Author: Travis Manhart

As we begin this series, please be mindful that topics discussed are mature in content.  I know some of you share the devotional’s with your children or grandchildren.

Proverbs 5:15-19:

15    Drink water from your own cistern,

flowing water from your own well. (This refers to one’s spouse.)

¹⁶    Should your springs be scattered abroad,

streams of water in the streets? (This refers to man’s sperm and children from an affair.)

¹⁷    Let them be for yourself alone (with your spouse),

and not for strangers with you.

¹⁸    Let your fountain be blessed,

and rejoice in the wife of your youth (This speaks to the longevity that marriage is supposed to be.),

¹⁹       a lovely deer, a graceful doe.

       Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight;

be thou ravished always in her love.

Thank you for your comments on this series. Undoubtedly, hearing another voice on this subject, rather than what the television idol has to say, is refreshing.  Such is truth to our soul. It is not always easy to implement, but as you read the progression from last week’s to this week’s verses, who does not want Verse 19 to be part of their marriage?   For Verse 19 to be true, however, all of the above verses must also be in practice.  We are not just talking about sex on a physical level, but sex in the mind—fantasies as we call them—must end, along with viewing explicit material.  Without addressing the “whole man,” your “physical waters” may be “your own,” but they can be “scattered abroad” in your mind.  Jesus was questioned on the topic of infidelity, and his comment shocked the religious leaders of his day, as I am sure it will rock some of our boats as well.  Jesus said,  “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (vice versa for the ladies) (Matthew 5:27-28).  This verse draws a straight line and raises the bar considerably. There is a saying:  “You can look but don’t touch.” This does not work with Jesus, and it should not be acceptable to us. To look (lust) will in time lead to touch.

 

Christianity is not a smorgasbord where we can pick and choose what we want to believe or obey and justify or ignore the rest.  That is like saying you are 95 percent virgin—you either are or you are not.  This washed-out version of Christianity is the reason many of us have not the power of the Holy Spirit within us.  We have compromised our faith, or we were never truly “Born Again.”  Remember, God is not forcing us to go His way.  We are free to choose. Christianity is by invitation. There is no one coercing us to believe; however, once we publically claim the name of Christ, then by our own profession, the “obligation” to let the truth live through us is there.  Is this to say that we have to walk a perfect line?  No, a thousand times no, but it does mean that both heart and mind, to the best of our understanding, have yielded (surrendered) to the truth we know. Our rightful response, therefore, is to grow our faith, and just like anything else we want to get good at, it requires time and practice. If we view faith like a college class and the Holy Spirit as the teacher, then we need to show up for “class” (personal devotions) with Bible in hand and a readied heart and mind to learn.   You will learn, and change will become evident.  If this foundation of study is not built into us—that it is God’s Grace that CHANGES US as we give Him time—then all of what we are discussing will be set upon sand.  In time, as we try to walk the walk of faith by our own strength, our foundation will crumble. For the temptation to be unfaithful, be it in mind or in body, is beyond the strength of one’s will.  We must become “supernatural” by living in the grace and fullness of the Lord.

 

“Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe.  Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be thou ravished always in her love.”  The language in this is very intimate.  The word “fountain” is symbolic of the man’s penis; to be “blessed” is to confine its use to one’s wife, physically and mentally;  “a lovely deer, a graceful doe” refers to the enticement of the woman’s beauty in marital love; and “let her breasts fill (satisfy) you at all times” means to be drenched, soaked, or to drink to one’s fill (definitions for satisfied).  It gets better:  “Be thou ravished always in her love.”   Ravished means:  “to become intoxicated, to reel, to be under the influence.”   This is strong language, extremely sexual and fully charged with all the heights of human emotion a man or woman has been created to have.  There is such a misconception that God is a puritan in His approach to sex.  It is as if He says, “You can have sex to have children, but shame on you if you have it beyond that.”  As proven by these scriptures, that is so far from the truth; however, as mentioned earlier, for this to occur, the other verses must be active in our lives. By active, I do not mean perfect.  Active means that there is an agreement in us that they are right, and by God’s grace, we are working through our humanness till God’s Grace overcomes our weaknesses.

 

May this study be an encouragement to us but also a strong warning that the enemy is always trying to counterfeit God’s way.  If beauty and sex were a “stand-alone act,” why do all the sexual icons of our day marry and remarry?  Apparently, sex alone is not strong enough to keep two people from divorcing.  We must go deeper, beyond skin, and those of you who have good marriages understand that a lot goes into a relationship so that intimacy is what it was meant to be.  Forgiveness is fundamental; kindness should be routine; and loving friendship needs to be the bond that moves us forward with sex as the reward for it all.  In this context, no extramarital affair can compete. The heart is full.  There is no room or need to look outside of one’s marriage, but it takes work, and first and foremost an active faith, where routine times in the scriptures and prayer renews one’s faith.  Even if our marriages don’t fit these verses, and there could be multiple reasons as to why, be encouraged that as you remain faithful to the Lord, this is the goal and direction He wants for your marriage.  Hang in there!  Give your concerns to God in prayer and trust him and thank him.  The following is an encouraging verse found in Psalms 50:23: “The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly, I will show the salvation of God.” 

