Tag Archives: wisdom

Proverbial Reminder

If you are new to this blog, then you may not know about my other blog, Proverbial Thought.

proverbial thought pictureSeveral years ago I called upon several trusted friends from two continents and started a daily devotional which addressed every proverb in the book of Proverbs. After 2 years we completed the task, and now I am in the process of re-posting it all.

Why not check it out? Nearly every morning I re-post an entry. You could even use it as part of your daily “quiet time.”

Today’s post (December 9) deals with the dangers of bringing up the past. Fortunately, there’s nothing wrong with bringing up the good stuff 😉

God bless, and have a wonderful day!

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Don’t Beg, Just Dig

How about a little Matthew Henry to start off the week?

The following is commentary based on Proverbs 13:23.

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry

See…[how] a small estate may be improved by industry, so that a man, by making the best of every thing, may live comfortably upon it: Much food is in the tillage of the poor, the poor farmers, that have but a little, but take pains with that little and husband it well. Many make it an excuse for their idleness that they have but a little to work on, a very little to be doing with; but the less compass the field is of the more let the skill and labour of the owner be employed about it, and it will turn to a very good account. Let him dig, and he needs not beg.[1]

See, then, that you don’t complain about the field in which you work, just work the field. The smaller the plot, the more work it may take to produce a crop, but a crop it will produce.

Never forget that “God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Gal. 6:7). If you work the field, plant and water the seed, then the One who sent you into the field will take care of the rest.

Little is much when God is in it. Don’t beg – and don’t worry – just dig. 


 

[1] Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), Pr 13:23.

 

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The Hard Way

The following comes from a post I wrote for ProverbialThought.com. Even though I wrote this a couple of years ago, nothing has changed; I still see people making poor choices, making things harder than they need to be, and it breaks my heart. Oh, if only we would follow the path of Wisdom!

Proverbs 13:15

“Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard.” KJV

“A person with good sense is respected; a treacherous person is headed for destruction.” NLT

 A Hard Life

Every now and then you may encounter people with a look that older than than their age. You may meet a man who is only in his thirties, but looks like he over sixty. A young woman may cross your path that is wrinkled, bent over, and haggard, only to find out that she is 28 years way too old.

What makes people look like they are much older than their chronological age? Hard lives. Lifestyles bent on destruction.

To be fair, there are others that you may see who have been through a lot of pain and suffering due to circumstances beyond their control. These, too, may look older than they actually are. Life has been hard on them. But for many, what they have endured has been the result of a transgressor’s path, and that’s a hard road.

Good Sense

A person that exhibits good sense (“understanding”) is typically a person who takes better care of himself. Good sense says, “Hey, maybe staying up late every night partying until the sun comes up is a bad idea.” Good sense says, “You know, taking that drug might be harmful, not to mention addictive.

Someone with understanding and good sense is also somebody others respect and trust. For example, this type of man or woman is the one who gets the job or promotion. He or she is the one who gets awards and bonuses. They are also the ones who have lower life insurance premiums and rarely have to pay large down payments to purchase anything on credit.

However, the transgressor is the one who nobody really trusts closing the store at night. He’s the one who always calls in sick on Monday morning. Life insurance companies consider him a “high risk” and deny him coverage. And when it comes to buying a house or new car, all he can do is rent.

Advice for the Road

Let me give you some advice. If you are planning on traveling down the “hard road” of life, plan on things never going your way. But don’t think you can blame all of your woes on those with more than you, because they have “understanding;” they can see through your schemes.

Don’t blame the government. Don’t blame the church people. Don’t blame your boss (if you can keep one). Don’t blame anyone for the path that you have chosen.

Also, if you are planning to live a life that transgresses God’s word (His law), don’t blame Him when things don’t go the way you plan. He warned you.

So, when you find yourself living in a run-down motel, remember, Wisdom has been crying out, “You simple people, use good judgment. You foolish people, show some understanding” (Proverbs 8:5 NLT).

When you won’t listen to Wisdom, your way will be hard.

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National Day of Prayer 2015

Our Resource

We seek out panaceas to resolve the conflicts of the world and to heal our own personal and private wounds. Many are consulting the psychiatrist, the doctor, the minister, and anyone else who will listen. But we do not seem to recognize that the great need in our own personal lives is prayer. Prayer is the greatest neglected resource that we have; it’s a power that we simply are not using today.” – J. Vernon McGee (emphasis mine)

Today is the National Day of Prayer, and so I want to encourage each of you to pray. We need to be on our knees for our country, our cities, and our homes instead of rioting, protesting, and cursing each other. Oh, how much could change if we would just take advantage of the resource that’s been provided to us!

However, be careful; prayer is nothing but idle words and wishful thinking, motivational self-talk at best, if the Object of our prayer is not God.

