Get Away!

For Friday, September 22, 2006
Proverbs 4:14-15

14Do not enter the path of the wicked,
and do not walk in the way of the evil.
15Avoid it; do not go on it;
turn away from it and pass on.

Can the instruction from Scripture be any clearer regarding our attitude toward wickedness? Why then do we delight in entertainment that glorifies violence and immorality? Why do we put ourselves in compromising situations? Why do we flirt with danger? We excuse ourselves claiming we know what boundaries not to cross or that we hope to be good witnesses or understand the world better.

Scripture is clear - don't go there! As sinners, we will stray into the way of the evil if we take a look. We are weaker than we appear to ourselves; our heart is more corrupt than we take it for. Even if we are called to minister to those caught up in wickedness, all the more precaution we are to take in protecting ourselves from getting entangled. Manr a Christian has yielded to the very sin he has tried to rescue others from. Don't trust in your own willpower.

Flee from sin and flee to Christ.

Hold On

For Thursday, September 21, 2006
Proverbs 4:10-13

Hear, my son, and accept my words,
that the years of your life may be many.
11I have taught you the way of wisdom;
I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
12When you walk, your step will not be hampered,
and if you run, you will not stumble.
13Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;
guard her, for she is your life.

All that the father here can do is instruct, admonish, and exhort. He can provide words. But the son must accept those words. He must walk in the wisdom and knowledge taught him. He must keep hold of instruction and guard her.

As a high school principal and teacher, I discovered that the biggest barrier to learning is the student's own attitude toward learning. The student not motivated to learn will do poorly regardless of ability; conversely, the motivated student will rise to the occasion. Profiting from instruction is a heart issue. That is why God will not accept ignorance as an excuse for sin and for unbelief. If you desire God; if you seek true wisdom, then you will hold on to the instruction in God's Word.

The result of such motivation is life. To let go of instruction, be it out of rebellion or laziness, is to end up with death. Hold on to instruction; hold on to the Truth that is Jesus Christ.

A Father's Counsel

For Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Proverbs 4:1-9

Hear, O sons, a father's instruction,
and be attentive, that you may gain insight,
for I give you good precepts;
do not forsake my teaching.
When I was a son with my father,
tender, the only one in the sight of my mother,
he taught me and said to me,
"Let your heart hold fast my words;
keep my commandments, and live.
Get wisdom; get insight;
do not forget,
and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
love her, and she will guard you.
The beginning of wisdom is this:
Get wisdom,
and whatever you get, get insight.
Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;
she will honor you if you embrace her.
She will place on your head a graceful garland;
she will bestow on you a beautiful crown."

Ah, a father passing on to his son the words passed to him by his father on the subject of how to handle a woman! If only fathers would be so diligent to speak about this woman. They would surely pass on a lasting legacy that would bless their sons. For Wisdom is truly to be treasured. She cannot be prized too highly; she cannot be given too much attention. For the more she is embraced, the more blessed is our friendship with others. The more we love her, the more we will love God and our neighbor, including our closest loved ones. Honoring her leads to honor.

Today and everyday, pray to get Wisdom. Contemplate her beauty; strive after her. Study the Word that you might know her more deeply. Observe your circumstances, looking for her in your experiences. Above all, fear and love the Lord, which is the beginning of Wisdom.

Honor

For Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Proverbs 3:35

The wise will inherit honor,
but fools get disgrace.

The wise inherit the honor often received for showing good judgment, rendering fair decisions, and coming up with good solutions. It is one thing to be famous, yet another to be liked, and another to be honored. Fools can be popular and liked (as can foolish activities such as TV programs) even as they are recognized as fools (often because they are foolish.)

But the true honor which the wise inherit, and for which they strive, is the honor received from the Lord. Is there any greater honor than to hear the words, "well done, good and faithful servant"? Is there any greater glory than that bestowed by the King of Glory"?

Fools see only what their eyes can see, only what is temporary. The wise see what is unseen, what is permanent. Thus they look to an inheritance that is eternal, that cannot be destroyed or stolen, and for which they are guarded, because in the wisdom granted them they have become not mere servants, but the sons of God who inherit eternal life.

Scorn and Favor

For Monday, September 18, 2006
Proverbs 3:34

Toward the scorner he is scornful,
but to the humble he gives favor.

The difference between God's scorn and that of the scorners is that God's is just and directed towards those who deserve it. The scorners in this proverb are those who scorn what is good. You see this everywhere in the world where the righteous and the moral are mocked. The Ten Commandments are ridiculed. The biblical standards for sexual relations and for marriage are belittled. Students and business people laugh at those who will not cheat. But God is not bemused by their humor and he will hold them accountable.

Those who do follow God's laws do so out of humility. They understand that there is a law above themselves. And like children who trust their father to know what is best, they humbly obey him. Thus God bestowes his favor upon them.

From whom would you rather receive favor, and from whom are you more willing to receive scorn?