Proverbs 11:24 (NKJV)
"There is one who scatters, yet increases more; And there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty."
The principle given to us in this verse is an age old piece of wisdom that is found all throughout the Scriptures. It is a principle that applies to every area of giving whether it be storehouse giving (tithing), giving to people in need, or giving to groups or organizations that help those in need. It is a principle in paradox. It is contrary to worldly wisdom for life and business. The world says to store up what is yours whereas the Bible says to give it away. The world says to look out for "Number 1" but the Bible says to look to the welfare of others. This is not to say that everyone who gives or scatters will become wealthy. Nor will everyone who holds back become poor. The point of this verse and other teachings about giving is that we should be givers.
Solomon repeats this teaching in various ways in his writings. In Ecclesiastes 11:1 he says to cast your bread upon the waters and it will come back to you.
In Luke 6:38 Jesus said "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom……"
Paul put it this way in 2 Cor 9:6... "He which sows sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which sows bountifully shall reap also bountifully."
As we ponder this principle of giving and receiving we should consider these four simple truths. First, we should never, ever give just to get. We give simply to be giving. Second, the principle of giving does not apply only to giving out of our abundance. Remember that Jesus commended the poor widow in Mark 12:44. When she gave her small offering it was deemed greater than all the others because it was everything she had. Third, let us consider that in the principle of giving and receiving, we are not promised to reap the exact same thing we sow. Giving of money will not necessarily result in reaping more money. We give and trust God for the resulting harvest. Lastly we need to consider that our giving need not only be from our possessions and financial resources. Sometimes the greatest gift we can give is to give of ourselves. We may not have much money. We may not be rich in personal possessions. But we all have ourselves.
I urge you to take a fresh look at your giving. What do you give? How do you give it? Give cheerfully. Give sacrificially. Give of your resources. Give of yourself. Be a giver and let God bless you with a great return.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
Proverbs Chapter 10
Proverbs 10:9
“He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known.”
One of the greatest needs or desires that we as humans have is the need or desire to feel secure or safe. And one of the greatest areas we want to feel this security in is how we are seen by those around us. We want to be liked, respected and loved. We try to hide our weakness and failures so that others will not think less of us. I think Solomon probably had this this desire in mind as he penned Proverbs 10:9.
To “walk uprightly” is to carry yourself with complete integrity. To have complete integrity is not the same as being perfect and for that we can be truly thankful! A person who “walks uprightly” is honest; he adheres to ethical principles; and has sound moral character. Integrity is much sought after character trait in every area of business and life.
Solomon tells us that the person who walks in integrity does so “surely“, or with confidence and assurance. The contrast to this is the person who “perverts” his ways or the way he should live. To pervert is to twist or make crooked something moral, ethical or legal. The verse says that this person shall be exposed or found out.
Have you ever noticed that a person of great integrity is a person of calm assurance? Why is this? Because he has nothing to hide. On the other hand a person who lacks honesty and integrity lives in fear that he may be found out. He has twisted that which is moral, ethical or legal and he knows it was wrong to do so. I remember an inmate who once told me that he was serving 4 years for bank robbery. His story illustrates the truth of this verse. His family was in severe financial distress. His son desperately needed medical care. In his mind he felt justified to steal in order to care for his family’s needs. He successfully stole over $4000 from the bank. He made a “clean” getaway. No one was able to describe him or his vehicle. There was literally no evidence against him for the crime. The police were stymied in the search for a suspect. He told me that from the time he “got away” with the crime he had not even a moment of peace. He was continually looking over his shoulder. Wondering when the police would catch up to him. This went on for over two years until he could no longer stand it and he finally gave himself up to the police.
Don’t live in fear of being found out. Walk uprightly. Walk in assurance and confidence that you are right with God. And know that even when you fail, there is grace and mercy in Jesus Christ. We need only to repent of the “perverted way” and ask for His forgiveness. He stands ready, willing and able to forgive and restore us fully to the “upright walk“.
“He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known.”