 

Father God,

This is a lot of truth, and it will take time to process, but let’s start at the beginning, making sure of our salvation, or a least admitting to ourselves that we have not fully surrendered to you and start prayerfully working through those obstacles. You love us regardless, and You purchased our salvation “while we were yet sinners.”  How much more are we invited to come before you and work out the obstacles that keep us from fully trusting you?  Let us not fear a God who spread out his arms, abandoning all power and majesty, to demonstrate his undying love for us by receiving our punishment for sin.  Rather, if we are to fear, let us fear not coming to such love. Thank You and Amen.

 

Walk forward into God’s Grace – Arthur

 

 

As we begin this series, please be mindful that topics discussed are mature in content.  I know some of you share the devotionals with your children or grandchildren.

Proverbs Chapter 5: 1,3,4,8,9,10:

1. My son, be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding

3. For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil,

4. but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.

8. Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house,

9. lest you give your honor to others and your years to the merciless,

10. lest strangers take their fill of your strength, and your labors go to the house of a foreigner

The book of Proverbs, as we have seen, is written as admonishment and as instruction by a father to his sons. In this case, the father is King Solomon of Israel—Israel’s wisest king. As we progress through Proverbs in Chapters 5 and 6, Solomon deals with allurement, passion, sex, the fallout from unfaithfulness, and the benefits of being faithful. This single sin of infidelity alone has destroyed families, putting the children on a dangerous path of not just present pain but future pain as well. Also, the violated spouse not only has his or her pain with which to deal, but the responsibility of picking up the pieces and holding the family together. The fallout of a broken home affects everyone’s self-esteem, making the children especially vulnerable to potentially high risk and just wrong choices, as their emotional base of self-esteem shifts from the home to seeking approval from their peers, as the remaining spouse is simply spread too thin to cover all the needs of the family. This fallout used to be mostly the fault of the husband, but over the past several years, women having affairs have outnumbered men. Maybe some of this increase with woman can be contributed to shows that glamorize an affair and repeatedly condition us to accept infidelity as a “social norm.” (Broken lives should never be accepted as a social norm; this is when you know your society is sick.)  So, though the scriptures are written in the masculine gender, they also very much apply to women. So with that said, let’s start.

Verse 1:  “My son (or daughter), be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding.” To avoid this kind of destructive sin, it starts right here. To whose wisdom are we going to listen? In that moment, when attraction and desire start to kindle an inward flame, how do we respond? As the moments tick away, turning into minutes, the will weakens and the conscience begins to betray that which it knows to be right, as passion clouds judgment. Action is what is needed—the same action we would take if we saw a vehicle coming towards our child.  There is no time to think “what if.” There must be action—a resolve to get the child out of danger—and we must do the same. To be “attentive to” and “incline your ear” means that what has been said has been received and there is no debate. A decision has been made prior, so in the face of temptation, the only decision to be made is when to walk, not if. A resolute decision is made to step away, keeping it professional, not going along with the “word games” that go along with flirtation. You walk away with no “open door or forwarding address.” 

Verse 3:  “For the lips of a forbidden woman (or man) drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil.”  The words we use today are different, but we get the message—she is hot or he is really good looking. The psychology of an affair is complicated, but it starts here—physical attraction. Chemically, we are wired to be attracted to beauty, be it another person, a vehicle or home, an outfit, or a painting. We internally get “turned on,” but why?  Why is beauty such an issue with us? I will give you an answer that initially will sound way out in left field, but we were made to worship the “Lord in the Beauty of His Holiness.”  From creation, we were meant to worship the Lord, to be fulfilled with His love. In his completeness, we are made whole. In the absence of this, we are emotionally hungry. Empty would be another word, or spiritually void of God’s love, which has a direct affect on our self-esteem. And just like our kids take risks because of a broken home, we take risks because our lives are broken, spiritually void of the worship/love relationship we were created to have. I know I just jumped over a whole bunch of Biblical teaching to draw these conclusions, but ask yourself this:  “Why are you (we) attracted to beauty? The attraction is deep because of the length and the risks we are willing to go to attain it. Could it be in lieu of worshipping the Lord—that this person or thing becomes an object of worship for us? We believe that he, she, or it can fulfill us. That would explain the risks we take, whether it is going into debt to buy a car we can’t afford so our self-esteem is built up or ending up in an affair that initially meets our need, though it is at the expense of our family. Logically, who would do that? Logic, however, is not what is used here.  Emotional hunger, if it is deep enough, wins every time.

