Proverbs 24:16

The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.

Godly people don’t wallow in defeat, self-pity, self-loathing…lots of self-stuff. They get back up after every time they are knocked down.

That’s what we do.

Refuse to give in to the constant temptation to beat yourself up. That only comes from pride and self-love of your own self-centered demand for perfection.

Stoppit!

And a way to actually refuse this is to converse with God candidly about it, holding nothing back. He wants to hear your cares, your pains, and take them. He desires to give you peace and heal your heart. But you need to be vulnerable with YHWH and actually allow Him in to the recesses of your heart. Let Him in to every room, not just the ones you’ve already cleaned up. He wants to help you clean up the messy ones.

If you have a messed up shoulder, you don’t go to the doctor’s office only to complain to the receptionist about how you keep doing stupid things to further intensify the pain of your injury, then go get back in your car and leave!

Why do we love complaining, wallowing, and not seek healing?

John 18:33-38

What is truth?

Pilate attempts to objectify truth, but Jesus does not allow it by His brilliant answers to questions with not mere objective answers, but rather invitations to new depths of understanding.

Truth is found within the person of God.

When people ask deep life questions, look to see why they are asking. Help them to see for themselves what they are really seeking. Lead them to the deeper truth of God Himself, never just a simple, objective answer.

God is truth. And truth sets you free.

Answers do not set you free, truth does. Perhaps that’s what we’re talking about here–the difference between truth and answers. Pilate’s questioning culminated in Jesus testifying, “Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.”

People who are seeking answers to their questions typically are not seeking truth. It’s more of a trivia game. If you were told by someone who figured it out, the objective fact of why bad things happen to good people, would it truly change your heart and inspire you to give your every moment to Christ? Though it would be a really cool day (finally hearing the answer to this perennially asked question) it likely would not turn your heart around on account of the information alone. Knowing objective facts about someone is far different than knowing someone. Hearing about a person through someone else is not even close to the same as sitting with that person face to face. Knowing answers is an astronomical difference from relational experience–knowing truth.

But to know the truth is to be set free. Jesus showed us that God is truth. And to know something or someone, you must be in relationship with it or him or her. So “You shall know the truth. And the truth shall set you free” is to be in relationship of the deepest nature with God through Jesus. It is then, and probably only then, that you no longer need answers to all your questions, for you are now residing in a place of such deep trust, that many questions fade away into unimportantness, filed away in the category of “Don’t really need to know in order to know God.”

What is truth?

Truth is a Person.

Get to know the Truth.

Then you’ll have all the answers you want.

Proverbs 23:4-5

Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich; be wise enough to control yourself. Wealth can vanish in the wink of an eye. It can seem to grow wings and fly away like an eagle.

Know when to stop. To say, “Enough is enough.” Not only with regard to money, but also with regard to work. Money is fleeting, so why wear yourself out for it?

Sabbath. We all need sabbath rest. It was made for us. If you do not take a 24 hour period of rest every week, I promise you that you are not as at peace as you could be.

Seek first the kingdom of God, and all your needs will be met by your loving, heavenly Father. If we have food, clothing, and shelter, then we have quite enough to pursue the kingdom of God and its righteousness. Hell, many have not even had those basic needs for a period in their life and still pursued Christ!

As the book title goes: Jesus + Nothing = Everything

John 17:23

“They must be completely one, so that the world will know you sent me.” -Jesus the Messiah

Jesus Himself prayed for us.

Us.

We who are on earth right now, who are “His church” as we say.

We have one section of one chapter of the entire Bible where it is recorded that God’s chosen One actually prayed something specifically for those who would later believe the true message of His disciples.

So whatever He prayed and was recorded must be of vital importance, right?

And what did He pray?

He prayed for our unity.

It is jugular that we followers of Jesus be in agreement on the few things that matter.

Why?

Because that’s how the world will know that Jesus is from God. Because nothing screams “Love of God” more than a bunch of angry “Christians” arguinging at each other about who is right and who is going to hell, can I get an amen??…..uhhhhhh, yeah. Right.

When enough people agree on the same thing, people will start to take note and even believe it. Jesus knew what He was doing. He knew what He was praying.

How can one argue with thousands upon thousands of lives transformed by the exact same thing–Jesus?

It is to Him we look. It is on Him we must agree. It is Him who we must love with all our heart.

A hundred pianos, all tuned to the same fork, are automatically in tune with each other. -A.W. Tozer

Proverbs 22:6

Train up youths in his path; then when they age, they will not depart from it.