“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence that we have in him (Jesus), that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” – 1 John 5:13-15 (emphasis mine)

Pray, but go to God in prayer. Prayer doesn’t change things – He does.

Specifics

When you pray, pray with intent. Don’t pray in generalities; be specific. If you don’t already have a list of specifics, let me suggest a few to get you started. Let the Holy Spirit guide you after these.

  • Praise God for the opportunity to pray. Thank God that He even allows us into His presence.
    • “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, [and] into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, [and] bless his name.” – Psalm 100:4
  • Confess your sins to God, and repent. 
    • “I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.” – Psalm 32:5
    • “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” – 1 John 1:9
  • Pray for your President (or Prime Minister), your regional officials, and your local government leaders by name, if possible. 
    • “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, [and] giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and [for] all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this [is] good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” – 1 Timothy 2:1-4
  • Pray for Wisdom.
    • “Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with [my] whole heart.” – Psalm 119:34
    • “Wisdom [is] the principal thing; [therefore] get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” – Proverbs 4:7

“A man is powerful on his knees.”  – Corrie ten Boom (1892-1983)

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Guard Your Big Mouth

On occasion, like when Proverbial Thought uploads a post, I read something I’ve written a while back and say to myself, “Wow! That was pretty good!” So, since it’s something I’ve written, I’m going to forego the whole “reblog” thing and just copy and paste some wisdom from my other blog.

Proverbs 13:3

“He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: [but] he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.”

Big Mouth

What can be said about this proverb that is not painfully obvious? Would it help if we read it in another translation?

The Holman (HCSB) puts it, “The one who guards his mouth protects his life; the one who opens his lips invites his own ruin.” The ESV says, “Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.” I’d say the message is the same, wouldn’t you?

A big mouth will get you into serious trouble. It may even cost your life.

Loose Lips

There used to be a saying back in the 1940’s: “Loose lips sink ships.” During World War II enemy spies were known to make friends with the families of soldiers and sailors. Knowing the tendency for proud parents, spouses, and children to talk about letters from the front, the enemy would listen and take note.

Many times, without even knowing it, something was said that gave details of secret missions. Lives were lost when people said more than they should.

Sometimes people get into serious trouble because they can’t keep secrets. Some people say things they don’t mean to say. Some people open their big mouths without thinking, then destruction comes.

Post a Guard

If you have a tendency to say things you shouldn’t, you may need to erect some barriers, or even post a security guard in front of your mouth. You can never be too safe when you know you possess something so dangerous.

Look back at the proverb; it says, “he that keepeth..” That means “to put a guard around.” A wise man will have in place a guard – a mental guard – that checks his words before they cross his lips.

Guard:  Good evening, Mr. Word. Going out for a stroll, tonight?

Mr. Word:  Actually, Mr. Security Guard, it’s none of your business where I am going.

Guard:  Oh, most certainly it is! If you don’t provide a good reason for leaving the premises, I must ask you to return.

Mr. Word:  All right, then. I was about to tell my wife that dress looks better on the hanger than her.

Guard:  (Speaking into a radio microphone) I need backup, immediately  Get back sir! Get away from the gate! You are a danger to all of us!

A Real Danger

If you don’t think your words are worth guarding, consider what James said about the tongue…

“If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.” – James 1:26 NLT

Now, consider the words of the Apostle Peter…

“For the Scriptures say, ‘If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.’” – 1 Peter 3:10-11 NLT

Be careful what you say.

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A Call to “Thwarting the Enemy” Prayer

Attention fellow pastors and believers in Christ:

I am calling on my fellow believers, especially pastors, to do something different this Wednesday night, September 10th. I am asking that we all gather together for a time of dedicated, humble, sincere, and concentrated prayer in advance of any attack by the enemy.

Thwarting PrayerIn the days following 9/11, people around the country were crowded into churches, on their knees, calling out to God. It was the right and proper thing to do, for sure. But now the enemy is at the gate; the judgement of God is about to fall. We know that somewhere there are plans in the works to bring us harm, to destroy us, the very least being the structures in which we meet. Should we not be on our knees now?

In 2 Chronicles 20:2 messengers came unto King Jehoshaphat and said, “There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria” Faced with this news, the news of certain destruction, he called for fasting and prayer.

“O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.” – 2 Chronicles 20:12

I am asking that churches around the nation will come together in humble, contrite, and desperate prayer – BEFORE the enemy crashes the gate!

Some of you may be asking, “Pastor Baker, what if God has already determined to send judgment and all that is being planned is part of His wrath against us?” To that I would submit to you the words of a king from one of the most ungodly places on record, ancient Nineveh. Hearing of the impending destruction being sent by God, he ordered the inhabitants to not eat or drink, to cover themselves with sackcloth and ashes, turn from evil and violence, and cry out to God (Jonah 3:7-8). Then he said…

“Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?” – Jonah 3:9

Let us pray for God to thwart the evil plans of the enemy that could already be in the works for this Thursday, September 11th, even if they were originally meant for our chastisement. Like Jehoshaphat and the children of Israel, our hope is not in Washington, the military, or the police. I only hope is in God.