Verses 4, 8, 9 & 10: “but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.  Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house, lest you give your honor to others and your years to the merciless, lest strangers take their fill of your strength, and your labors go to the house of a foreigner.”  I once got into an argument with an Army recruiter, who was trying to recruit my newly turned 18-year-old daughter. I was about as angry as I have ever been, but I kept control, more so than he did, as he accused me of not knowing what “honor” was, after I told him his actions of not consulting the parents, regardless of what the law permitted, was not honorable. My response to his mocking accusation silenced him. Honor is when a man or women does the right thing, even to his or her own hurt. (This actually is a verse in Proverbs.)  So what has happened to honor?  It used to be that whether the actions of another were right or wrong, I respected myself enough to do the right thing. And when is it someone else’s responsibility to make me happy?  Is that not the justification we use: “They no longer make me happy.”  What has happened to us that we have become so empty of virtue? Has honor been trampled in the streets?  Has truth become overrun by lies that mask as truth?  Verse 4 says:  “but in the end she is bitter as wormwood”(an extremely bitter remedy used in ancient days to kill intestinal worms) and“sharp as a two-edged sword”? (The implication is that it cuts on both ends, causing severe bleeding and or death.)  The remedy is: “Keep your way far from her (or him), and do not go near the door of her house, lest you give your honor to others and your years to the merciless, lest strangers take their fill of your strength, and your labors go to the house of a foreigner.”   View him or her as another empty human being, who is caught in the same web of lies in which you are becoming entangled. Unless action is taken, you will become both a victim and a perpetrator of the same cruel lie that has destroyed both reputation and wealth of a long line of people who decided to live “life” their way. 

Father God,

There is no way to deal gently with such destruction. It is a cancer that lies within us, and if given freedom, will consume and kill all manner of honor, love, joy, and peace. For us to believe otherwise only testifies to the fact of how conditioned and calloused we have become. Forgive us Father, for only in You is there any ray of hope to right the great wrong that has been done, whether we are the cause or the victim. 

Thank you and Amen.

May God help us – Arthur

Proverbs Chapter 5: 1,3,4,8,9,10

1. My son, be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding

3. For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil,

4. but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.

8. Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house,

9. lest you give your honor to others and your years to the merciless,

10. lest strangers take their fill of your strength, and your labors go to the house of a foreigner

 

 

We have had two studies concerning the importance of our interpersonal relationships with each other, and we have learned that we are our “brother’s keeper.” We are held accountable to the degree that we are able, and that accountability is between God and us; therefore, aside from the importance of having a relationship with the Lord, where everything begins, our relationship with each other is critical.  Jesus was asked about the most important commandments—a great question, because by then, they had made commandments from commandments—and Jesus replied in Mark 12:29-31 saying (paraphrased):  “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, mind and strength and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”  These two statements, in and of themselves, are a study, but they support the underlying point that the success or fruitfulness of our lives is underpinned in giving attention and time to the adherence of these two commandments.

 

I want to turn now from our relationship to one another and give time and learning to a critically important relationship—our closest “neighbor”—our spouse.  I have been married to Lisa for 34 years, and I will often tell others that I have her really fooled.  In this day and age, and considering we were married at the age of 22 (myself) and 21 (Lisa), we are a rarity and totally get the expression:  “poorer than church mice.”  In today’s society, we were but kids. Having our first child at ages 23 and 22, there was no time to “grow up.”  We just had to be. With all the struggles that come with life and raising a family, if we could make it, I am confident that any couple can make it, but they don’t.  Last I heard, statistics show there are as many divorces as marriages, and this does not account for the high percentage of people who are living together and in many cases raising families.

 

