Life Filling Fear

For Monday, January 2, 2006
Proverbs 14:27

The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
that one may turn away from the snares of death.

Far from this fear being paralyzing and suffocating, it is life renewing. For the fear of the Lord is what overcomes the other fears that keep us enslaved and timid. The fear of the Lord gives us confidence in God's might and wisdom to provide and protect. It turns us to Christ for our confidence in finding mercy and away from ourselves. Thus we do not have to worry daily about whether we are doing a good enough job to be accepted.

And thus we turn away from the snares of death. By not trusting in ourselves and by not fearing what the world fears, we do not take matters into our own hands which always leads us into snares. We can do what is right, nor worried about consequences, trusting our God to handle those things. We can do what is good and what is of real joy, not calculating what wins us favors or wards off penalties.

Fear the Lord and enjoy the fountain of life.

Confident Fear

For Friday, December 30, 2005
Proverbs 14:26

In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence,
and his children will have a refuge.

The "fear of the Lord" produces confidence, for to properly fear the Lord is to recognize him as the Sovereign God who rules over his creation for his glory. It is to recognize that nothing takes place outside his control and that he always carries out his will that is higher than our understanding as the heavens are higher than the earth.

To "love" the Lord without fearing him produces a mixed attitude of enjoying God in good times and feeling the same anxiety that unbelievers feel in hard times. Such an attitude is inevitable with a philosophy that God means well but can't guarantee our welfare. To fear God is to know his power to do as he pleases; and because we also know that God is love - because we know him as our Father - we can trust that whatever he pleases is for our good. All the more reason then to fear him. For unlike us who will defer doing what we know to be best for others because we don't have the heart to bear their suffering, God will do what is best regardless of how we may feel about it.

And so, as a good Father who chastises his children for their good, so our heavenly Father will put us through trials and suffering for our good. And so we fear God, but we fear him with confidence that in his hands only our good will be accomplished and that no one, especially the evil one, will ever snatch us out. That is the refuge that we may pass on to our children - to fear (and to trust) the Lord.

Saving Truth

For Thursday, December 29, 2005
Proverbs 14:25

A truthful witness saves lives,
but one who breathes out lies is deceitful.

The witness who truthfully testifies to the innocence or guilt of a suspect...the witness who brings to light criminal conduct...the witness to truth who is willing to expose false teaching and refute false reasoning or accusations...the witness who speaks the whole truth, not merely what is critical or congratulatory...the witness who led by the Witness bears testimony to the truth of the Gospel and to Jesus Christ - such a witness saves lives, be they physical, intellectual, or spiritual.

But the one willing to bend the truth cannot be trusted. If he is willing to bend the truth for one reason, however good it may seem, he may just as easily bend it for harm. That's what the movies and TV shows miss. The loveable characters lie to protect themselves or to win their lovers, but because they have good hearts and the lies are always uncovered, things turn out alright in the end. But in real life, the lies build distrust and become ingrained in the liar so that he turns into a deceitful character, deceiving himself the most.

The truth shall set you free. Of course, it is the Truth, Jesus Christ, who sets us free. But understand as well, that living a life of truth-telling, however difficult it may seem, is the life of freedom.

The Wealth of Wisdom

For Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Proverbs 14:24

The crown of the wise is their wealth,
but the folly of fools brings folly.

Wisdom often leads to literal financial wealth, for though the wise do not prize wealth, they nevertheless prize the behavior that is conducive to building wealth. They are not spendthrifts, wasting money on what is trivial, vain, and of low quality. They set money aside, saving it for lean days, which rarely come, or at least to their standards rarely exist. Thus the money accumulates, and because of wise prudence is placed where it can accumulate with interest. The wise do not enter into foolish ventures. Though they may be generous, they do not co-sign notes or loan money easily, knowing the risk for them and the other persons. They only spend what they have and avoid debt.

Because the wise are discerning of the character of other people, they know whom to trust and who not. They cannot be scammed. Because the wise treat others with dignity and with wisdom, they earn the trust and respect of their neighbors, and so themselves are often given "breaks," receiving discounts, favors, and better quality service and products. Because the wise value wisdom above all else, they often receive wealth and other rewards through their wisdom.

Finally, as God rewarded Solomon with great wealth because he desired wisdom, so God will often bless his people who desire him above all else. The wise believer who desires to glorify God will often find many rewards not sought or expected. It is true that the faithful follower of Christ should expect persecution and sacrifice; but it is all the more true of the faithful follower that he will have the eyes to see the great riches of his inheritance

Profitable Labor

For Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Proverbs 14:23

In all toil there is profit,
but mere talk tends only to poverty.

Or to put it in modern terms - just do it! Be reluctant to make promises; be resolved to carry out commitments. And definitely let the making of excuses be rare. If you demonstrate through your actions that you keep commitments, that you labor conscientiously, taking pride in your work, then you do not need excuses for the few times you might fail. Your work reputation is developed by the actual work you do, not by your ability to talk about your ability and especially not by your ability to make excuses for yourself.

Learn to take pride in all toil (that is legitimate and moral). There is profit from all toil. It will usually be literal profits earned through labor; it may be the product produced which provides satisfaction. It may be the satisfaction of accomplishing difficult work; it may be pleasure in the very act of labor itself. It may be learning that a particular labor is not for you or is the wrong way of doing something.

And if done well, and if done for the glory of God; if done understanding that Christ is your Master whom you are pleasing, then surely all labor is profitable, not to earn merit with God, but to enrich your life as you take pleasure in serving and glorifying your God.

What We May Meet

For Monday, December 26, 2005
Proverbs 14:22

Do they not go astray who devise evil?
Those who devise good meet steadfast love and faithfulness.

Those who devise evil certainly go astray from the path of righteousness; they also go astray and miss what they desire (unless they believe such things do not exist) - steadfast love and faithfulness. Who does not desire to have friends and family who love them and will remain faithful to them? The most wicked man wants someone to count on. If he claims that he doesn't, it is only because he is disillusioned, believing that love and faithfulness are empty dreams. He does not connect his behavior with his failure to find such things.

There are some who have been hurt after attempts of showing love and kindness. Some who have been faithful to another, only to be turned on by that person. And so they become bitter. But the proverb is not teaching that those who devise good will always meet steadfast love and faithfulness in everyone. This will not happen in a world of sin, but the experience is more likely to happen, and will happen more frequently, for the one who conciously seeks the good of others. It is worthwhile to devise good deeds, to plan ways to bless others.

And always remember that you will meet the steadfast love and faithfulness of the Lord. Indeed, let him be your model, he who remains faithful to his people, though we continually break his commandments; he who shows us steadfast love, though we often show petty resentment in the ways we respond to daily experiences. Let the Lord Jesus Christ be your model for devising good today. Who knows what you will then meet.