Proverbs 29:13-16 says,...

Today's verses are Proverbs 29:13-16, which read,

v.13 - The poor man and the oppressor have this in common:  The LORD gives light to the eyes of both.

God gives common grace to us all, poor or the oppressor or the wise and the foolish, by allowing us to live and enjoy the pleasures of life.  God gives saving grace through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, to those, poor or the oppressor or the wise and the foolish, who have responded to His call to follow after Him.  Common grace keeps you in the same position you are in but saving grace puts you in the family of God.  If you are a fool and experiencing common grace then you are still a fool but if you are a fool and experience saving grace then you will be transformed by the renewing of your mind to be Christ-like as you follow His words and ways.

Are you running just off of God's common grace or have you received His saving grace?  God gives light to our eyes of who He is but do we acknowledge it is He who is providing what we need for this life and also for eternal salvation?  

v.14 - If a king judges the poor with truth, his throne will be established forever.

The king who is not influenced by the earthly wealth and the sin of greed so that he can see the poor as any of his other subjects will have a reign of truth.  Truth will overcome the position of the person who is in from on him.  It will not matter if the person is a millionaire or if the person is homeless with not a penny to his name.  What will matter is that truth is proclaimed, practiced and allowed to prevail.  

This influence has lasting effects.  His government will not be overthrown by a recall or a rebellion.  His descendants will be given the opportunity to rule as their patriarch did.  The honoring of truth and the practice of being non prejudice to the social status of others bids well before God.  Is truth more important than popularity and status to you? Do people get the same treatment from you whether rich or poor?  Where to you seat them at the banquet?  Take another read of James 2:1-13 for more instruction on this proverb.

v.15 - The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother.

This is a common theme in the book of Proverbs about discipline.  Proverbs 13:24 says, 

He who withholds his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently.

Proverbs 22:6 says,

Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Discipline is required but the question is how will we be when we give direction to how it will be administered.  Great attention is needed to ourselves as we show love through the rod and reproof of discipline.  It is not to be done without the examination of our motives and submission to God's instruction through His Word and in light of His Word.  As we raise children there will be discipline to be administered just as we are raised as children of God, God will discipline us.  Will we follow His lead and not neglect this action that He calls love?  Or will we neglect to do so and He calls it hate?  

This proverb gives both the rod and the reproof.  It gives you the idea that there are different forms of discipline to be used at different times.  The form of administration of the discipline might vary but the necessity of discipline against what is wrong to those under your charge is to be consistent.  The lack of doing so brings up a spoiled child and a shamed mother.

v.16 - When the wicked increase, transgression increases; but the righteous will see their fail.

We have experienced this just recently with the shooting of so many in Las Vegas on Sunday night.  An evil was committed that within short order harmed many with the intent to do them harm.  It was caught on camera for all of us to see.  One good thing is that so many others responded with love for those who were shot.  Many risked their lives to help others get to safety and to needed medical attention.  There were many who stood in long lines to offer their blood to be used for the wounded.  The sad part of the story is that evil also got the stage and there will probably be other events such as this because wicked increased and other transgressions like it will also increase.  

We gathered as pastors to pray for those who were harmed and their family members who lost love ones but also to talk about how do we respond to our congregations about events like these.  One responded that we need to be a lover of good.  We need to be a person who loves good so much that we will live it and encourage others to do the same.  We will be committed to teach the good and seek to establish laws and practices that elevate it above evil.  The greatest good that we can point to is God.  The righteous will see that the world needs more of God.  The righteous will respond with more faithfulness to Him and His words and ways.  As much as the world wants to live in the gray of this world, it shows us over and over that there is a black and white of good and evil.  We can not deny it when it is so blatant as Sunday evening in Las Vegas.  

In light of the wickedness of this world, how then shall we live?  Let us pray.

"Lord, help us to live our lives in light of truth rather than in light of temporal status.  Help us to see how important discipline is to the lives of our children under our care and also to our lives under Your care.  Help us to love Your wisdom to practice it, proclaim it, protect it, and provide a platform for it.  Be with the victims and families of victims of Las Vegas today and may they continue to feel Your love through the lives of those You have put around them.  Amen."

Pastor Adam