I know as we start this new series on marriage, I am going to “step on people’s toes”—people who are my friends; people who are dear to me. Yet, without a fraction of doubt in my heart, I irrevocably believe that God’s way is best and that there is no better action we can take or do than to align our lives in accordance with God’s Word. If this had not been the resolve of Lisa and me, it would be questionable whether we would be celebrating 35 years of marriage, nor could the fallout of a divorce be measured in the impact it would have had on our girls, which is seen in so many of our kids’ lives. Aside from our girls, we have “adopted” in heart another girl, Reyna, whom I have known, and to whom I have been a father figure, since she was 16 years old and who now is 30.  She in turn has cared for two children she has known since they were 3 and 5 years of age and who now are 11 and 13.  During Easter, they were at our home for dinner, and this was the first time we actually got to know the kids and interact with them. Given their lack of parental influence, they were a joy to have over, much to Reyna’s credit and influence.  Recently, Reyna and I were discussing how to answer the oldest one’s question about whether or not she should have sex—keep in mind she’s only 13 years old.  My initial response was to say that God has reserved sex for marriage.  Reyna interrupted me and said, “I don’t think they know what marriage is.  They could not believe that you and Lisa were married, especially for 34 years!  None of their friends come from homes with both parents.”  I almost cried.  What untold and immeasurable damage we “adults” are causing to the lives of our children by exercising “our freedom” to divorce and remarry, to break our marriage covenants, and in general live out our lives at the expense of our children. We use the excuse that we are incompatible, but when we got married, we were perfectly compatible! What happened? There are Biblical grounds for divorce, and even in these cases, counseling is strongly encouraged.

 

As we begin this series on “Wisdom for Marriage,” my heart is heavy and my words at times may be direct. Our kids should not be experiencing the fallout from our self-centered ways.  Many of us “adults” were raised in such environments and have not had healthy examples of marriage or being parents.  Consequently, though we try to do right by our kids, we come to marriage and parenthood with little or no tools.  My goal of this series is to equip us, and by God’s grace to right the wrongs we have suffered in our early lives.  For those of us who have had a relatively sound upbringing and, therefore, have had a healthy marriage and family life, may these devotions support and strengthen what you already have established.  I encourage you to send me emails on things that have helped your marriage and/or parenting skills, so the rest of us can benefit.  I am by no means coming to you as an authority, only as one who has seen God work in our marriage and with our girls, and I am still learning and face my own challenges.  This I know, however, that for the man or woman who honors God in his or her life decisions, God will honor, and the spinoff of that will be felt and seen in all of his or her relationships, especially in his or her family.

 

May this now serve as the introduction into this series and the point of reference from which I will be writing.  We will start next week with the verse quoted above.  Until then, may the love of God’s Word and your communion with Him in prayer become the bread you eat and the air you breathe.  Let’s be real.  Our families and spouses need us to be.

 

Father God,

I am not an authority on this subject, but may You teach through me what You have taught me. I can only give that which has been given to me. So, may Your wisdom come out and may marriages be healed; may families come together and may children know they are loved, as Your love comes into our relationships and heals and completes that which the enemy has sought to rob and destroy. This I ask of You Father.  Thank You and Amen.

 

Dios lo Bendiga – Arthur

 

 Proverbs 24:10-12:

10 If you faint in the day of adversity,

your strength is small.

^11 jRescue those who are being taken away to death;

hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.

¹²    If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”

does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?

Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it,

and will he not repay man according to his work?

 

I have thought about these verses often—at first not really understanding them—but as life gave me more experiences, these “mystery verses” have become clearer.  This devotional, like the last one, will be challenging.  In context, Verse 10 references a time of trial:  “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.”  Adversity is defined as anguish or affliction, and faint is to become weak, to walk away, or to leave alone.  The verse references those times we should have stood up and said something or should have taken action on someone’s behalf, but we didn’t.  I believe we all share those regrets. There is a saying—not a proverb—that states:  “Unless you stand for something, you will fall for everything.”   Wefall or faint because our strength (character) is weak.  We are too worried about what others will say or will think of us, or we are too occupied with our own agenda to step out and do the right thing.  There are days of adversity that befall all of us, and these days measure our character, whether we live out our faith or personal belief, or we buckle under the pressure.  Natural disasters, such as the ones that occurred in Oklahoma, are one example of adversity.  Fortunately, in these extreme cases, the best of who we are appears, as we give ourselves to help others.  Verse 10 addresses this.

 

Verse 11 speaks of those falsely accused and sentenced to death because of a crime they did not commit:  “Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.”  We know the truth and we fail to speak out (forbear), allowing the innocent to suffer. One reason this verse is difficult for me is because my experience in these situations is extremely limited.  The closest I came were the years I taught in prison ministries.  I was very foreign to that environment, but I determined that God had my back and that I was going to do my best to teach these men the gospel.  It went well, and after my third year, I felt a couple of them could take over the study. In addition to prison ministries, we find many examples outside those walls where injustices are being perpetrated. Let’s look at a situation where a coworker is unjustly accused of something that someone else did, and we remain silent. What about when one of our classmates is being derided, and even if we do not participate, we do not attempt to stop it.  Character and strength is measured in times like these, and often the reason we don’t speak up is because of our own insecurities or fears that we will become the next target or become cast out from the group. The last part of Verse 11 gives caution to these thoughts.

