Straying

For Friday, November 23, 2007
Proverbs 27:8

Like a bird that strays from its nest
is a man who strays from his home.

The bird that strays is alone; he is lost and in danger. So is the person who strays from his spiritual home and often his physical home. He is alone. At home he had the support of family and trusted friends. Now he is alone, trying to learn who to trust. Now he is lost, trying to get a sense of direction. He is in danger, no longer living to be fulfilled but merely to survive.

There may come a time for a person to leave his home, to make his way into the world. But that is different from straying. To move forward is the result of having matured, becoming well grounded, so that he in a sense takes home with him. He keeps his faith; he keeps in good communication with his family and trusted friends.

Straying is moving, but with no direction. It is the result of getting diverted, of losing focus, of forgetting home. Where are you now? You could be hundreds of miles from your physical home, but have "home" with you in the faith and values you have kept. You could be living at home but have in truth strayed, forgetting and rejecting that faith. Do you need to come back home? Don't know what you will find? The story of the prodigal son should clue you in.

Extremes

For Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Proverbs 27:7

One who is full loathes honey,
but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet.

In the extremes of life, everything we experience takes on an extreme flavor. When we are full, we despise what we normally enjoy; when we are hungry, we relish what we typically would reject as bitter. The need dictates the experience.

The one who is full has no one to blame but himself. He makes himself full by giving into his impulses. Because he cannot resist the honey, he satiates himself until he loathes the honey he craved. The who is hungry finds sweetness in what is normally is bitter because he his body craves nourishment. His tastebuds acclimate to the bitter in order to satisfy the hunger.

Neither state is good. Though the satiated person has only himself to blame and the hungry person perhaps has circumstances to fault, neither are in good positions. It is better that the hungry person obtains nourishing food, and it is good to be able to enjoy honey. And it is better not to be overly stimulated and satiated with rich food. What is most desirable is disciplined enjoyment of what one earns. It is best to work for one's food and obtain the sweet, and then to enjoy it in a measured manner that keeps the sweet from turning bitter.

Thus, the proverb cautions against the philosophy of eat, drink, and be merry that leads to bitterness, and that of the sluggard whose laziness leaves him ever hungry.

Faithful Wounds

For Monday, November 19, 2007
Proverbs 27:6

Faithful are the wounds of a friend;
profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

A friend cares about our good. Thus, as a doctor who will inflict some pain to heal, so a friend is willing to do the difficult task of "wounding" for our good. He will tell us hard truth; he will not flatter us about what is false. He will not cater to our vanity. He will speak the truth in love, and he will be there for us when we fall, even if he must let us fall to awaken us to our senses.

The enemy is only too happy to greet us with kisses, to spill out flattery, whatever he takes to stoke our vanity and lead us astray. As a friend is single-minded in desiring our good, so an enemy is single-minded in our destruction.

"Why would he lie?" "Why did he pretend to be my friend?" Because he hates you.

"Why did my friend not speak as well of me?" "Why did he say things that would hurt my feelings?" Because he loves you.

Both act in keeping with their motive. What we need to do is exercise discernment to understand, which is easier to do than we admit. The only reason we are not discerning is when we let our vanity cloud our thinking. We are blind to what others easily see because of our pride. But if we love our friends, we will listen to them and consider carefully what they see. If we desire honoring God, we will be cautious of flattery and kisses from strangers or those who have not proven their friendship.