Mission Faithwalk

When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever. (Proverbs 10:25)           Today’s topic is tough, because of recent events. I’m not trying to attack anyone. I’m trying to give hope. But hope that is not firmly anchored to truth is an illusion. I always want to stay on the truth side of things, which means sometimes others see me as having less compassion than they think I should have.            The first truth in today’s passages is that storms sweep by. Life isn’t fair. Things get tough – sometimes tougher than we can handle. Don’t believe that “God won’t give you more than you can handle” garbage, because if He didn’t give us more than we can handle, and especially more than we think we can handle, then we wouldn’t need Him because we would be Him. Storms sweep by. They destroy.            There’s a story by C.S. Lewis that deals with the rest of the verse. In The Great Divorce , Prof. Lewis introduces us to a woman who has come fro

A fool finds pleasure in wicked schemes, but a person of understanding delights in wisdom.   What the wicked dread will overtake them; what the righteous desire will be granted. (Proverbs 10:23-24)                          This morning’s passage brings to mind all those videos that have been watched millions of times of people doing damage to themselves when some stunt they’re trying goes wrong. I know, pratfalls have been considered “funny” since funny became a thing. I know people who were upset with me because I didn’t appreciate how funny it was to watch a deer attack a dog and listen to the young men in the background laugh and call “Whale” every time a hoof struck. I find myself wondering how we as a society can be expected to care about abused women, children, or pets while laughing at even self-inflicted harm. And then I read, “A fool finds pleasure in wicked schemes.” That describes our society.                  I find myself also thinking about what we teach our kids in s

               The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, without painful toil for it. (Proverbs 10:22)                 So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her. (Genesis 29:20)                 The greatest blessing God gives, the greatest wealth God gives is Himself. We cannot do enough to earn God’s forgiveness, so forgiveness is a blessing that brings the wealth of eternal life without painful toil on our part.   It seems to be the everything else that we count as wealth that results in the painful toil. C.S. Lewis said that we are too easily pleased. We’re willing to make castles in mud puddles instead of going for a holiday at the shore. We substitute sex for love and intimacy.                  But the other thing that comes to mind as I read today’s proverb is how painful toil seems to disappear when that toil is for something we really want. It’s painful to learn to become a writer. I have wept. I’ve f

Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool. Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value. The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of sense. (Proverbs 10:18-21) It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt. (variations attributed to Abraham Lincoln and Mark Twain, but probably in general use during their time.)           Today is all about mouths, which makes it scary territory for me. I know I use a lot of words. I speak up when others wish I would not, and since I don’t tend to jump on their band-wagons, I get branded a fool without their considering anything I’ve said beyond the fact that it doesn’t agree with them.            On the one hand, the fact that I speak is not what makes me a fool (or what makes me wise.) Jesus was a teacher, which means that He talk

          Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray. (Proverbs 10:17)           When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself. Again, when a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before them, they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The righteous things that person did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they will surely live because they took warning, and you will have

The wages of the righteous is life, but the earnings of the wicked are sin and death. (Proverbs 10:16) For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)                  Today’s passages seem to say the same thing, but a closer look shows that’s not true. Let’s look at the bad news first. Wicked people earn sin and death. My first reaction is agreement. Wicked people deserve… wait… wicked people deserve sin? Sin is what they are paid for being wicked? Isn’t a person wicked because that person sins? Pedophiles, serial killers, rapists, and monsters like Hitler are wicked. They have earned their deaths. But what is this about the wicked earning sin?                  This is covered in a bit more detail in Romans 1. Paul explains that as a result of sin, God gives people over to sin. In other words, if you are determined to sin, God will not only step out of the way but allow you to be tempted to further sin. The idea is sim

The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor. (Proverbs 10:15)           Before 9/11, Americans tended to think of our country, the wealthiest nation on Earth, as being safe. It was a walled city without walls. Even our poorest people make more money and live better than more than half the world. I’m tempted to suggest that our poorest live better than 90% of the world, but I’m not sure of that statistic.            If you talk to me, or to many Americans, however, you’re not likely to hear us talking about how rich we are. I know that I am lavishly blessed, but I don’t tend to see any money that I have as being mine to spend as I wish. Whatever I have has to last me the rest of my life, so while it’s there, my perspective tends to be that I am a poor, or it is needed as an investment in my writing career.            As I look at today’s proverb and consider my own state, I reach the conclusion that the wealthy trust in their wealth and thin

Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of one who has no sense. The wise store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin. (Proverbs 10:13-14)                 Here, we’re back to basic logic. Wisdom, the practical use of the understanding of reality is found on the lips of those who look carefully and distinguish between reality and non-reality. The person who deals effectively with reality is the person who examines it and keeps it in mind. On the other hand, the fool, who has no sense, doesn’t deal with reality even unless you beat him with it, and not always even then.                  As an example, I’ve talked about this video before. ( Video Link ) What the speaker has said is true. All of the statement he made had nothing to do with the people to whom he made them. His conclusion also has nothing to do with the people to whom he announced it. At no point does he ask any questions about race, but his conclusion is all about race. 

               Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs. (Proverbs 10:12)           Oh boy, the directions I could go with this: that person… that group… they’re so hate-filled. The other day I read a part of a story that portrays someone I love in a manner that is one hundred percent contrary to his true nature. If the story had been about Martin Luther King, Jr., or former president Obama, or a prominent member of some resistance group in America… if the story had even been about someone of another color, gender, or heritage, it would have been attacked by all sorts of people. But because it attacked God, no one is permitted to say a word.           Yep, I’m human, and like all humans, I find it much easier to hate than I do to love. And that statement will probably raise some hackles, too – “I don’t hate anyone, you sick, sick person. How dare you say I hate?” The truth is, it’s easier to hate than to love. Real love is hard work. Real love wants what is in the

         The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.   (Proverbs 10:11)           When we think of fountains of life, we tend to think “Ah, refreshing, cool, clear, sweet-tasting water.” And that description may be true, but if you don’t like the flavor, there’s a problem. Truth told I’m not fond of water, and Dad is even worse. He claims water makes him sick to his stomach. I drink lots of water because it’s low calorie, cold, and good for me, not because it tickles my taste buds. Dad refuses to drink it – or any drink in sufficient quantities and his body suffers as a result.            My point is that what makes the mouth of the righteous a fountain of life is not that what flows from it “tastes” good. What flows from the mouth of the righteous is what causes us to function in a healthy way. We aren’t required to like the flavor, and, of course, we don’t.           No, we want to drink pop, or alcohol, or, well, something th

Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out. (Proverbs 10:9)                “Clark, where were you? Superman was just here and he…”                  “I’m sorry, Lois,” Clark says as he sets a cup of coffee on the desk next to her. “There was a line at the coffee machine.”                 Most of us are at least aware of the trial and tribulations of superheroes who try to live normal lives on the side. We chuckle as supposedly intrepid reporters fail to see through the thin disguises and lame stories. We chuckle also at the superhero who expects to get away with the subterfuge. Somehow, he/she expects to be able to live two lives, or effectively walk two paths at the same time.                 Integrity is about being integrated. It’s about being whole…undivided. Mark Twain is reputed to have said, “ If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.” That’s the beauty of integrity. You don’t have to pretend. You do

                The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin.              Whoever winks maliciously causes grief, and a chattering fool comes to ruin. (Proverbs 10:8 & 10)           As I looked at Proverbs 10 this morning, I noticed that on either side of verse 9, there is a proverb about a chattering fool. Being myself, I’ll deal with 8 and 10 together and get back to 9 tomorrow. Again, if a wise person is someone who understands and deals with reality, then a fool must be someone who does not understand reality or does not deal with it well. In other words, a fool is someone who believes he can dictate what is or isn’t reality.           Now, what of the “chattering” part. According to the dictionary, chattering means “talking rapidly or incessantly about trivial matters.” I grant you that trivial is in the eye of the beholder. I am a trivial person. I know a little bit about a whole bunch of stuff, most of which probably doesn’t matter. There

Blessings crown the head of the righteous, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.   The name of the righteous is used in blessings, but the name of the wicked will rot. (Proverbs 10:6-7)             As I look at these verses, I’m tempted to think they’re just another example of a teaching like karma. Good things happen to the good, bad things happen to the bad. As second simplistic look suggests that good people say nice things, and bad people say things that aren’t nice. I don’t want to put stuff in that’s not there, but the past couple days have me thinking that the simplistic reading is not all there is.             In Gary Smalley’s The Blessing , he lists the following as components of blessing: a meaningful touch, a spoken message of love and acceptance, attaching “high value” to the person being blessed, picturing a special future for that person, an active commitment to fulfill the blessing. [1] These are characteristics of the interactions the righteous shou

Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.  He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son. (Proverbs 10:4-5)                          I have been a gardener for years, but I’ve always been a lazy gardener. For years, I didn’t till the soil very much. Several years ago, I bought a mini-tiller, so I have gotten better about tilling. I plant the plants that I buy at the garden center and water them until they seem to be established, but after that, I’m not as good about watering. Where I really have a hard time is with weeding. One of the things they tell gardeners to do is use grass clippings for mulch. Unbeknownst to me, I’ve been sowing crabgrass into my gardens in the fall. If I had bothered to educate myself and to invest in my gardens, who knows how much easier things would have been? It seems to me that I have lived the bad side of both these proverbs. Fortunately for me, I don’t live in an agrarian

         The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked. (Proverbs 10:3)             “If I keep going at this speed, it will take us years to get through Proverbs,” says half of my mind.           “So?” says the other          “Solomon needs to talk to Job,” says half my mind. Job knew that the good go hungry and the wicked get rich. But what if that’s not what Solomon was talking about? What did Jesus say? “ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (Matthew 5:6) So, is Solomon foolish, or are we?         Once again, it’s a matter of perspective. The righteous are righteous because they seek righteousness. They hunger and thirst for it and they are given righteousness. They could starve to death but have all they need of righteousness. They get what they crave.         On the other hand, we have the wicked, and yes, they may become rich and powerful, so how can we say that God thwarts their

Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value, but righteousness delivers from death. (Proverbs 10:2)           First, sorry about not having this ready yesterday. Life sometimes gets in the way.          As I look at the American economy, and even more at economies around the world, with my flawed human eyes, I get frustrated. It seems to me that there are a lot of ill-gotten treasures that have high value. I know that it’s a matter of perspective. And I know folks who will jeer “Pie in the sky by-and-by” if someone suggests the eternal perspective. They’re probably the same people who scoff about our prayers being with those who are facing a crisis.           What if our focus in this passage isn’t where it should be? We like to get angry about ill-gotten gains. It’s not fair. They shouldn’t have that treasure! I’m not disagreeing with you. They shouldn’t have it. But what if the treasure, or their having the treasure, is not what this passage is about? What if it’s about our rea

          The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother. (Proverbs 10:1) We now move from lectures to individual proverbs, and it just doesn’t seem right not to handle each one but this first one is a powder-keg. Every generation starts out thinking the previous generation is going to destroy the world. After each generation starts to take power, they develop the belief that the next generation is going to destroy the world. The truth is, they do destroy the world, each generation in its own way. But today, I want to look at my own generation: the grandchildren of “The Greatest Generation,” who were raised to believe themselves capable of making the world into a utopia, raised to see no boundary as applying to them, and the generation of the grandchildren of the Baby Boomers, who seem to be learning that they are entitled to that utopia. My generation saw some great steps forward, the Civil Rights Movement (at least in the early

  “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through me your days will be many, and years will be added to your life. If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer.” (Proverbs 9:10-12) I’ve said before that wisdom involves understanding reality and dealing with it. If there is a god (and I fully believe that He is) then whether you love him, like him, approve of him, fear him, dislike him, hate him, or could not care less – no matter how you feel about him, it’s just plain wise to deal well with reality as he created it. It really does you no good to say, “No, I’m not going to obey the law of gravity.” It would be foolish to slice your femoral artery and drain out four quarts of blood with the idea in mind that tomorrow you’re going for a five-mile walk. I submit to you it would be pure folly to announce, “short cut!” and drive your car into the side of a mountain at a hundred and

“Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse. Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you. Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning. (Proverbs 9:7-9) Let me begin with a public service announcement. My blog posting on Friday and Saturday may be disrupted. We’ve reached the time for migration. I hope that it all goes smoothly and that I can post. If not, by Sunday things should be back to what I call normal. I apologize for any inconvenience. Now. how do I address today’s passage without appearing to rant? I don’t know of any way. One of the first rules of debate, known since the time of Aristotle, is that attacks against the person means your argument is invalid. Solomon is agreeing here. Mockers insult. Wicked men abuse the one who rebukes them. The moment you start calling names, diagnosing mental illness or insufficiency, or passing j

Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars. She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table. She has sent out her maids, and she calls from the highest point of the city. “Let all who are simple come in here!” she says to those who lack judgment. “Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding. (Proverbs 9:1-6)                   She sits at the door of her house, on a seat at the highest point of the city, calling out to those who pass by, who go straight on their way. “Let all who are simple come in here!” she says to those who lack judgment. “Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious! (Proverbs 9:14-17) I wanted to make very sure that I put these verses in marked juxtaposition. Wisdom Folly Builds her house   Prepared her meat and mixed her wine   Sent out her maids

  “Now then, my sons, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways. Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not ignore it. Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the LORD . But whoever fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death.” (Proverbs 8:32-36)   Wisdom says “This is what you should do.            And if you’re like me, the most-polite response is, “Yeah, I know, but….” I’ve said it before, wisdom is hard. There are no participation awards. Everyone is welcome, but no one gets special consideration because they come from a disadvantaged background. In fact, being from a disadvantaged background is the special consideration, because having grown up in a school of hard knocks can build a better foundation for wisdom than a “silver spoon” upbringing. We might not do the underprivileged a favor in “helping” them if our help turns them into as big a fools

“The LORD brought me forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old; I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began. When there were no oceans, I was given birth, when there were no springs abounding with water; before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was given birth, before he made the earth or its fields or any of the dust of the world. I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep, when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep, when he gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth. Then I was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind. (Proverbs 8:22-31) Just as a bit of trivia, it is on the basis of this passage that the Jehovah’s Witnesse

“I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion. To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have understanding and power. By me kings reign and rulers make laws that are just; by me princes govern, and all nobles who rule on earth. I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me. With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity. My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver. I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice, bestowing wealth on those who love me and making their treasuries full.” (Proverbs 8:12-21)   As I look at today’s passage, the picture I had taken for the photo directory last year comes to mind. My left arm is wrapped around Grace, and my right hand is holding up my camera, in what I think of as a James Bond hold. I don’t like getting my picture taken, but my goal was to let the p