 

Verse 12 speaks of the decision we must make regarding whether we conform to the group or societal norms, or whether we speak out because our conscience answers to God:  “If you say, ‘Behold, we did not know this,’ does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?  Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?”  No one can answer for the conscience of another, but God who sees will render to each man and woman the “harvest” of the deeds done and the words spoken. God help us to value Biblical truth in an age where everything but Biblical truth is believed.  May we live in such a way that our life becomes the scriptures that people read, and in so reading, may find a desire in themselves to know more.

 

Father God,

The salmon swim against the currents, and in so doing only the strong spawn; birds take off against the wind, and in so doing reach the heights; and for faith to be fortified, it too must be forged in times of trial and difficulty.  Help us to do the right thing in those moments when our character is tested, and help us to seek to be honoring to You.  At times, opportunities come only once.  Enable us to be the difference—to be Christ to that person. Thank you and Amen.

 

Dios lo Bendiga – Arthur

Proverbs 24:17-18:  “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles, lest the Lord see it and be displeased, and turn away His anger from him.”

 I have spent most of my life reading Proverbs, and the Proverbs have become “checks” to my soul, pointing out and uprooting weeds of negative thoughts and desires before they root themselves deeply in me and affect my character. At times, I am completely unaware of “bad weeds” beginning to make my soul their growing grounds, so subtle do the thoughts enter. The Spirit uses the scriptures, especially Proverbs, to reveal these “weeds” to me. Then I feel really stupid, but also so very grateful that the Lord is watching over me as He watches over all of us and speaks to us through His Word, as we commit to spending time with Him. Interestingly enough, there are 31 chapters in Proverbs and 31 days in a month, so a chapter can be read daily—like taking your “spiritual vitamin.” Between the clamor of the day and the constant bombardment of secular influences, it is refreshing to know that God’s Word “shoots straight,” no messing around, and it is completely trustworthy and for our good.

 

From our past devotions, we understand that God really cares about having a relationship with us, but with this week’s devotion, we see that God cares about the relationships we have with one another, even our attitude towards our “enemy.”  There is a neat story in 2 Kings 6:18-23, where Israel is at war, but the prophet Elisha would divinely warn the King of Israel of the Syrians’ traps. So angered by this, the Syrian King sent his army after Elisha, the prophet—really a stupid idea!  Long story short, the army found the prophet in a small town, but God blinded the army, and Elisha led them to the very heart of Israel where the King ruled, and the King requested permission to slay them.  Elisha responded, “How would you treat prisoners captured in war?  Feed them and send them back to their Master, the King?”  For a long time afterwards, Israel had peace with Syria.

 

It is so easy to rejoice over our enemy’s misfortune, but that is not the spirit God wants us to have. In Matthew 5:43-48, there are some great verses.  Because of its length, I can only quote parts of it, “But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you, that ye may be the children of your Father who is in Heaven. For He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends His rain on the just and the unjust. For if ye love those who love you, what reward have ye? And if you greet only your brethren, what do you do more than others?  Be ye therefore perfect (full—as in not lacking, matured, complete), even as your Heavenly Father is perfect.”  If you have not read these passages before, they are huge. It is so against our natural way of thinking towards those who would oppose us or dislike us.  

 

That’s why a truly Christian life is so much more than just saying a prayer and going to church on Sunday to “fulfill” a need in us, so we can say we are good people.”  True Christianity is way beyond that. It is not humanly possible, without the intervention of the Holy Spirit, to love our enemy.  Why should I?  He is my enemy.  Without understanding what a great offense for which we have been forgiven—so much so that the Savior had to give His life for us—we are unable to forgive and love our enemy. To be set free from our carnal nature, something with which we all struggle, has to be a God thing. This is the “raw, ugly” side of Christianity, the part that no one wants to talk about. We are all into doing good deeds and receiving praises from that, because it makes us feel good about ourselves, but we don’t want this “raw, ugly” side of the faith. It’s wounding.  It’s messy. I have to leave my nicely defined comfort zone, “my happy spot,” to step out and actually put flesh to Christ’s words. 

 

Christ gave a hard speech similar to this, and the scriptures record that many of His “followers” left Him. When we have to forgive, and when we have to say no to ourselves to obey Christ, do we also want to leave Him? He’s my God for the good times, and as long as things go my way and the blessings keep flowing, I am in; but when the blessings stop and times are really tough and someone is wanting to see what a Christian really is, do we check out and retreat back into our comfort zone of religion? The true Christian walk is supernatural. It cannot be done without the aid of the Spirit and a heart that truly is growing in the understanding of what it was saved from and the greatness of the ransom that was paid.

