase Proverbs 3:5 as, “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own.”

It was Frank Sinatra who used to sing a song that contained the words.

What more can I say?
From the bottom of my heart I need you
You're part of my day
My inspiration is you alone
To call my own
I love you, I love you
From the bottom of my heart I want you
It's you I adore
 I'd be on my way to heaven
If you'd say "I love you from the bottom of my heart"

If we place these words in the context of our relationship to God’s love for us found in Jesus, they take on a deeper meaning. Couple this proverb with Jesus loving words of, “…don’t worry and don’t keep saying, ‘What shall we eat, what shall we drink or what shall we wear?! That is what pagans are always looking for; your Heavenly Father knows that you need them all. Set your heart on the kingdom and his goodness, and all these things will come to you as a matter of course.” Matthew 6:34-35 (J P Phillips) and we see the wisdom of this proverb.

Everyone knows that you don’t eat bananas until they turn yellow. The internal transformation of the fruit inside the peel is what causes the yellowing effect indicating when the fruit is. Because we are God’s people, the work of Jesus changes our lives from the inside out. His grace transforms our hearts and minds, overflowing into our actions. 

Prayer; Lord, create in me a clean heart, guide my path. Teach me to guard my heart, to keep my eyes focused on You, and to resist evil. Let my words and actions be acceptable in Your sight. Like the flowers reflect sunlight, so let my heart reflect the light of Christ. Amen.

Pondering Proverbs

Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom, when they are not able to understand it? Proverbs 17:16

I often am amazed at the amount of money people can spend or lose. It’s rare that a month goes by without news of a famous actor or business-person who has lost everything. The cause usually boils down to some kind of folly.

How could you have millions of dollars and then lose it all? Well, you could spend them on luxuries or disposable goods or gamble it away at casinos or in bad investments. You could waste it by throwing huge, extravagant parties for weeks on end. If you were in business, you could take wild risks and produce inferior products that cost you a lot but wouldn’t sell because no one wanted them. There are lots of ways to lose a fortune!

But all these actions are irresponsible and foolish. Instead of being invested for the common good, money is squandered. Instead of nurturing responsible productivity, wealth is wasted in foolishness and self-indulgence. A famous proverb—perhaps with today’s verse in mind—states, “A fool and his money are soon parted.” Act foolishly with your money, and you won’t have it for long. Not only will you lose it, but your church and family will not be blessed by it either. It will be a loss for the kingdom of God.

Wisdom with our money is needed. Wise people invest in kingdom-honouring businesses, their church, family, and community. Does your investment strategy reflect eternal values?

Lord, help us to be wise with our money. May we seek your wisdom when we have opportunities to use your money. Amen.

 

Pondering Proverbs

As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart. Proverbs 27:19

While chasing prey, cheetahs can run about 60 miles per hour, but only in short spurts. This fast cat’s speed is limited to sprints because of its small heart. Endurance at that speed would require a larger heart.

The Christian’s life of obedience calls for endurance. It cannot afford the “heart condition” of a small heart, possibly engaging only in a spurt now and then. Proverbs talks about a person’s life as a reflection of his or her heart.

Talking about someone’s “heart condition” and how it shows in their life, one might ask, “How big-hearted is he?” or “Does she have the heart for it?”

A physical heart condition may prevent someone from strenuous activity, but a spiritual heart condition is more dangerous.

For example, if we have a heart condition that makes us miserly, we are not apt to share from the abundance we have been given. On the other hand, a heart condition that leads to sharing the joy of Jesus, who lives in our hearts, gives us the stamina for a life of faithful obedience.

Who or what has your heart? Remember, we should “have the same mindset as Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5 . Filled with his unconditional love, we’ll have a large, well-conditioned heart!

Faithful Father, thank you for people in our lives who demonstrate hearts of compassion and obedience. Grant us the largeness of heart to be what you want us to be. In Jesus’ name, Amen

Pondering Proverbs

One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. —  Proverbs 11:24

In this world, economics is often about quickly making the greatest profit at the expense of others. It’s based mainly on greed and a “me first” attitude. Though it is sometimes called “the pursuit of happiness,” it will never satisfy our deepest needs and longings.

