The Purpose of the Lord

For Friday, December 29, 2006
Proverbs 19:21

Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

What a humbling and comforting statement. It is humbling to remember that however clever and powerful we may think we are, our plans only serve the plan of the Lord. The rebellion of the wicked serve God's purposes. The service of the righteous is carried out by his soveriegn will. How he carries out his will is mystery. What his plans are remain hidden to us except the purpose of his glory through our redemption. Let us remember this as we plan and try to maneuver outcomes to fit what we think should be. It is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

This is a comforting statement to the redeemed. We are comforted to know that however it may seem that Satan's purpose is being carried out, all is working to fulfill the Lord's purpose. Our redemption is secure for the purpose of the Lord will stand. And it is comforting to know that all that is required of us is to do what is right and not to resort to what we think will be effective. We do not need to lie to protect ourselves; we do not need to manipulate others to get them to make a confession; we do not need to use the means of the world to get the world on our side and defeat our enemies. We simply need to be obedient to our Lord. It is he who will see that his purpose will stand.

Listen and Accept

For Thursday, December 28, 2006
Proverbs 19:20

Listen to advice and accept instruction,
that you may gain wisdom in the future.

The wise understand this principle, for it is what led them to a higher plane of wisdom. Their desire to learn allowed them to seek instruction in the first place. Their interest is not in being perceived as knowledgeable; but rather they value knowledge itself. Furthermore, they understood that what may seem to be useless knowledge when they first learned it, became valuable in the future. The advice of the father to his son that seemed pointless in younger years is what came to their rescue in later years. The seemingly useless facts learned in school became applicable years later.

But it is not only the information itself that enhances wisdom in the future. The more the skill of listening to advice and accepting instruction is honed, the greater will be one's advance in wisdom. Listening is a skill, and the earlier one develops and practices it, the better equipped he will be in the future to gain the knowledge and wisdom needed.

Learning information is important. You build each year upon the knowledge of earlier years. But knowing how to listen to advice and having the temperament to accept instruction are invaluable for equipping you throughout your life to handle the challenges you will face. The best insurance for the future is wisdom, and the route to wisdom is listening well and accepting instruction.

How well will you listen today? Will you listen to some advice and automatically tune out the advice that is good, but doesn't come from the source you expect? Will hurt feelings keep you from receiving instruction that will help you and increase your wisdom? Listen and accept.

Of Wrath and Consequences

For Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Proverbs 19:19

A man of great wrath will pay the penalty,
for if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again.

You will have to bail him out of jail again, or defend him in the principal's office again, or speak up for him at work again, or whatever the circumstance may be. A person whose temper explodes gets himself into trouble time and again.

He may be a well-intentioned person; he may even be kind. But if he cannot control his temper, all of his good intentions and kindnesses are lost in the wave of his temper tantrums. It is the wrath that is remembered. It is the wrath that lingers about him. And sooner or later, he must pay the penalty. He lands in jail and does not get out. He is expelled from school. He is fired from his job. And it is his reputation as a "man of wrath" that stays pinned on him. He is disqualified for leadership; he cannot serve as an elder (1 Timothy 3:3).

At best he is tolerated. "You know _____. That's just the way he is." The best hope for him is not to be delivered from the consequences of his wrath, and thus be stirred enough to get the help he needs. Only humility is powerful enough to control anger, and humility comes through bearing the consequences of one's behavior.

Do you have a problem with wrath? You will not make headway until you own up to your sin and do not excuse it nor try to minimize its severity. Do not underestimate its power to ruin your reputation and destroy your successes. Humility is your only hope.

Right Discipline

For Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Proverbs 19:18

Discipline your son, for there is hope;
do not set your heart on putting him to death.

As principal of a small college preparatory school, I learned which poorly performing students had hope of turning things around and which were likely to remain mired in their self-defeating behavior. It was by the response of their parents to discipline. If their parents defended their children when disciplined by the school, it was a sign of doom for the students. Quite likely they eventually would drop out. If their parents supported discipline and added their own, then there was hope that at some point the students would catch on to where their behavior was leading them and begin to apply themselves.

Right discipline is what parents do because they love their children and have hopes for their success. The absence of discipline is a sign that either parents have given up hope and have never had special hopes to begin with. In essence their unacknowledged intent is their children's deaths - figuratively and even literally. Their hope is not to be bothered by their children.

Give thanks that we have a Father who loves us enough to discipline us. Who allows for our bad behavior to bring upon us difficult consequences. Give thanks for a Father who leads us through trials that our faith may be purified. Give thanks for a Father whose sure hope is our eternal life, and thus will do whatever is necessary to lead us to our destination, causing all things to work for our good.

Give thanks that we have a Brother who received the discipline of death that we might live; whose sufferings led to our blessings and turned our sufferings into loving discipline of a kind Father.