 

Father God,

This is a hard study, but you yourself say that wide is the road that leads to destruction, and many there be that go on it, but narrow (hard, confined—as if between two boulders) is the way that leads to eternal life and few there be that find it. Let me, let us, be the ones that find it and not count this life as precious, but the life to come. As diamonds in the rough, this life serves to prove us, cut us, and shape us, so that in our reflection, Christ is seen and more may come.  Amen. (Matthew 7:13-14 paraphrased)

 Proverbs 3:13-15,18, 23: 

¹³  “Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, ¹⁴  for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold.  ¹⁵  She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her.  ¹⁸  She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed.  ²³  Then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble.” (ESV)

Before we begin, please note the following corrections from prior studies.  In the scripture verse we studied last week, the word “loveth” incorrectly changed to “liveth.”  Correctly read would be:  “…for whom the Lord loveth he correcteth,” not “…for whom the Lord liveth….”  Also, two devotions back in the study of “Honoring the Lord with our Increase,” I misnamed the athlete as Mark Spitz, when it should have been Michael Phelps.  I am sure all of you realized that! 

Let’s start with a question, “What is wisdom, and how is it attained?”  Some would say it is being smart and that “smarts” come from our parents (our genes).  That part is true, but is intelligence the same as wisdom?  I have known some very intelligent people who have made some very poor decisions in life and have not exercised wisdom in their decisions. Personally, I think we all have made decisions that we regret.  So, wisdom must be more than just smarts and not just defined by one’s genes.  The scriptures teach in Proverbs 1:7:  “The reverence of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom.”  And it says in Proverbs 15:33:  “The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom….”  Both of these verses interchange the use of wisdom and knowledge for poetical reasons, but in either case, wisdom/knowledge stem from the fear or reverence for the Lord—that there is a God and to the degree that I believe that and act upon it will largely determine my behavior and the decisions I make.

Let me explain how reverence for the Lord works in me.  First, all my interactions with my fellow man are governed by a standard that is not “me” centered but “other” centered. Through the relationship I have with the Lord God, I know He “has my back,” so I do not need to be “me” focused—I can be focused on others.  If I did not have that reverence/relationship, I would by default need to be “me” focused.  Next, the fear of the Lord causes me to see my proper place among humanity. The value/love God places upon me, He has for everyone else as well, so it’s not just me that’s “special.” We are all special. So because of that, we all stand on equal ground and have equal worth and access before God. We can choose to not be obedient to Him or not have a relationship with Him and reap the consequences of our own decisions, but why when God is so willing to partner with us in this life? 

Lastly, the fear of the Lord affects how I use my finances. We spend money often times because we perceive our purchase will make us feel more important, look better, or fulfill an emotional need or void we have inside. Whereas, in reality, these purchases are just “things” that are made to serve a function, not inflate our ego or “fulfill us.” Through reverence/relationship with God, I am able to see through the things in this life that we tend to make into “little gods” and not be trapped by them or spend money on them other than for the service they were designed to do.

The fear of God makes God big, makes me small, and makes the problems in this life manageable.  We have said this before, but a reminder is always helpful. It allows me to see and weigh things with eternity in mind, which affects every decision I would make, from relationships to purchases; hence, from this then, is Wisdom founded. For the reverence of God causes these changes in one’s being, and wisdom is therefore that ability to live in the world, seek to be beneficial to all, but not get trapped or sucked into its materialistic, worldly views and values. To be in the world but not of it, to rather be about God’s work—having His values and living for something more than just the here and now—can only be accomplished through the fear/reverence of God. This, then, is wisdom, which is much different from “smarts.” Through our emotional-need system, our “smarts” can easily be duped into making something or someone more important than what/who they are.

Father God, thank you for this study. Cause me to understand how easily, via the window of my emotions and perceived needs, I can make decisions that are not the best. Let me see that by spending time with You, growing in reverence for You, I become “protected” from becoming prey to my emotions and the worldly system of materialism.  Thank you and Amen. 

Dios lo Bendiga – Arthur

Proverbs 3:11-12:  “My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, neither be weary of his correction, for whom the Lord liveth he correcteth, even as a father, the son in whom he delighteth.“

The biggest error I find in “Christian faith” is that it is too easy.  Say a prayer and presto “you’re born again.”  We really have no concept of what it is to be a “Christian.”  It’s like saying all Hispanics are Catholic, and those of you who are Catholic understand that one’s nationality does not make you Catholic, no more than drinking milk makes you a cow.  It is a set of beliefs to which one gives himself/herself; therefore, just because we are Americans does not make us Christian.  The faith of Christianity was founded in Christ as he embraced the Cross for past, present, and future believers—for those who would seek forgiveness and refuge in His atoning death.  It was a victory that was hard-fought and won, as the principalities of Hell and Death sought to overcome the God/Man Savior.  Salvation, or to be “born again,” is, therefore, much more than a prayer said in a moment of emotion.  It is thoughtful, searching, and repentant, with an understanding of what is at stake—a surrendering of “me, mine, pride, and self,” to obey, follow, and fall in love with a God who loves us and paid the ultimate price for our freedom.  Without this foundational understanding, when God’s discipline comes, we are offended and fall away, causing more harm to ourselves and to the Faith.