One of the greatest needs or desires that we as humans have is the need or desire to feel secure or safe. And one of the greatest areas we want to feel this security in is how we are seen by those around us. We want to be liked, respected and loved. We try to hide our weakness and failures so that others will not think less of us. I think Solomon probably had this this desire in mind as he penned Proverbs 10:9.
To “walk uprightly” is to carry yourself with complete integrity. To have complete integrity is not the same as being perfect and for that we can be truly thankful! A person who “walks uprightly” is honest; he adheres to ethical principles; and has sound moral character. Integrity is much sought after character trait in every area of business and life.
Solomon tells us that the person who walks in integrity does so “surely“, or with confidence and assurance. The contrast to this is the person who “perverts” his ways or the way he should live. To pervert is to twist or make crooked something moral, ethical or legal. The verse says that this person shall be exposed or found out.
Have you ever noticed that a person of great integrity is a person of calm assurance? Why is this? Because he has nothing to hide. On the other hand a person who lacks honesty and integrity lives in fear that he may be found out. He has twisted that which is moral, ethical or legal and he knows it was wrong to do so. I remember an inmate who once told me that he was serving 4 years for bank robbery. His story illustrates the truth of this verse. His family was in severe financial distress. His son desperately needed medical care. In his mind he felt justified to steal in order to care for his family’s needs. He successfully stole over $4000 from the bank. He made a “clean” getaway. No one was able to describe him or his vehicle. There was literally no evidence against him for the crime. The police were stymied in the search for a suspect. He told me that from the time he “got away” with the crime he had not even a moment of peace. He was continually looking over his shoulder. Wondering when the police would catch up to him. This went on for over two years until he could no longer stand it and he finally gave himself up to the police.
Don’t live in fear of being found out. Walk uprightly. Walk in assurance and confidence that you are right with God. And know that even when you fail, there is grace and mercy in Jesus Christ. We need only to repent of the “perverted way” and ask for His forgiveness. He stands ready, willing and able to forgive and restore us fully to the “upright walk“.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Proverbs Chapter 9
Proverbs 9:8
“Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.”
In this verse the words "reprove" and "rebuke" are the same word. The basic idea of the word is to convince someone of the wrongfulness of their moral standing, their behavior or their actions and then correct them. Ideally, this act of correction should be coupled with love and concern for the one being rebuked.
Even when the process of correction is dispensed properly there are those who will not take it well. The Bible calls these people foolish or scorners. The fool tends to “hate” the person giving rebuke. He considers the “corrector” as the enemy. On the other hand the wise man readily accepts correction and will love the one correcting him.
Over the course of my life as a restaurant manager, a Marine sergeant, a prison guard and a father of six children, I have had many an occasion to give instruction or reprove those under my charge or care. Over that time I have seen the stark contrast between the rebuke of a wise man and the rebuke of the scorner or fool. I have also been on the receiving end of rebuke and correction. And at times I have played both the “fool” and the “wise”.
When I was in the Marine Corps I traveled to several foreign countries and spent a lot of time in the field for war-training exercises. The strain on my dear wife was tremendous. We had young children whom she was basically raising by herself. When I was home I just wanted to coast, kick back and relax. I figured that if my wife was doing well while I was gone then she would do fine taking care of things while I was home. Great reasoning, huh? To put it plainly… I was being plum stupid!
During that time we were members of a small Baptist church and I remember the Pastor sitting me down one day for a heart-to-heart talk. He saw how my attitude was affecting my family and in no uncertain terms told me it was time to buck up, be a man and to be there for my wife when I was home. It wasn’t easy to hear from another man that I was basically failing in my job as a husband and father. My first instinct was to be a fool and to scorn his instruction. However, by God’s grace I acted wisely and accepted the rebuke. I started taking my “job” as a husband and a father more seriously. The course of my life as a man changed that day.
I urge you to accept rebuke as a wise man not a fool. Accept wise correction and be even wiser. Accept wise teaching and increase your learning. Listen to Wisdom’s call. Walk in Wisdom’s ways. Let Wisdom be your teacher and be blessed!
“Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.”