Pray that He confuse the forces of evil and give wisdom to the humble who seek His help.

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Filed under America, Christian Unity, current events, Faith

Thursday Thoughts (Strange Sayings)

Howdy!

Hey, everybody! It seems like it has been forever since I last wrote anything. Hopefully you enjoyed the repeats I posted, but nothing is like writing something fresh.

However, I must admit something: when I read the blogs of others I get a little intimidated. Seriously, all it takes is reading some of the stuff to which I’m subscribed to make me want to turn off my computer and go eat Twinkies. At the very least I feel like I should be qualifying every post with disclaimer like, “The following post was written by a gifted toddler.”

So, let me apologize in advance.

A Strange Saying

Have you ever repeated a phrase, some axiom or expression, without ever stopping to think about what you were really saying? Consider the following:

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

Really? Is that so? Is that an absolute statement, or just a generalization? Honestly, it doesn’t make much sense to me. Am I supposed to believe that as long as I survive something I will be stronger because of it?

Let’s consider some possibilities.

  • A 50-foot fall from a Ferris wheel. Would you really be stronger if you survived? I’d say a broken back might make it much less likely you’d be lifting heavier boxes.
  • An attack by a grizzly bear.  Let’s see, a crushed skull, deep gashes, missing body parts, and a limp: yep, that would make me stronger.
  • Nearly drowning after falling through the ice. Hmmm, I didn’t know that several minutes without oxygen was a good thing, but evidently it is – as long as you survive.

Warning

Seriously, a hard, over-the-top workout in the gym could kill you. However, with a little common sense and the help of a trainer, you could could become stronger than you were before.

The breakup of a relationship (like the supposed one in Kelly Clarkson’s song) could cause a lot of pain and sadness in the short-term, but strengthen character in the long-run. On the other hand, the results of poor judgment when entering into a relationship could result in life-long scars and emotional baggage destined to weaken future relationships.

But here’s the thing: what might not kill one person could still collaterally hurt others.

It is safer to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than to confront a fool caught in foolishness. – Proverbs 17:12 NLT

A stronger fool is of little worth.

 

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Vaccines and Veterans

Vaccines

Have you ever gotten a flu shot (vaccine)? I got one, yesterday. So far I have not come down with any complications, only a slightly sore shoulder. Will I die? Eventually, I suppose, but probably not from the vaccine.

I have had other vaccines, too. I’ve been vaccinated against polio, the mumps, whooping cough, tetanus, and many more I can’t think of right now. What would our world be like had there never been any? Scary to think about, isn’t it?

A Needed Vaccine

However, there is a disease which sadly affects billions of people worldwide, causing pain, suffering, and even death, for which there IS a vaccine, but few will accept it.

Like other vaccines, including the flu shot I received, there are a lot of people who think the vaccine is dangerous and can cause more harm than good, so they are very vocal in their opposition. Their opposition, which includes statistics, testimonials, and even mockery causes many to turn away from much needed relief.

What is the disease? It goes by several names:

  • Stupidity
  • Foolishness
  • Ignorance

What is the vaccine? Taken in any amount, the book of Proverbs (in the Bible) is capable of rooting out and eliminating the stupidity virus. And here’s the best part – NO needles!

The Veteran

But while I was at the pharmacy, I saw an old man wearing a hat that said, “WWII Veteran”. I decided to talk with him, to find out a little about him, and to thank him for his service.

veteranGeorge Palmer was his name. He joined the Navy in 1940 when he was 18. His first duty station was aboard the USS Texas, which is currently the last surviving battleship from the super dreadnought days of WWI. He was on the Texas when the War broke out and told me how he remembered being called to battle stations when the news of the attack on Pearl Harbor came.

Mr. Palmer later served on several other ships, including two destroyers, one of which was sunk underneath him. He saw naval conflict in both the Atlantic and Pacific, staying in the navy until 1946. He said, “The good Lord was watching over me.”

When I asked if I could have my picture taken with him, he smiled and graciously approved. When I pulled out my iPhone, he said, “Isn’t that amazing?! That’s just amazing!”

No, Mr. Palmer, it’s men like you that are amazing. Thank you for your service.

My Fear

Aside from needles, and getting too close to Miley Cyrus, my fear is that the world is creeping closer and closer to another conflict, but without the men and women of “the greatest generation” to bail us out.

We used to be a nation with a moral compass that set our course of action. Now we are a pluralistic, even godless nation with no sense of purpose, no sense of right and wrong, and no moral basis on which to stand against Tyranny in any form.

My fear is that the last of the vaccinated generation will soon be gone, and then the virus will consume us all. God help us.