It is necessary, therefore, that we understand the admonitions that are found in these verses. “My son” (‘Ben’ in Hebrew) can be translated “daughter or child ” as well, and as a father with two daughters, there are very few two-word combinations that express more love than “my daughter.”  So when I read “my son,” no matter what follows, it is being said from a heart that loves me and is proud of me—a heart that already approves of me, not a heart from which I have to earn approval.  His love validates my worth as His son, as His love validates your worth as a son or daughter. I have no fear, therefore, in what my Father allows, so to read “despise not the chastening of the Lord,”—understanding that “despise” means to reject, refuse, or lightly esteem and “chastening” to instruct or discipline—means that I accept it knowing that it is the refiners fire burning away the dross—dross that I know exists, until he sees His reflection in my soul.  Another one of my “best friends” since my youth is found in Proverbs 6:23: “For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light, and reproofs (or disciplines) of instruction are the way of life….”  There is no argument in me towards God’s rod of instruction, only the prayer to be able to endure it, allowing it to have its work in me as the challenges of life come my way. I can fill pages with challenges, hardships, and times of darkness and uncertainty through which I have gone, only to learn the truth in the Shepherd’s Psalm (Psalm 23:4):  “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

Tucked within the verse is, “even as a father,” which is a part that breaks my heart. The concept of God being a “Father” comes from us men, who, for the most part, are sorry examples of a Godly father. We have had fathers who failed in their roles as God’s representatives, and they have had fathers who failed in their roles, and on and on it goes.  Our children, therefore, have had to suffer the breakdown and have had to try to reconcile the God of the Bible as a “loving Father,” a God they cannot see, with their own father whom they do see whose role it is to instill worth and value but fails.  So, if my own father does not love me, does not feel I’m important enough, why would God find me important.  You see, when we fail as fathers, the breakdown is huge.  It is emotional, spiritual, and is often being acted out on the physical level.  Show me a child that has a poor self-image, and I will show you a child that is prey to sex, drugs, and high-risk actions, only to gain approval from his or her peers.  Fortunately, this is not true of all of us dads; it is just true of too many of us.  Our job as parents is huge, and single moms serving as a mom and dad is even greater still. The sense of self-worth, “that I matter,” comes from our parents, especially from us fathers, and to the degree we fail as parents is to the degree that our children will struggle with their sense of self-worth.  Just look at us!  It is to the degree that we still struggle, even now as adults. The “Love of God” is so “other” that unless you dwell in it, you can in no way model it or give it.  God help us parents, especially us fathers, to get it!

I love this phrase, “the son in whom he delighteth.”  In Hebrew, “Pasah” (delighteth), means to take pleasure in, to accept, to be acceptable, and to treat favorably. God’s love is not for sale. You cannot buy it and you cannot work for it.  You come into it only under God’s terms alone—you become His child, “the son/daughter in whom he delighteth.” This is hard to accept for those of us who still want to “make our way in this life” (a life that is so passing), but what a joy for those of us who are broken and hungry for truth—what a relief.”  You mean I don’t have to go through hoops to gain approval?  I am already approved though I have done nothing?”  Yes, the Love of God is “SO OTHER,” there is no human experience that it can be likened towards. The only one that possibly is close is the love of a parent towards their newborn. The child has not earned a thing; we don’t even know the child’s personality, and up to this point, it has caused a fair amount of pain and discomfort, but at the moment of birth, that child is given full rights into the family and all that we have achieved up to that point is appointed for their care.  Our response, therefore, to the Lord is one of surrender and acceptance of God’s love and to learn of Him, or go on our way chiseling out a life that hopefully will fulfill us, validate us, and fill the emptiness within.  It is our choice, and it will always be our choice.

Father God,

I now pray for everyone who has read this devotional.  I ask that the power and strength of this message will be irresistible to them, as you truly are irresistible.  Whatever concepts we have developed of you that do not line up with your words of love and encouragement, I pray they will crumble and become as dust.  Cause us to see that it is not about doing.  It is about being—being in communion and relationship with you. The doing is a natural by-product of being, just like an apple is the by-product of a healthy apple tree.  Please, Lord, help us to understand.  In your name,  Amen.

