Coming to the Still Waters

Today is a between the chapters of Proverbs devotional. I like and record good illustrations.  They bring color to a sermon and stick a word picture in your head that makes you think and sometimes makes you squirm.  They bring a reality to life in a way to visualize it and usually are memorable to repeat to another.  I want to share a couple of them with you this morning that I came across last week.  This is the time of the year when there are a lot of Christian conferences and so I have been multi-tasking and listening in via online. Illustration number one is putting God in a box.  I know that we are not suppose to put God in a box or put Him in a place to limit the unlimited but if we were able to put God in a box along with all of His attributes and then we proceeded to take out one of His attributes to throw away, what would our response be? So let's take out of the box love.  I think there would be a great uproar because God is love. ...

Today's verses are Proverbs 16:31-33, which read, v.31 - A gray head is a crown of glory; it is found in the way of righteousness. Yesterday our focus was on the worthless man who dug up evil and spread it around; the perverse and slanderer man who pit friend against friend; a violent man who encourages others to participate in the same; and the body language of the fool that gives away their evil motives.  Today is a much different story. To make it to having a gray head was a feat because living a foolish life usually meant you don't live as long.  The behaviors of going against God brought about consequences that could end life before the gray hairs appeared.  We have a lot of medical technologies to get us there today in spite of how we live but the proverb says that righteousness is the way there authentically.  If I live a righteous life that fears the Lord by revering who He is and honoring Him with obedience then my gray hairs will be a sign...

Today's verses are Proverbs 16:27-30, which read, v.27 - A worthless man digs up evil, while his words are like scorching fire. We have four verses that describe in word pictures the make up a foolish man.  The first is that he digs up evil.  He is looking for the bad and using tools to unearth something to use against others to elevate himself.  It is an everyday activity to look up the dirt on someone else.  Does this sound like our tabloids and some of our television reporting shows? The worthless man's words burn out of control like a scorching fire.  The fire is out of control and it goes in whatever way the wind blows.  It consumes whatever is in its path.  It is going to need a major intervention to stop it and sometimes even all the firemen and the water planes only slow down the damage that comes from it.   v.28 - A perverse man spreads strife, and a slanderer separates intimate friends. The worthless man now is calle...

Today's verses are Proverbs 16:25 and 26, which read, v.25 - There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. This verse or proverb lets us know how small we are in relationship to God.  We have this capability to plan and go  a  way but we are not to place those plans and ways above what God plans.  Our way may seem so right but it could be so wrong if it does not line up with God.  Actually, it is a dangerous place to start when we come up with a plan and then see if God fits into it.  We need to go to God for His plan and see how we are in His.  This is called being submissive to His authority.  You voluntarily place yourself under His guidance and words to follow as your way of life and unto eternal life instead of eternal separation from God. "How can what seems so right be so wrong?"   Well, it can because we are mankind and He is God.  Us recognizing this fact is being in the fear of Go...

Today's verses are Proverbs 16:21-24, which read, v.21 - The wise in heart will be called understanding, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness. We speak the truth but we also are concerned on how we share it.  I have given out the truth in very unsweet ways at times.  I was right and what I was saying was right but I was not saying it in a way for the other to take it in.  They may have heard it because I was yelling it out but it wasn't going any deeper than their ear canals.  We want the truth, the wisdom called understanding, to penetrate the heart and therefore we need to look at the sweetness of our speech about it.   v.22 - Understanding is a fountain of life to one who has it, but the discipline of fools is folly. I failed to say that again we are back to the lips and our words in relationship to wisdom and also to the destruction that they can do if going the way of folly.  Solomon gives us again the results of a fountain...

Today's verses are Proverbs 16:17-20, which read, v.17 - The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; he who watches his way preserves his life. What is the norm for the upright?  The norm is to depart from evil.  It is for the upright to watch his way.  It is not the norm for the upright to play with evil, dance on the line, or stratal the fence.  It is not the norm to walk any which way or leave the map or gps at home.  No, the upright is very aware of what evil is and puts in place disciplines that keeps him aware to walk in a way that honors and glorifies God rather than walks away from Him. v.18 - Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling. Solomon gives us the opposite of the upright and that is those who are prideful.  Pride gives the impression that it will build you up but it just brings you down.  Pride gives the impression that building yourself up by tearing others down will get you...

Today's verses are Proverbs 16:13-16, which read, v.13 - Righteous lips are the delight of kings, and he who speaks right is loved. We do have these relationships here on this earth with those in authority over us.  We are to love God and love others.  The loving of others takes applying the wisdom of God.  Solomon is back to our lips and mouths to give some more instructions.  Our lips are to represent righteousness.  The speaking right of our lips is to be directed to all but in this proverb to the king or those who have authority over us.  Those in authority over us have delight because their duties of justice and not exercised on those who are already living in accordance with justice.  Think of all those that the law enforcement do not need to engage because they are living in accordance to the law.  It is a delight to them to not meet you because you are speaking and living in relationship to God's laws. v.14 - The fury of a kin...

Today's verses are Proverbs 16:9-12, which read, v.9 - The mind of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps. We continue with the wisdom that God's words and ways are above our words and ways.  We can plan our ways but God dictates how things are actually going to happen.  We call this the sovereignty of God.  We have the ability to plan but lets take those plans before God and put them at His feet.  His direction, what is actually going to happen, not a plan that is a hope it happens this way, is what we acknowledge is truth and love to us and for us. v.10 - A divine decision is in the lips of the king; his mouth should not err in judgment. To have a divine decision is to know the Divine.  As we know God and know His words we can speak and live in assurance of bringing glory to Him.  We are not trying to find truth but starting with the Truth and allowing our words and actions to reflect Him.  It might not always be popular o...

Today's verses are Proverbs 16:5-8, which read, v.5 - Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; assuredly, he will not be unpunished. All sin is terrible but the sin of pride gets a lot of press in the Bible.  Pride points your fingers not at God but at yourself.  Pride puts you on a pedestal as better than others and to be looked at instead of putting God on the pedestal to be looked at and bowed down to.  Pride does a lot of damage and those who are prideful are many times blinded to the wreckage that is left after they leave the room.   Pride will be punished.  Those who lift themselves up will be brought down.  Those who put themselves in the place of God will bow to Him.  Those who are seeking a pat on the back even if it is their own hand doing the patting will experience how much God is disgusted by their actions. v.6 - By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one keeps ...

Today's verses are Proverbs 16:1-4, which read, v.1 - The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD. In these four verses there will be a comparison from what is coming from man and what is coming from God.  Both things exist but one needs to have dominance over the other.  Positive words will be used like  "plans."   It means to arrange and to set in order.  Man does this.  He arranges things and puts things in order to be prepared and they come from deep within at times. In the face of the plans of man is the answer or response that needs to come from the Lord.  We can have all kinds of plans deep within but what comes out of us needs to be in accordance to God.  Sometimes our plans and God's answer are not the same but one has dominance over the other in the life of a Christian.   v.2 - All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but the LORD weighs the motives. From you...