Click here for a link to the USS TEXAS

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Kissing Deer and Talking Sharks

This morning, as the first elementary children entered my bus, one child said to another, “Granny said to sit down!” Evidently, Granny had been giving some instruction on the way to the bus stop.

Teaching wisdom, one child at a time.

Teaching wisdom, one child at a time.

As we started to pull away from the stop, I glanced back to my right and saw the youngest little girl standing, along with the grandmother scowling and pointing a finger from the sidewalk. “You shouldn’t be standing,” I said, “especially if your granny said not to.”

Then, after a 2-minute story of what this little kindergartner did for her birthday, I proceeded to share with the rest of the children and her what other things they shouldn’t do. Why did I do this? I don’t know, but it was certainly interesting to here their responses.

Things You Shouldn’t Do

  • Don’t eat worms with syrup. No matter what, they don’t taste like spaghetti.
    • “I did. They taste like chicken! And they’re slippery!”
  • Don’t ever kiss a deer on the lips.
    • One girl asked, “Why not?” Another answered, “Because it might want to go out on a date with you, and dear won’t fit in a car.”
    • “I saw a video where a guy made a dear mad because he took its picture.”
  • Never take a picture of a deer until you know it has makeup on and its hair done.
  • Never take a dear, or especially a moose, out to dinner on a date.
    • “Why not?” asked one girl. “Because a moose won’t fit into your car, for sure, and they won’t serve a moose at a restaurant!” said another. I said, “And a moose has no table manners and can’t use a fork,” to which a little girl replied, “that would be a mess.”
  • Never, ever, lick a cheese grater.
    • “Why not?”
  • If a bear comes up to you and asks, “Can I scratch your back?” say, “NO!”
    • “What if it wants to drive your car?”
  • If you are ever walking by the water, and a fish sticks it head out of the water to talk and says, “Hey, come over here,” don’t.
    • “Why?”
    • “Iffa shark eva stick it head outta da watah un say, ‘C’mere, I wanna tell you somp’n,‘ DON’T DO IT!”

Wisdom

Really, it is amazing how children can show practical wisdom, even when they have no experience. All some kids know is that if it ain’t natural, like a shark trying to start up a conversation, then run away.

However, as we grow older and “wiser,” the things that used to be so simple grow more complicated. We desire the forbidden pleasures Granny used to warn us about, along with every other experience a liberated mind can dream up. We date the moose and schedule tickle fests with grizzly bears.

But in a day when men and women pride themselves in experience and boast in the knowledge gained from sin, Wisdom cries out like the little old granny from the street, “Listen to me! I’m warning you!

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” declares the Psalmist (111:10). But fools, captivated by the unnatural, politically-correct, whatever-makes-me-happy talking shark, jump into the water.

Too bad real wisdom gets left on the bus.

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Childhood Wisdom?

Listen to the Children

I will never forget a commercial I saw on television. It was a long time ago, and I still get irritated. The main line that was repeated over and over was, “Listen to the children.”

Oh, it was one of those environmental, tree-hugging commercials that had little kids instructing adults how to live their lives. One little girl would say something like, “Don’t make me starve,” while another little boy would go on about how eating at McDonald’s would ruin the earth’s water supply – or something like that.

Anyway, every time a toddler would voice her scripted opinion a deep, male voice would echo in response, “Listen…to the children.” Yes, adults should listen to a 5-year-old because of her years of accumulated wisdom untainted by experience.

What Do they Say?

If we to listen to the little crumbcrunchers long enough, we will hear things like:

  • screaming kid“I don’t want to eat that, Mommy! I want cake!”  Listen…to the children.
  • “I don’t want to take bath!” Listen…to the children.
  • “If I was president, I would make everybody happy and would never have school and make parents buy every kid a unicorn and never have to go to bed and make the world like warm all the time with snow all year.”  Listen…to the children.
  • “O – ba – ma! O – ba – ma!”  Listen…to the children echo their teachers.

AND did you know that children have figured out the whole gender (man/woman) thing? Believe it or not, according to the kids on my school bus, girls are smart, but boys are stupid. Here’s how they describe the difference:

Girls go to college to get more knowledge.

Boys go to Jupiter to get more stupider.

Girls go to college, but boys go to Jupiter. Hmmm…may we ponder that for a moment?

  • What type of intelligence was required to put man on the moon?
  • Methane and ethane make up a tiny proportion o...What type of brain power was needed to land an un-manned rover on Mars?
  • What kind of genius will it require to send man four times the distance to the sun in order to view up-close the deadly storms of Jupiter?
  • Stupid boys can go to Jupiter while girls are still fighting over who should be sorority president – and who’s stupider?

Train ‘Em

Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” I gather from this verse that it is therefore the responsibility of the older, wiser, more responsible parent to teach the child.

They should listen to us. But what are we teaching?

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