In this verse the words "reprove" and "rebuke" are the same word. The basic idea of the word is to convince someone of the wrongfulness of their moral standing, their behavior or their actions and then correct them. Ideally, this act of correction should be coupled with love and concern for the one being rebuked.
Even when the process of correction is dispensed properly there are those who will not take it well. The Bible calls these people foolish or scorners. The fool tends to “hate” the person giving rebuke. He considers the “corrector” as the enemy. On the other hand the wise man readily accepts correction and will love the one correcting him.
Over the course of my life as a restaurant manager, a Marine sergeant, a prison guard and a father of six children, I have had many an occasion to give instruction or reprove those under my charge or care. Over that time I have seen the stark contrast between the rebuke of a wise man and the rebuke of the scorner or fool. I have also been on the receiving end of rebuke and correction. And at times I have played both the “fool” and the “wise”.
When I was in the Marine Corps I traveled to several foreign countries and spent a lot of time in the field for war-training exercises. The strain on my dear wife was tremendous. We had young children whom she was basically raising by herself. When I was home I just wanted to coast, kick back and relax. I figured that if my wife was doing well while I was gone then she would do fine taking care of things while I was home. Great reasoning, huh? To put it plainly… I was being plum stupid!
During that time we were members of a small Baptist church and I remember the Pastor sitting me down one day for a heart-to-heart talk. He saw how my attitude was affecting my family and in no uncertain terms told me it was time to buck up, be a man and to be there for my wife when I was home. It wasn’t easy to hear from another man that I was basically failing in my job as a husband and father. My first instinct was to be a fool and to scorn his instruction. However, by God’s grace I acted wisely and accepted the rebuke. I started taking my “job” as a husband and a father more seriously. The course of my life as a man changed that day.
I urge you to accept rebuke as a wise man not a fool. Accept wise correction and be even wiser. Accept wise teaching and increase your learning. Listen to Wisdom’s call. Walk in Wisdom’s ways. Let Wisdom be your teacher and be blessed!
Monday, December 8, 2008
Proverbs Chapter 8
Proverbs 8:19
“My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver.”
We are living in economic times that are less than certain. Many have lost fortunes in the stock market. Folks who bought homes just a couple of years ago to turn around for profit are stuck with houses they don’t want and can’t afford. Those closing in on their retirement years are questioning whether they will be able to afford to actually retire. For some putting food on the table and gas in the car are daily worries.
Listening to financial experts try to explain the economic woes can make your head spin. The problems, reasons, and solutions for them are complex and quite frankly beyond any one person’s ability to control. If we can’t understand the problems or the solutions then what hope is there for a wise investment?
Proverbs 8 assures us there is a worthy and wise investment we can all make. It isn’t in gold, silver or precious jewels. Our investment needs to be in the “wisdom market”. Wisdom Personified makes it clear that an investment in wisdom brings a great return.
Let’s consider this investment and the returns. We invest in wisdom by listening to, searching for and then obeying it. And the returns are better than fine gold or choice silver. Here are just a few named in Proverbs 8: knowledge, prudence, understanding, eternal riches, righteousness and life. And the prospectus for this investment (found in verses 22-31) is quite impressive.
We have an outstanding prospectus, a wise investment solution and guaranteed returns. What more could we ask for? I encourage you to invest in “wisdom”. Hear her cry, seek her out and heed her instructions.
“My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver.”
We are living in economic times that are less than certain. Many have lost fortunes in the stock market. Folks who bought homes just a couple of years ago to turn around for profit are stuck with houses they don’t want and can’t afford. Those closing in on their retirement years are questioning whether they will be able to afford to actually retire. For some putting food on the table and gas in the car are daily worries.
Listening to financial experts try to explain the economic woes can make your head spin. The problems, reasons, and solutions for them are complex and quite frankly beyond any one person’s ability to control. If we can’t understand the problems or the solutions then what hope is there for a wise investment?
Proverbs 8 assures us there is a worthy and wise investment we can all make. It isn’t in gold, silver or precious jewels. Our investment needs to be in the “wisdom market”. Wisdom Personified makes it clear that an investment in wisdom brings a great return.
