Proverbs - That Friend That Sticks Closer Than a Brother

Proverbs 18:24

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

When we become consumed with how many friends we have our focus becomes trying to be a friend.  This puts us in commitments and expectations that may very well be in competition for the first love relationship the Lord wants us to have with Him.  Here we are told we MUST show ourselves friendly with many friends.  Our goal has to be to enjoy and please that friend that sticks closer than a brother.  We can only be a good friend when we focus on pleasing the Lord and being there for Him.  Our daily times with Him, our trust in Him, our desire to cultivate our relationship with Him and grow in our knowledge of Him, must be our priority.  We should be making new memories with Him as well.

Knowing God - God Cares Where We Are

Gen 3:9

And the Lord God called unto Adam,

 and said unto him, Where art thou?

The Lord knew where Adam was, but He still called out and asked Adam, “Where are you?”  The answer was not to inform God but to inform Adam.  Adam needed to see where he was in light of the choice had made to ignore the Lord’s boundaries and participate in something the Lord had forbidden.  When we cross those lines, our God is still calling out and saying, “Where are you?”  Adam was hiding and had made coverings for himself.  The Lord wanted Adam to look at his state, his feeble attempt and covering his tracks and his lack of freedom to walk through the garden freely enjoying all that the Lord HAD given him.  Sometimes we accept where we are and don’t realize how our actions have affected our lives.  We must be sensitive to the first recorded time that God raises a question in His Word.  Where are you?  Are you hiding?  Are you hearing His voice in the distance?  Are you trying to hold the pieces of your life together with things you have ‘sewn’ together?  Are you restricted and bound by the consequences of sin?  Do you hear Him questioning you?  Even if there aren’t obvious conditions speaking to you, allow this question to often search you and perhaps even show that you are in a good place.  Where are you?

Proverbs - Impoverished

Proverbs 18:23

                                    

The poor useth intreaties; but the rich answereth roughly.

This scripture is letting us know that a poor man will ask for mercy but a rich man will answer harshly.  We can think of ourselves rich in many ways and those are dangerous times when we find ourselves in a pickle. We start searching our own resources before seeking God.  Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God.  No matter how ‘rich’ we think we are in experience, knowledge, money, time or resources, we are absolutely impoverished in comparison to our God who is rich in mercy, wisdom and judgment.  We must face even the most common complication asking for His mercy and resources for a given situation.  Sure, He might use something He has already given us but He will know what is needed more than we ever could.

Knowing God - God Should Impress Us

Isa 26:5

For he bringeth down them that dwell on high; the lofty city, he layeth it low; he layeth it low, even to the ground;

 he bringeth it even to the dust.

No matter how well known or respected a person is in society, they are still humans that were created by God for His purposes and they will give account.  Every celebrity faces death and no matter how beautiful the flesh is, it will still decay and corrupt after the life of the person departs.  All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust (Job 34:15). The glory and fame of man pale in comparison to the fame and glory of our God.  Are we more star struck with those whose faces appear on a screen than we are of our God who inhabits eternity?  When we enter into worship do we realize that the Lord is over all and we are privileged to know Him, talk with Him, be provided by Him and that He is waiting for us to dwell with Him in person forever? Let us not be so easily impressed with those who dwell on high.  Let us not look at the homes on the hill with some sort of inordinate reverence.  If we see someone we admire that is highly esteemed by man, let us not stop with a glance of admiration but lift that person who will inevitably be dust to the Lord seeking Him to touch their lives and soul.  Let us look up to the One who treats all men the same and is willing that none should perish but all should have everlasting life through faith in Christ.

Proverbs - A Good Thing

Proverbs 18:22

Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord.

Hey this is a good proverb!  Here the Lord is telling us that when a man finds a wife, he finds a good thing.  We are good things!  The accuser of the brethren wants us to focus on our failures.  Perhaps he wants us to think upon the shortcomings of our figure, our cooking or our parenting skills.  Ladies, we must start out with this truth.  If our husbands have found us, they have found a good thing.  Sure, we can get better, but let’s remember this starting point.  Maybe we could text to our husbands like this:

Please pick up some milk at the store.

I love you,

Love,

A.G.T. (a good thing)

Another great part of this verse is that our husbands obtain favor from the Lord by having a wife.  Why?  How?  I don’t know but I believe it because this verse says it.  Perhaps the opportunity to have marital relations frees our husbands up from so much of the struggle of the flesh that He can hear the Lord more.  Perhaps the wisdom that we share brings him balance and insight causing the two to have a better return for their efforts.  It might be that he has someone to pray for him and with him.   Maybe it is being able to bounce things off of us and work through his thoughts verbally with someone who if for him and not against him.  Whatever it is we could text like this:

Please pick up bread for lunches.

I love you.

Glad I could help you obtain favor from the Lord.

Love,

Your good thing

Knowing God - He Has Words for Our Calling

Jeremiah 1:9

Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.

                                                                     

Jeremiah was having a dialogue with the Lord.  God was calling him and Jeremiah was working through his own doubts and concerns.  As they continued interacting, the Lord put forth his hand and touched Jeremiah’s mouth.  He touched his mouth, not to heal it, but to place His Words in Jeremiah’s mouth.  Oh, how we need to have His Words for His calling in our lives!  This came by Jeremiah positioning himself in a place where he could sense the hand of God touching his mouth and the voice of God could be heard explaining what had been done.  It is often difficult to have this kind of interaction in our busy days but vital to be effective in all that the Lord has called us to do.  I remember when I had small babies the best time for this was nap time.  When I single, it was at lunch time off to the side at work.  Now, it is first thing in the morning after the kids go off to school.  No matter what time you meet, make the time.  We need the touch of God and to hear His voice explaining a bit of what He is doing.  God wants to touch us and God wants to talk with us.  Be in a place to be touched and hear. 

Proverbs - There is LIFE in the Tongue

Proverbs 18:20-21

A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

We have seen many proverbs on the tongue.  We have learned much from our Maker in this book about our words.  Here we learn a powerful truth.  Death and life are in the power of the tongue. 

Many times we focus on the fact that death is in the tongue.  If we tear someone down or put them down we can kill their spirits.  A verbally abused wife may get ulcers or high blood pressure from the constant barrage of insults and anger from the one who is to be her covering and protection.  A little child who is belittled and labeled may find their resolve languishing in the face of a parent whose words are filled with impatience and lack of understanding for a child’s age and development.

But there is also life in the tongue.  The words we speak can very well begin to help bring things to life in someone who, from previous spoken words, has something dead within them.  Jesus is the resurrection and the life.  Even if our words have brought some sort of death to our marriage, a relationship, a child, we have great hope in Jesus.  As we cry out to Him in the morning and ask that our tongues would be used by Him to bring life, we can see resurrection even in those relationships we may have sown death into.  We can be used to bring life to that neighbor, co-worker, grocery store worker etc., because we know the One who has the words of eternal life.  Open your mouth wide and let the Lord fill it.