There is also what we might call “heavenly economics.” It gives free rein to generosity, love, and goodwill. It turns the selfish, vicious cycle of greed on its head, and flashes of heavenly sunshine beam through.

We can hear echoes of this in our proverb today. Generous people forgive debts, as they have been forgiven, and ripples of love spread outward. That’s an example of amazing grace amid worldly economics, building up treasure in heaven.

Maybe you have seen the old movie It’s A Wonderful Life. It’s a story about George Bailey, whose savings and loan business lends out money at low interest so that low-income people can buy a home. But then something goes wrong: one day George’s uncle loses track of a bundle of money on the way to the bank, and that puts George in danger of going bankrupt. In the end, though, George is rescued by the townspeople, who give him all the cash he needs because he always treated them with goodwill.

Let’s follow God’s leading and live with generosity and goodwill. Greed and selfishness will only lead to ruin.

Lord, “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven . . . for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.” Amen.

Pondering Proverbs

By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established. . . . Proverbs 24:3

A Japanese pastor who had worked with missionary friends for a number of years, gave them a beautiful bronze statue of hawks lifting off in flight. He had inherited it from his father, and he gave it to them as a farewell present when they returned to the United States. Now it is in a place of honour in their home in America, it stands as a rare and beautiful treasure that holds a flood of memories.

Our proverb for today teaches that the house of our lives is best built with wisdom, which comes from God. “Through understanding it is established,” and “through knowledge” provided by the one true God “its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.”

Jesus talks about a house like that in a parable about wise and foolish builders Matthew 7:24-27: “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”

With wisdom we build our lives on the solid rock of the love of God in Christ. The commands of God give us firm flooring, the protective arms of God are like walls keeping out the cold, and the Word of God is like windows letting in God’s light.

We all struggle to build a good life. Jesus and his good news are the keys to doing so. May we have heavenly wisdom each day to build our lives and to share God’s love with others.

O God, help us to build our lives with wisdom and to share your love and light in this world, remembering all you have done and that you are with us always. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Pondering Proverbs

Proverbs 3:13-15 Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.

The book of Proverbs presents two women of different character. One is Wisdom personified. “She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. She calls people to shun evil and turn to God.

The other woman, Folly, is loud and defiant. She calls out from her door with temptations to immoral living: “Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!” (9:17). Describing her as an adulterous woman, Proverbs says, “Many are the victims she has brought down. . . . Do not let your heart turn to her ways. . . . Her house is a highway to the grave” (7:25-27).

Proverbs is populated by thieves, sluggards, quarrellers, mockers, and gossips, as well as people who are wise, careful, just, kind, and generous. And we are all humbled by the words “Who can say, ‘I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin’?” (20:9).

The wisdom of the Bible calls us back to God, to repentance from sin, to right living. We grow to recognise that putting God first in our lives is the only way to truly live. That is why Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”

Our search for wisdom leads us to Jesus Christ, “who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30).

Lord, you are our heart’s desire, our treasure more precious than rubies. Thank you that we have the riches of full life in Christ. Amen.

Pondering Proverbs

Proverbs 13:20 Become wise by walking with the wise; hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces.

Many of us  have some friends that we can count on and share anything in confidence. They stand out in our lives because they have shown that they are trustworthy. Although we may spend time with other people too, we often choose to remain close and build relationships with the ones we can trust. The more we get to know them and let them get to know us, the closer to them we grows. This includes mentors and those special parents, who have been there for us  in difficult times.

Proverbs tells us to build relationships with wise people rather than foolish ones. 

Wise people know how to listen and to keep promises. They know how to protect confidential information. They are the people who love us and who want what is best for us. They are also the people who help us use our gifts and abilities and allow us to be who God created us to be.

Who are our companions? Are they people who are untrustworthy? Are they people who don’t look out for your best interests or even harm you?

Or are they people you can trust? Are they people who love you for who you are and who God made you to be? These are the wise people you want to be close with in life. 

Father, please put people in our lives whom we can trust. Help us to avoid foolish ways and to help everyone find wisdom, which comes only from you. In Jesus, Amen.