Let’s consider this investment and the returns. We invest in wisdom by listening to, searching for and then obeying it. And the returns are better than fine gold or choice silver. Here are just a few named in Proverbs 8: knowledge, prudence, understanding, eternal riches, righteousness and life. And the prospectus for this investment (found in verses 22-31) is quite impressive.
We have an outstanding prospectus, a wise investment solution and guaranteed returns. What more could we ask for? I encourage you to invest in “wisdom”. Hear her cry, seek her out and heed her instructions.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Proverbs Chapter 7
Proverbs 7:3
"Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart."
Solomon spends a lot of time writing to his son about commandments, law, wisdom and understanding. Educated guess here….It must be very important to Solomon that his son have these as a part of his life so as to be able to resist the temptation to fall sin, and in particular sexual sin.
This is the 3rd time in the first seven chapters that Solomon has used this word “bind”. To bind is to tie something up or to connect one thing with another by tying. It is also used in the OT for two groups or men conspiring together or forming an alliance in order to achieve a common goal. In chapter 3 we are told to bind mercy and truth around our neck and write them on our heart. In chapter 6 it says to bind the commandments on our heart and tie them around our neck. Here in 7:3 Solomon says to bind the commandments on your fingers and write them upon the table of your heart. He also says in verse two to guard his law as you would your own eye. The apple of the eye refers to the pupil without which we could not see.
It is interesting that Solomon connects the law with the eyes, the fingers, and the heart. He knows that if his son were to fall into temptation it would be by what he saw, what he did, or what he thought. This sounds very much like what John tells us in 1 John 2:16 about the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. We must keep God’s Word in our eyes, on our hands and written down on our hearts so that we don’t follow the path of the simple young man Solomon describes in the rest of this chapter.
So what if you’ve already followed the path of sin like the simple young man did? Maybe sin’s allure has enticed you and you have fallen. The answer is now as it has always been…Jesus Christ. Turn to Him and He will forgive. Turn to Him and He can heal your hurting soul. Turn to Him and let Him wash you “white as snow”. Get into His Word daily. Guard it like you would your own eye. Bind it on your fingers. Write it on your heart. Gain wisdom, knowledge and understanding from it. Allow Jesus Christ through His Word to literally change your life.
"Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart."
Solomon spends a lot of time writing to his son about commandments, law, wisdom and understanding. Educated guess here….It must be very important to Solomon that his son have these as a part of his life so as to be able to resist the temptation to fall sin, and in particular sexual sin.
This is the 3rd time in the first seven chapters that Solomon has used this word “bind”. To bind is to tie something up or to connect one thing with another by tying. It is also used in the OT for two groups or men conspiring together or forming an alliance in order to achieve a common goal. In chapter 3 we are told to bind mercy and truth around our neck and write them on our heart. In chapter 6 it says to bind the commandments on our heart and tie them around our neck. Here in 7:3 Solomon says to bind the commandments on your fingers and write them upon the table of your heart. He also says in verse two to guard his law as you would your own eye. The apple of the eye refers to the pupil without which we could not see.
It is interesting that Solomon connects the law with the eyes, the fingers, and the heart. He knows that if his son were to fall into temptation it would be by what he saw, what he did, or what he thought. This sounds very much like what John tells us in 1 John 2:16 about the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. We must keep God’s Word in our eyes, on our hands and written down on our hearts so that we don’t follow the path of the simple young man Solomon describes in the rest of this chapter.
So what if you’ve already followed the path of sin like the simple young man did? Maybe sin’s allure has enticed you and you have fallen. The answer is now as it has always been…Jesus Christ. Turn to Him and He will forgive. Turn to Him and He can heal your hurting soul. Turn to Him and let Him wash you “white as snow”. Get into His Word daily. Guard it like you would your own eye. Bind it on your fingers. Write it on your heart. Gain wisdom, knowledge and understanding from it. Allow Jesus Christ through His Word to literally change your life.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)