The Tenth That Flourishes

For Friday, November 18, 2005
Proverbs 14:11

The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
but the tent of the upright will flourish.

The end of the wicked is seen everyday. They cheat their way to success and yet end in jail, are killed, experience some other kind of calamity. Because they build with worthless materials and through unethical practices, their very works lead to their downfall. But the upright, though they may experience trials, flourish. Many flourish materially because their integrity and wisdom bring success. Many may be poor and yet flourish in happiness through loving relationships. For many, they leave a flourishing legacy - their children succeeding beyond them, or, again, leaving a legacy of love.

One of our failures is to confuse who is rich and who poor even about ourselves. We may grumble that our unethical colleagues are doing better than we, failing to see the riches we have and their poverty. For anyone who has Christ is rich beyond all measure, and he who does not have Christ is utterly impoverished. Know what you have. Each day you should give thanks to God for the eternal glory and riches that belong to you, if you are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. For truly, living in the tent of Jesus Christ which flourishes eternally is wealth indeed.

Lonely Is the Heart

For Thursday, November 17, 2005
Proverbs 14:10

The heart knows its own bitterness,
and no stranger shares its joy.

Ultimately we are alone with our hearts. Even now, as you read this, sadness or joy that only you know lies in your heart. The closer we are to others, the more open our hearts; but even in the most intimate relationship, the other person cannot see, and more to the point, cannot feel all our emotions. Nor can he/she know the motives and feelings of our hearts except what we reveal. We may laugh when we are distraught. We may feign sorrow when really we are happy. We may feign reverence and love for God when in truth we have no feeling for him at all.

But it is God from whom we cannot hide our hearts. We may even hide our hearts from ourselves, denying what truly lies within us. But God knows the heart and Christ reveals the heart, i.e. by our response to him and to the gospel. And it is the Spirit who changes the heart through rebirth and sanctification.

Be uneasy if you are trying to hide sin in your heart. God knows the sin. But then, turn to Christ's mercy and grace. And take hope in the Holy Spirit who will turn your heart of stone into a heart of flesh, and who will continue the work of sanctification in you. How wonderful it is to know that the very one from whom you cannot hide your heart is the same one who can truly transform that heart. God knows what you are feeling now. If it is joy, then give thanks to him for your joy. If it is sadness or anxiety or bitterness, then pray to him for help now. He will not be shocked by what you reveal, though you may be when you realize what is in you. For God's desire is to bless, to transform you that your heart may know the peace and joy of Jesus Christ.

Mocking God

For Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Proverbs 14:9

Fools mock at the guilt offering,
but the upright enjoy acceptance.

Fools never apologize for their foolishness; even when they make an attempt (which they do only from pressure), they always add "but" - but I did not intend to harm anyone; but I am trying to do my best; but I am misunderstood. Fools see admission of sin and mistakes as a sign of weakness. They want to be strong, or at least perceived as strong and confident. Losers worry about the impact of their actions. Weak people worry about offending others or making wrong decisions.

Again, fools just don't get it. The strong are strong, not because they will not admit their failures, but because they are willing to bear responsibility for their mistakes. The strong man will say, "I blew it." But then he moves on, having learned from his failings. This is the mark of the upright. They accept responsibility and so enjoy acceptance of other people who respect their forthrightness.

But the tragedy for the fool is not that he doesn't win acceptance of his fellow man, but that he places himself under the wrath of God. It is God who calls for the guilt offering; it is God who must be appeased; it is God the fool is mocking, and God will not be mocked.

Know that we do not have to bring guilt offerings for our sins; we do not have to do penance to win our way back to God's favor. But we must pay God honor by turning to the Guilt Offering he has provided for us, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Discerning Prudence

For Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Proverbs 14:8

The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way,
but the folly of fools is deceiving.

Here is the great prize of the prudent - he can see where he is going. If he has strayed from the path of righteousness, he will catch himself and turn back to the path. If he is heading into trouble, he can see the danger ahead and act accordingly. Thus, the prudent turns to Christ in faith and repentance. Where others cannot see the calamity awaiting them, he sees and turns to his Savior. Where others cannot see the glory of the righteous path, he sees and keeps his eyes upon the prize. Where others cannot see the freedom of bondage to Christ, he sees and rejoices in his freedom to live for the glory of God. Where others can only see with their physical eyes, he sees what is unseen and moves forward with anticipation towards the unseen, eternal glory.

Meanwhile the folly of fools deceive them into believing that their slavery to sin is freedom; that becoming slaves to their passions is liberating. They do not merely miss the hidden traps of their chosen paths, but refuse to see the clear signs warning them of danger. For the folly of fools is that they cherish their foolishness. They are happy; they believe they are on the right path. They do not want to see dangers that would make them have to change.

Pray for those whom you know who are blinded by folly. Only the Holy Spirit can give the spiritual sight needed and the faith to turn to Christ. And pray for yourself, that you not be led astray by the folly of the world which is telling you that you are the fool. Always, we must depend upon the Spirit working in us to keep our eyes open and our path leading to God.

Leave the Room

For Monday, November 14, 2005
Proverbs 14:7

Leave the presence of a fool,
for there you do not meet words of knowledge.

We can save ourselves much frustration, if we would heed this proverb. There are times in which, literally, we need to walk out of a room in which foolishness is spoken. There are many times in which we ought not to answer foolish words, be they spoken or written. With the advent of email, and the ability to forward email to masses, and the proliferation of websites, blogsites, electronic bulletin boards, and chatrooms, there are many more avenues for foolishness to take.

Taking time to answer foolish words create frustration in you because you spend time, effort, and emotional energy all for no avail. A fool is not after knowledge; his goal is to make a sensation; it is to gain attention; to respond to him merely plays into his intention. Other fools are not so much after attention, as they are merely taking in what they want to hear and then passing it on. You may be able to bother them with your responses, but you cannot win them over. Again, you are the one feeling the frustration. Even Jesus said not to cast pearls before swine.

What then can you do in reponse to foolish words? First, do not respond; two, do not pass the words on; three, if in the presence of a fool, either ignore his words or leave; four, do not let his words get "under your skin"; at least, do not show that they do. The fool wants either to win your admiration or your ire. He wants to know that he has impacted you. Leave the room; delete the email; hang up the phone.

And turn to wisdom. Turn to the words of Scripture. Pray and think about whatever is good (Philippians 4:8).