Proverbs - Being Concerned About What They Think of You

Proverbs 29:25

The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.

A snare is a trap set to catch prey.  It is intended to trap the prey for the kill or abduction.  When we have the fear of man we can get entangled and trapped.  When we are concerned about pleasing people we will not be able to walk freely in what God wants us to do.  The opposite of the fear of man is putting our trust in the Lord. We need to trust the Lord and not worry about what other people think so that we can be free to make the progress God has for us.  Oh Lord, take away the fear of man from us that we might not be snared but be free to follow you.

Knowing God - God is a Residence

Ps 90:1

Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.

The Lord is not just a God we connect WITH, but a God we can run INTO.  He has been a dwelling place for all generations.  He has been available for everyone to go into and live and move and have their very existence IN Him.  The place in which we dwell is to be considered home, safe and the place from which we gain fortitude and positioning.  The Lord, Himself, is to be that dwelling place.  We are not to visit God as if He were a distant relative we see on certain holidays or if we happen to be in the vicinity of their dwelling place.  We must dwell in the Lord.  Move in and stay there.  Explore every room.  Enjoy every square inch and find that His love and ways are unsearchable.  We will never exhaust the discoveries of His great love, wisdom and companionship.  Oh Lord, be the dwelling place for us and our children as You have been for every generation!

Proverbs - Friends that Steal

Proverbs 29:24

Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul:

he heareth cursing, and bewrayeth it not.

This verse is telling us that being friends with someone who steals can put you in a difficult situation.  You might hear his plans to commit a crime and won’t speak up when there is an investigation.  You bring on yourself torment and a moral dilemma by being exposed to wicked and evil plans and then having to reconcile betraying your friendship.  The book of Proverbs is primarily written to young people.  This particular warning is about the type of company one keeps.  We should pray that our children do not hang around thieves or find themselves privy to information too heavy for them to process.

Knowing God - He is Focused and Faithful

Mark 3:2

 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.

The people were watching Jesus to see if He would heal a man on the Sabbath.  They were not watching to see if this man would be blessed.  They were not watching in order to see the power of God.  They were watching that they might accuse him.  Jesus continued doing what He was called to do regardless of what the people around Him were going to do in response.  Jesus wasn’t steered by the motivations or judgments of others.  Jesus was focused on pleasing the Father and loving people.  He was not concerned about His reputation in the light of those who were figuring Him out.  The Lord was focused on doing what the Father led Him to do and would not allow the judgments and opinions of others to change His course or actions.  Our God is firm and focused.  He is not threatened by theological analysis.  He is not shaken by hermeneutical scrutiny.  He is not interrupted by the general sway of public opinion.  Our God is a rock.  He is a God who has done what He has done, is doing what He is doing and will do what He will do.  We have a God who is firmly focused and faithful.

Proverbs - Honor to the Humble

Proverbs 29:23

A man's pride shall bring him low:

 but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.

Humility of spirit is an inner disposition rooted in a deep sense of how great God is and how dependent we are on His grace and power.  The spirit of a woman is to be meek and gentle.  This is of high value in God’s economy.  As women who are Jesus’ followers, we should be established in His grace and seeking to draw the resources we need to build our homes from Him.  He gives grace to the humble.  Grace can work through us and grace can establish us.  By approaching each day and situation with an open spirit to His wisdom and leading, we will find ourselves held in honor by those who surround us.  If we exalt ourselves we will find ourselves falling hard.  If we take the lower seat, ask questions rather than declare judgments and ponder His will rather than force ours upon others, we will be upheld in honor.

Knowing God - God Receives Us in Death

Ps 49:15

 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.

Grave has a power – the power of death, but God will redeem our souls from the power of the grave.  Death is an enemy that comes and tries to conquer.  It looms over every human in an intimidating and threatening way.  Our God is not intimidated by death.  He, Himself, went through death and conquered it on our behalf to show us that even death, is no match for our God.  How does God redeem us from the power of the grave?  He does this by receiving us.  He awaits us on the other side of the door which has a sign over it that says ‘death’.  The door itself is quite unattractive.  It stands as an unknown path to all of us, but the Lord stands on the other side ready to receive us.  If someone you love is facing death, if God is their God, if they are in Christ, they will be received. They will be redeemed from the power of the grave, for God will receive them.

Proverbs - Anger and Sin

Proverbs 29:22

An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression.

If you find yourself struggling with anger you probably have some relationship problems and find yourself crossing the line on more than one occasion.  Anger is very powerful and it often gets the best of us.  Sometimes anger comes from guilt.  We are resisting cooperating with the Lord’s prodding and we find ourselves agitated and unsettled.  Sometimes anger comes from a lack of sleep and filling our minds with worthless input.  Sometimes anger comes from pride thinking we deserve more or better than we have.  Anger is the spider of the cobwebs of strife.  Let us cease from wrath.  Let us consider mercy and humble ourselves in a place of consistent gratitude and patience towards others.