Friday Slowdown

The composer of our hymn for this Friday was a pharmacist and amateur photographer, C. Austin Miles.  One day in 1912, he was in his darkroom, waiting for his photos to develop, and while in prayer, experienced a profound spiritual moment.
He envisioned Mary Magdalene, visiting the tomb and then meeting the risen Christ in the garden. He penned these words that have become a favorite for many Christians.

I hope that you find time to meditate on these lyrics and perhaps enjoy the recording that is below. May they bring a blessing to your heart on this Friday, as we slow down to think of our Father and to thank Him for His many blessings to us.


I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses.

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

He speaks, and the sound of His voice,
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing.

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

Proverbs 27:21 Giving and receiving praise, Part II

Today, we're continuing our study of this verse:

The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but man is tested by the praise he receives.

Yesterday we concentrated on how we can affect other people's lives for the positive, by using praise. Today we will look at what our response should be when we are on the receiving end of praise.
I've heard it said that vain men seek praise, that weak men are inflated by it, and that wise men disregard it. I believe that is what Solomon was expressing here.

We need to be careful not to extol our own virtues --- although some people say, "I have to toot my own horn; nobody else will!"  And so, many people in our society love to praise themselves. They point out how thrifty the are, how knowledgable, how generous, how experienced, etc, etc, until there's hardly a soul left that wants to be around them! Of course, there are a few times when it is appropriate to commend yourself -- for instance, if you are in the midst of a job interview, you must talk about your experience and your accomplishments. Another instance would be a time when it was necessary to defend yourself against accusations. Paul defended himself several times in the book of Acts, and then again in several of his letters to the churches.

It is one measure of our maturity in our walk with Christ, to check how we respond to praise. If we are made proud, puffed up, conceited, even scornful, then surely we are foolish, and not showing the wisdom that Solomon has been teaching in the Proverbs. Do we fail to give the glory to God, and instead steal it for ourselves? Then we are in danger of grieving the Spirit. Matthew Henry's commentary on this verse calls our attention to Herod, who accepted the people's praise, when he should have given it on to God. He paid for his arrogance and ingratitude rather quickly. (Acts 12)

Henry's commentary continues:

 If, on the contrary, a man is made by his praise more thankful to God, more respectful to his friends, more watchful against every thing that may blemish his reputation, more diligent to improve himself, and do good to others, that he may answer the expectations of his friends from him, by this it will appear that he is a wise and good man.

And in I Thessalonians 2:4b, Paul states:

Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.

So now, we've come full circle. We've plowed all the way around the field, and the tractor is headed to the barn. The last thing we need to consider is the Person who should receive our praise --- morning, noon, and night!

The Lord is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation;
He is my God, and I will praise Him;
My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.  (Exodus 15:2)

I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.  (Psalm 7:17)

I'd love to hear if you have favorite "praise verses" that you would like to share with everyone. Let us know in the comment section.

Proverbs 27:21 Giving and receiving praise, Part I

The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but man is tested by the praise he receives.

We've discussed refining of precious metals before. There have been verses that have caused us to examine the refining process, and to draw some applications for our lives. This verse is a little different --- we are "tested" by the praise we receive.

In a nutshell, the way that we respond to praise will reveal our character, just as a refining pot or furnace reveals the nature and purity of silver and gold. There are many examples in the Bible of people receiving praise, and their responses to it . . . look at I Samuel 18 when you have the time.  In that passage, praise brought out the best in David, but the worst in Saul.

By ourselves, we are totally inadequate for the tasks set before us -- sinful and helpless. However, (and this is a BIG however) because we are created in God's image, and because we have accepted the gift of salvation from His Son, we have great worth. Since God created us, and then redeemed us, our whole existence and our righteousness are completely dependent upon Him.
Biblical humility, then, is recognizing that our great worth is none of our doing --- it is the work that Christ has done (and is doing) in us!

