The Cast Lot

For Friday, April 28, 2006
Proverbs 16:33

The lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is from the Lord.

And so we can have peace. We can drive ourselves crazy trying to sort out providence, but Scripture teaches providence and God's sovereignty so that we might give due honor to God and that we might learn to trust (and rest) in him.

Yes, your decisions today matter. They have real consequences for good and bad, and you will be held accountable for what you choose and do. But take heart in knowing that ultimately all that happens - all that you do - will ultimately work for God's glory and purposes, even for your good. This is not an excuse for you to cavalierly do whatever; rather it is your hope that your Lord controls your destination. He redeems and restores; he builds even from our destructive behavior. All your bad decisions are turned into purpose-full experience.

Whatever big decisions are before you, know that God is in control and that his purposes will be carried out. Step forward with the confidence that however the lot may fall, he is controls the outcome; he will be glorified, and (amazingly) he will do what is good for you who love him through Jesus Christ.

Slow to Anger

For Thursday, April 27, 2006
Proverbs 16:32

Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

This is an important principle to learn, and the ones who have learned it (both the righteous and the wicked) have achieved great success in life. Even the wicked know the truth of this proverb. Anger is a powerful passion. Anger can increase strength due to the rush of adrenaline, giving an individual the power to accomplish more than expected. But it is the adrenaline, not the anger, that produces energy, and the key to success is harnessing the adrenaline so that you control it rather than be controlled.

I remember a basketball team of talented players that nevertheless struggled because of the inability of most of the players to handle anger. The most talented member often had to sit on the bench because of losing her anger during the game. She would get fouled, then get mad, and then get reckless. Another player would sulk if the ball was stolen from her. But there was another player who would get knocked down, perhaps have the ball stolen, but would immediately bounce back up and keep playing aggressively. Indeed, she would take advantage of the opposing players by getting them angry with her aggressive play. She did not need anger to motivate her. She simply kept focused on her goal.

It is the one who keeps focused, who remains patient and perseveres that wins and keeps the victory. That is the point of the second half of the proverb: he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. Many persons have won victories in sports or business or the military, only to lose what they gained. Their anger got them the burst of energy to win the battle, but they had not the wisdom to know what to do when they won. Essential to military success is knowing one’s limits and not overstretching. An army can win too much territory too quickly, exposing itself to counterattack.

Anger can be helpful and even the right emotion to have depending on the circumstance. But the key is that we must control our anger to make it useful rather than let anger control us, which is what happens most of the time. We should be angry at injustice; sometimes it takes anger to get us doing something that normally we would be afraid to do or indifferent about. Even then, the anger needs to be harnessed, controlled by our wisdom. It is difficult to do; thus, we need to be those who are slow to anger.

Glorious Gray

For Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Proverbs 16:31

Gray hair is a crown of glory;
it is gained in a righteous life.

Gray hair is a crown of glory. We think it is gained in a trying life. “You kids are enough to give me gray hair!” “I didn’t have gray hair until I took this job.” We envy the man or woman able to enter middle age with no gray hairs. If Solomon is trying to lure us into living a righteous life with the promise of gray hair as our crown, he needs to hire a marketing firm. This will not fly. “Would you like to turn your hair gray? Try living a righteous life.”

This proverb comes out of a culture that honors old age. The law, in Leviticus 19:32, commanded respect: “You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.” In general, the older the person, the more respect he or she was given for possessing wisdom. The elders of Jewish society were the authorities and judges. Thus the term, which originally refers to age, took on the added meaning of leader. Proverb 20:29, which says, “The glory of young men is their strength, but the splendor of old men is their gray hair,” is not exalting a hair color but wisdom. Young men have strength; old men (and women) have wisdom.

Even so, the real focus is not wisdom but righteous living. It is being a righteous person, i.e. a person who is morally good, treats others justly, and is devoted to God. Long, productive life is often the reward for such persons, whose gray hair serves as evidence.

God rewards a good life with length of life. But also to the point is that living a righteous life avoids the pitfalls of the wicked and foolish life so that one is able to live out one’s days. How many men and women have died young because of their foolish ways? Poor decisions about lifestyles, ways to pursue pleasure, were as Proverbs 16:25 says, seemed right at the time, but in truth were ways to death. Do you want to live to the age of gray hairs? Then focus not on how to live longer, but how to walk along the path of righteousness. God already has your days numbered. What matters is how you live those days to his glory.

Be Aware

For Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Proverbs 16:30

Whoever winks his eyes plans dishonest things;
he who purses his lips brings evil to pass.

Be aware of the subtlety by which the wicked deceive - the unscrupulous salesman and the stranger who seem overly familiar with you; the caller who has a "great deal" for you; the "friend" who wants to show you something new. There are many people who wickedly want to harm you or take advantage of you. There are many more who just want to make an extra dollar or close a deal that is not necessarily bad but may not be best for you.

In this sinful world you must be on your guard, knowing that danger mostly comes from seemingly innocent and even good sources - the person who seems so nice, so sincere. Pay attention to signs that indicate questionable intentions. Do not be put into position where you feel like you owe someone your business or a favor. The wicked take advantage of good people by making them feel like they owe them the favor of buying into a special deal or for being so attentive to them, etc.

Be alert. If you have gotten caught in such an arrangement, go now to a trusted friend for help in getting out of trouble. If you are considering such involvement, do not act without turning to a trusted friend. Do not yield to pressure tactics.

And remember that dishonesty is rampant in the religious world and among so-called Christian evangelist stars who are happy to take your donations in the name of Jesus. If you are not connected to a church, you need to do so if only for protection against religious stars who are not accountable to anyone. I would say put your trust in God; but put your trust in God by putting trust in a sound church with faithful leaders who shepherd their people.