I have read a couple of interesting comments on this much misappropriated verse.

First, that some interpret “in his path” to the training of a child according to their individual personalities and giftings. To know the person of each child. To me that says that though there is one right way to live, there are indeed many different methods or roads, if you will, to get there. I certainly do not train Gabriela and Zayra the exact same way. That would be detrimental in many ways for them.

Yet, Longman reminds us with:

Some have argued that this simply means that children are to be raised according to their natural tendencies. Yet this clearly would not be supported by the understanding of the rest of the book that it takes work, discipline, and even physical coercion to encourage a person to take the right direction in life.

The book of Proverbs is consistent in teaching that there is one and only one right way. It also acknowledges that there is a wrong path to be avoided. The idea is to train a child in the way of wisdom as explicated in the book of Proverbs. And this is none other that God’s (“his”) path.

Also, the second part is misunderstood as a promise, but Proverbs does not give promises, but rather what is likely to come, all things being equal. Understanding this saves us from unnecessary guilt or pride when our children turn out to take the wrong or right path.

And one other interpretation I found very interesting, it states it in the ironic sense:

That is, “train up children in their way,” the way they want to go, and they will never leave that dastardly way!

I guess be careful letting your kids do whatever the heck they want, because it will be nearly impossible for them to live the rest of their lives unselfishly!

John 16:9

The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. [NLT]

This reiterates the notion that the ultimate sin according to John is the world’s unbelief with regard to Jesus. Jesus came to “take away” the sin of the world, but the offer of salvation in Jesus becomes effectual only when those whom God has given to Jesus out of the world put their trust in Jesus.

Thus there is a level playing field: the world at large and the Jews alike are sinners and must believe in Jesus for salvation. As long as they persist in their unbelief, the Jews are no better than the world; in fact, they are part of it. Paul’s words ring true: “There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of His blood–to be received by faith” (Romans 3:22-25). In this cluster of assertions Johannine and Pauline theology are in perfect harmony.

-Andreas Kostenberger

Proverbs 21:31

A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory belongs to Yahweh.

Human preparation and strategy is called for, but one must keep in mind that these only succeed if Yahweh so wills.

John 15:16

I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last.

What is fruit that will last?

What is lasting?

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

The word(s) of God will never pass away.

The love of God will never pass away. Nothing can separate us from it.

Giving God’s word and God’s love is always a good idea. Always. Because it is lasting. Sure it can be refused, but don’t stop giving it!

And I also think of habits. Habits can be lasting. Some may even be everlasting. We live in this in-between time, anticipating the coming of God’s Kingdom fully realized, Jesus’ second advent. In this time now we can actually form habits that will last for eternity. Praising God, Loving God–this is what we do gladly forever and ever. Living for God and in the values Jesus modeled–this also is fruit that will last. Why not devote your time and energy now to all that really matters forever?

There’s focus. Habit forming requires focus. Think of anything you’ve ever given significant focus to in your life. You can remember it, can’t you? Because you dedicated yourself to it over time and in great depth. And that causes it to stay with you, to last. This can be for good or bad as we know. Some things we replay in our mind again and again that we wish we wouldn’t. But think of all that we can dedicate ourselves to play over and over in our mind that we are able to embed for good, for growth, for healing. This is meditation. And we’re meditating daily, intentionally or not. For good or for ill. O like that quote: “Worrying is praying for what you don’t want.”

Focus on people, in positive ways, can be the healing of the nations if we actually do it. This can be called prayer. There’s a million, shallow, time-wasting things we’ve done in life that don’t last for more than a few minutes. But there’s so much we can do that lasts, and it goes against what we are intensely coaxed to do in our luxurious culture of excessively extravagant meaninglessness.

How much time do we really need to surf the net, watch another series of shows, and do work from home? Some of that is ok, yes, but how much of our time is really used for things that will last?

Proverbs 20:9

No one can say, “I’ve never done anything wrong.”

The branch that stays connected to the Vine bears the most fruit.

John 14:12-14

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.  You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father.  Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!”

Continue reading September 20 / Proverbs 20 / John 14 →

Proverbs 19:11

“Jesus has perfect self-esteem:

he knows of God’s love expressed in his origin and destiny

and therefore can relinquish human status to become a servant.”

Proverbs 18:14

Continue reading September 18 / Proverbs 18 / John 12 →

Proverbs 17:17

A friend loves all the time, and a brother helps in times of trouble.