Dios lo Bendiga – Arthur

 

A friend of mine wrote the below poem entitled:  My Imaginary Dad.  She has shared with me the multiple psychological damages she has suffered due to never seeing or knowing her father.  She met him when she was 22 years old.  She also shared that when she became a believer in Jesus Christ, she was unable to call God “Father” due to the relationship or lack of relationship she had with her earthly father.  After much prayer and effort, she is now able to easily call God “Father” and “Dad,” and she knows that this God Father will never leave her or forsake her.

Proverbs 3:9-10:  “Honor the Lord with thy substance and with the first fruits of all thine increase. So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”

 

The word “honor” (“Kabed” in the Hebrew) in this passage has an interesting rendering.  It means to “weigh down, weigh heavily, to be honored and/or to multiply.”  The best word picture I have is when Mark Spitz won his 22nd medal, making him the most decorated Olympian in history, with a total of 18 gold medals, 2 silver  medals, and 2 bronze medals in the 2012 Summer Olympics. You could say he was “weighed down, weighed heavily or honored” with his medals.  I believe this would be the correct rendering of the word “honor.”  The word “substance” would refer to the results or the effect of one’s labor.  In our society, it would reference money.  In an agrarian culture, it could literally refer to fruits, vegetables, grains, etc.  So substance would be the reward we receive for our efforts, and to coin a phrase, “This is where the rubber meets the road.”  How faith and finances find their expression through us—whether we honor the Lord with our substance—is most telling of our commitment to our faith.  Therein lies the biggest potential “gap” between what we profess and what we practice.  Now before I begin, I want to make it extremely clear that this is not a guilt trip. The issue of giving is between the believer and God.  So the goal of any good message on tithing or giving is to share what God’s Word says and for us individually to pray and consider our response to it.

 

There is a verse in the New Testament that has helped me keep a balance between family obligations, bills, and tithing/giving.  It is in 2 Corinthians 9:7:   “… for God loves a cheerful giver.”  This is a great chapter about tithing/giving.  Through my years of giving, I have learned that I have benefitted the most by giving what I can give gratefully, as opposed to tithing a specific amount.  I know that some of us have the conviction of giving 10 percent, and I would say that if that can be given cheerfully, as opposed to obligatorily, then that is awesome.  Some of us give more than 10 percent and some give less.  Regardless of the amount, if it is given cheerfully, then that is what counts.  We have to remember, God isn’t going to file Chapter 11.  He does not need our money, and He is bigger than our wallets.  Giving, therefore, is more like investing.  If I believe in a company’s principles, and I want to be a part of its future growth, I invest in it.  I am confident that I will see a return on “my money” (all money is the Lord’s) as the company expands.  Giving, therefore, is for my benefit, “So shall thy barns be filled with plenty and thy presses burst out with new wine.”  Giving also measures our obedience, which is in direct proportion to our faith.  So, to the degree that our faith is centric to our being, we give to support those ministries which will bring the “return” (people’s lives benefitted) that we seek.

 

A stumbling block to giving is the “psychology of money,” which can only be overcome by growing faith.  Inherent within us is the need to feel secure; therefore, the more money we have, the more secure we feel, but is that true?  Does money make for a good marriage, prevent divorce, give us wisdom to raise our kids, or enable us to forgive?  The answer is, “No.”  In fact, in many instances, having money (wealth, and wealth is relative) makes the heart more selfish and self-centered, exasperating all the problems inherent to having relationships. There are neat verses in Proverbs 30:8-9:  “…give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food that is appropriate for me, less I be full and deny you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.”  The man who wrote this lived in the “golden age” of Israel’s history, where “silver and gold was as common as the rocks in the streets.”  He saw through the vanity of trusting wealth for one’s security and happiness, and he understood that a living relationship with the Living God is what true wealth and security is all about.

 

Therefore, as our faith matures, we understand this truth and seek our security from the Lord and not from money.  Also, as our faith grows, we desire to faithfully use what God has blessed us with—be it our time, money, or both—and we are joyful to share or “partake” in the success of the ministries we support.  Internal to my being is the desire to be pleasing to my Heavenly Father.  To be able to stand before Him, knowing that I have served Him well with my (His) time and my (His) finances, and knowing I have loved His kids and my neighbors—there is nothing greater or worth striving for.  As Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7:  “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”  Paul got it right and lived it with his life.  May he be an inspiration to all of us.  As one pastor said, “It is not the amount given but what is left.”  That amount is between God and the giver.

 

Father God,

Thank you for this study on finances and how it is a measurement of my trust and faith in You.  Help me to grow my faith by spending time with You in study and prayer.  Open my eyes to see that the only true security is in You, and though money may make me feel secure, it also affects my relationship with You, making me more complacent towards You.  So “feed me with the food that is appropriate for me” and free me to focus on You.  Thank you and Amen.

 

Dios lo Bendiga – Arthur