Endings

For Friday, August 5, 2005
Proverbs 11:23

The desire of the righteous ends only in good;
the expectation of the wicked in wrath.

Note first that the desire of the righteous is righteous desire. The righteous and the wicked may desire the same job and the wicked win out. They may both desire to win the game and the wicked triumphs. But in the end, because the righteous desire righteousness above all, their desires will bring good. Thus, God causes all things to work for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28). For the wicked, on the other hand, temporal gains and triumphs will ultimately end in bearing God's wrath.

Pray for the wicked, that they experience defeat now so that they might then repent and turn to God. Their "triumphs" only drive them further away, building up a false sense of security. Pray for those who disdain you because of your faith; pray for those who take advantage of your obedience to righteousness. What matters most is not how the story unfolds, but how it ends. Thank God that he has already shown us the ending and guaranteed it through Christ.

Indiscretion

For Thursday, August 4, 2005
Proverbs 11:22

Like a gold ring in a pig's snout
is a beautiful woman without discretion.

A gold ring in a pig's snout is a waste of beauty and value. So a woman who acts foolishly, especially in the area of relationships and sexuality, wastes her beauty. Her very beauty ought to be an adornment that enhances her "value." And yet, through indiscretion she wastes it. A gold ring in a pig's snout is out of place. The together make a laughable picture. So, again, a beautiful woman turns herself into a mockery.

So it is when we misuse any gift we have been given by God. We all have been given gifts of one kind or another. It may be physical beauty; it may be high aptitude in a particular skill or expertise; it may athleticism. Whatever it is, we should not let it be said of us, "There goes a waste of talent."

Why do we waste what we are given? For one thing, we have inordinate desires. We desire what is sinful, what does not belong to us, is not fitting for us. We covet the gifts of others, not satisfied with ours. Disappointments cause us to lose perspective about what really matters.

Our sinful and foolishness then make our gifts our very weaknesses. Physical beauty is a danger for a foolish, sinful woman. Great athleticism becomes a danger for a foolish athlete who cannot handle the rewards. Pride is always lurking in our exercise of our gifts; all the more reason we must use them with wisdom.

Be Assured

For Wednesday, August 3, 2005
Proverbs 11:21

Be assured, an evil person will not go unpunished,
but the offspring of the righteous will be delivered.

While watching a sports event, such as a basketball or football game, you will usually notice a coach get extremely angry, sometimes for no apparent reason. He screams at the officials. His assistants may have to hold him back. Why is he so angry? He sees what he perceives to be cheating by the other team; that's bad enough; but what pushes him over the edge is that he can't get the officials to see the cheating and punish it. "They are getting away with it!"

Isn't that what angers us as well in other areas of life? What makes America so angry about Osam ben Laden? Not only that he commits murder, but that we cannot bring him to justice. And worse yet, other people treat him as a hero. We do not like Saddam Hussein, but he no longer fills us with rage because he is behind bars.

What especially gets our anger is the perceived injustice that involves us. The driver who cuts in front of us; the co-worker getting away with being a slacker or advancing through cheating; the fellow student who gets a better grade because he cheated, and so on. "They are getting away with it!"

No, they are not. God sees all, and God will reward each person for what he has done. We might see the punishment come; we might not. Quite likely the punishment or reward will not be what we expect because we do not judge rightly. We also are sinners; we also commit the same sins in different forms. Our sense of justice is influenced more by how we are affected. That's why we can read of a murder taking place without a tinge of emotion if we know none of the parties, but we will become outraged because a company made a mistake on our bill.

Be assured. Be contented. Evil will not go unpunished. No one is getting away with anything. The righteous will not only be delivered, but their offspring as well. God is in control. What we need to do is trust God. Our concern is to be obedient to his laws and not let the evil of others unduly influence us. How else could Jesus go calmly to the cross, except that he entrusted himself into his Father's hands knowing that justice, not evil, would prevail?

God's Delight

For Tuesday, August 2, 2005
Proverbs 11:20

Those of crooked heart are an abomination to the Lord,
but those of blameless ways are his delight.

Meditate on what pleases God:

His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his steadfast love (Psalm 147:10-11).

Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight," declares the Lord (Jeremiah 9:23-24).

Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord,
but those who act faithfully are his delight (Proverbs 12:22).

"You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased" (Mark 1:11).

Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such wsacrifices are pleasing to God.... Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:15-16, 20-21).

Keeping Steadfast

For Monday, August 1, 2005
Proverbs 11:19

Whoever is steadfast in righteousness will live,
but he who pursues evil will die.

One half of this proverb seems easy enough to fulfill, while the other half is impossible. Most people claim that they do not pursue evil, while also admitting that they are not perfect. The contrast seems to be between those who are in a state of righteousness and those in a state of sin/evil.

Romans 1-3 presents these conditions and the dilemma: "all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin" (Romans 3:9). The Bible makes the case that no one can be steadfast in righteousness; even the person with a conscious to do good only fails (Romans 7:15ff). Where then is our hope? "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness," says the hymn. We are given "the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe," says the Bible (Romans 3:22).

Remain steadfast, then, in Jesus Christ. Keep your faith in him. "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God" (John 3:18).