May we never forget that a friend loves at all times, including awkward times, painful times, uncomfortable times. I’m afraid we’re not taught well how to love one another. Many lack a “success model” for this. I guess most people don’t actually know how to be with suffering people. Or they don’t care. Or they’re ignorant of suffering going on around them. Or they’re just lazy and selfish.

I have a few suffering people in my life right now, and it pains me to hear how few come through and are really there for them in a tangible, ministering way. It’s not fun, it’s depressing, at times awkward, yet it is an entrance into the manifest presence of God in an amazingly unique way. And is it not exactly where we should be? With those who are struggling?

If we simply hang out with those with good lives and who make us feel good, how different are we than the world? Is that the healing of the nations?

Are we not called as Christ followers to be with the widows, orphans, sick, imprisoned, homeless, lonely, hungry, and naked.

John 11:48

If we allow him to go on like this, soon everyone will believe in him. Then the Roman army will come and destroy both our Temple and our nation.

Jesus replaces Temple and nation. Jesus replaces Torah and family for that matter.

This is not an arbitrary removal of cherished possessions from our lives. Rather, this is the bestowing of something so much better that, if we are open to it, brings us great joy and authentic experience of a life of significance. In the process, the things replaced drop to their proper position and level of importance within our lives. Everything the world and religion has to offer is trumped and transcended by Jesus and what He offers.

Fear of losing something shows you are holding on too tightly to it. How ridiculous it is to be encountered by God Himself, my loving, omnipotent Creator, and at the same time be worried about losing my church or country! Yet this is exactly how we live many of our days.

We have the Ultimate, the Source, the best possible, but fail to see it or to recognize it. We want “more” when there is no possibility of more because we already have ALL. Because we have God, we can afford to lose anything and still have everything.

It truly is in how we see–in what we choose to look at, isn’t it? Losing things, especially people or health, is very painful, but it doesn’t destroy us, unless of course we let it. There is a difference between sorrow and despair. We may experience great sorrow and yet hold on to who we really are in Christ. So much of life really does depend on what we choose to focus on–what we have or don’t have. And this goes far beyond the cliche gratitude for a car that runs or a closet full of clothes (though it is good to be thankful for these temporal blessings).

We have the love of God for Christ’s sake!

And nothing can possibly ever separate us from that [Romans 8:35-39]. Therefore, if what you fear to lose is God because you’re holding on to dear life to Him, good! Because you can’t lose Him. So there’s nothing to fear there.

This I choose to focus on, to make my “go to” right now, in this present moment, today, and everyday. This is what we remind each other of daily so that we will live a full life of abundance. We help each other to live into our life of significance that is already there waiting for us to acknowledge and take hold of.

But we need reminding of it, constant reminding. For everything “out there” seeks to distract us from this beauty that always is. So much attracts us to take hold of that which is far less than what we can and in fact already do have.

It is deceiving.

And we try desperately to wring the world’s offer of a lasting, fulfilling significance that is not even there to be wrung.

I will remind myself that I am at every minute loved by that which is perfect, condition-free, eternal Love.

What more could I possibly want than that?

Proverbs 16:3

Commit your acts to Yahweh, and your plans will be established.

As important as human planning is, the ultimate outcome depends on Yahweh. All planning should thus be done with the idea that God can and may indeed overturn it. We don’t simply ask God to honor all of our plans, but rather submit all of our actions to Him, getting to the point that even if something doesn’t “work out”, we are able to see a deeper plan at work, and rest in it. We have peace because of our trust in Yahweh.

Proverbs 16:24

Pleasant words are liquid honey, sweet to the taste and healing to the bones.

Our words hurt or heal. The old saying “Sticks and stone…” would have sounded like complete BS to the sages. Our words penetrate to the core of people (“the bones”), and affect them. Other Proverbs indicate that healing words are those spoken at the right time. The more tuned in we are, the more we will be aware of what needs to be spoken when, and then act upon that knowledge.

It never ceases to amaze me how powerful encouraging words are. I received some affirming words yesterday that totally lifted my spirits and countenance for the rest of the day.

Don’t hold back an encouraging word. It’s more powerful than you probably realize. If someone is on your mind, tell them. If you have a word, share it. Make it a point to encourage someone everyday.

John 10:10

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

Jesus came to awaken us from the sleepwalking, pathetic, shallow excuse for a life that the world offers us.

If you want a fulfilling, adventurous, unpredictable life of depth, then follow Jesus. It is safely dangerous and will not disappoint anyone who takes it seriously. It’s free, as it’s already been paid for, but it will cost you.

Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried.

-G.K. Chesterton