Proverbs 19:17-20 says,...

Today's verses are Proverbs 19:17-20, which read,

v.17 - One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, and He will repay him for his good deed.

Jesus told us that there would always be the poor among us.  It could be someone physically poor, emotionally poor or spiritually poor and the list could go on.  We see someone who is in need and offer them our resources.  It could be physical resources, our ears to listen or our presence to be with them during a time of need.  We are to act when we see the poor.

The poor are put before us by the LORD and when we act upon it we receive something from Him.  It really makes me look at how I care for the poor.  Do I give them what is left over or something I have worn out?  If so then that is what I am giving to the Lord.  I wonder if what I get in return will be what is leftover from the Lord or something He doesn't have need of anymore.  We know that God doesn't work that way so we shouldn't either.  

v.18 - Discipline your son while there is hope, and do not desire his death.

Solomon talks much about the tongue, the poor, and the topic of discipline.  Discipline is a part of growing in maturity and wisdom and it is a vital part of the upbringing of our children.  As parents we have children in their formative years and we need to realize that we have a responsibility to give them discipline that comes from the instruction of God's Word.  We need to be serious about this task for not giving discipline means that we send out our children to their death.

"You don't discipline your children?"  "No, I desire that they die."  You wouldn't say that but sometimes our actions or lack of them says something that we don't say with our mouths.  Our actions of lack of discipline set up a child to not love the wisdom of the Lord.  Do you desire that?  I would assume the answer would be "NO!"

v.19 - A man of great anger will bear the penalty, for if you rescue him, you will only have to do it again.

Some of these proverbs are so true to life because we have seen them or we have been them.  Someone or yourself gets caught in the loop of anger or some other destructive practice and you or they repeat the performance over and over again.  Something needs to break the cycle.  Someone needs to be called upon and followed to break the cycle.

We may step in to help and sometimes with mechanisms that enable rather than confront.  We comfort the sin rather than confront it and the result is that we will get to see the same action again in the near future.  One study note put the description of this proverb this way, "Repeated acts of kindness are wasted on ill-natured people."  Sometimes the wisest thing to do is to allow them to fall so they have to get back up with the Lord's help and not yours.

v.20 - Listen to counsel and accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days.

I have messed up.  Have you?  I have messed up big time and thought that I was not good for anything after that but God doesn't give us that option.  He says that when you mess up you need to get counsel from those who will tell you what to do from God's Word.  You need to accept discipline to make things right after this wrong.  You can be wise again and for the rest of your days if you look to Him for counsel and accept the discipline.

Many times I think we get the counsel but we don't accept the discipline.  We get the instruction from the Lord and others who are following after Him but we don't follow through with what He and they say.  We take it in but we don't play it out.  Remember who is talking to you through the Scriptures?  Remember who is talking to you in the form of brothers and sisters in Christ who love God and you and are your forever family.  Remember that information without application is really only half the process and the half that will not see the results.  What counsel do you need to follow through on today?  You and I probably have been told and shown a lot already from God's Word that we are not doing.  Let's get to it!  Let us pray.

"Lord, what very practical proverbs today.  Help us to not only see the poor but to respond to them.  Help us to live a life of discipline and teach Your discipline to our children.  Help us to not be one who repeats a destructive action and to know when to allow those doing it to fall so they can reach up for Your hand.  Help us to connect our ears to our hands and act our Your counsel so that we might be wise for the glory of You.  Amen."

Pastor Adam