There are so many ways to give and to receive praise . . . we can give praise personally -- face to face, or we can send it in writing -- real paper or electronic message.  We can even give it indirectly, like when we talk to someone and tell them about a nice thing a shared friend has done.
Whether we are praising their performance, or their character, it is such a positive thing to do.  There are three by-words that are important here --- praise needs to be:

•  timely
•  specific
•  sincere

Here's what I mean by "timely" praise: immediately upon completion of a task, or the moment when we realize that something has been done for us. A thank-you or words of praise that seem to come grudgingly, or too late, certainly don't mean as much for the intended hearer!
Let's be specific in our praise, too. Say exactly what that person did, that impressed you. Or thank them for a specific action, and the way it impacted your life in a positive way.
Lastly, be sincere. Don't gush or seem "over the top," but use words that express your sincere admiration or your gratitude. Let the person know that they are truly appreciated.
I hope you'll let me know in the comments if you have something to add to our study today. It's always good to let others know what you are thinking --- join in the discussion!

Election day - some thoughts

I thought I would post some thoughtful quotes and scripture that are appropriate for today. I hope that wherever you live, and whatever your political persuasion, you will make it a point to go and vote today, if at all possible.

While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian."   George Washington

When we view the blessings with which our country has been favored, those which we now enjoy, and the means which we possess of handing them down unimpaired to our latest posterity, our attention is irresistibly drawn to the source from whence they flow. Let us then, unite in offering our most grateful acknowledgments for these blessings to the Divine Author of All Good."   James Monroe

Dear Lord,
There is no greater feeling of liberation than to experience this freedom from sin and death that you have provided for me through Jesus Christ. Today my heart and my soul are free to praise you. For this I am very thankful.
On this Election Day I am reminded of all those who have sacrificed for my freedom, following the example of your Son, Jesus Christ. Let me not take my freedom, both physical and spiritual, for granted. May I always remember that my freedom cost others their very lives.
Lord, today, bless those who have served and continue to give their lives for our freedom. With favor and bounty meet their needs and watch over their families.
Help me to live my life in a way that glorifies you, Lord. Give me the strength to be a blessing in someone else's life today, and grant me the opportunity to lead others into the freedom that can be found in knowing Christ. Amen.

Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, ² to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.
³ At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. ⁴ But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, ⁵ he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. ⁸ This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.  Titus 3:1-8

We'll be back tomorrow with our studies in Proverbs. See you then!

Proverbs 27:20 Eye problems

Death and Destruction are never satisfied,
    and neither are human eyes.

The King James translation of this verse says, "Hell and destruction are never full, so the eyes of man are never satisfied."

Wouldn't it be great if we were to get the news that Hell was full up? No more room! We wouldn't have to worry about our relatives and friends -- there would be nowhere else for them to go but heaven! Oh, wait a minute . . . that would mean that some pretty bad characters would get into heaven, too. OK, let's reset and try again, here.
In God's plan, there is holiness, righteousness and justice, and there will be a place in Hell for those who don't accept His free gift of salvation and the wonderful life and relationship with him that He offers. It's difficult for us as mortals to envision heaven and hell, and the different descriptions of each of them. But it's a fact that hell is not full, and destruction is not finished --- there are catastrophes and storms, wars and conflicts, and destruction of all kinds here on the earth.
Solomon is comparing these concepts to our human eyes --- and the way that we use them. You see, we all have an "eye problem."  We inherited it from Adam and Eve . . . they were in a gorgeous garden, surrounded by awesome plants and animals, and even had the privilege of walking in the garden with their Creator. They could have anything and everything that they wanted, except for ONE THING. And you know what they did? Yep, you know! They sinned and got hold of the one thing He said "No" about! 
The problem with our eyes is that what they see, they usually want.  Other people in the Bible have had eye problems. King David saw Bathsheba, and he started on a path that he later wished he'd never set foot upon. Many people have eye problems when they see what their neighbor has --- how much "stuff" he has accumulated. 
The biggest consequence of our eye problems is that they take our eyes off what they should be focused on: our Father. If we are living in a constant state of dissatisfaction with our house, our car, our clothes, our social status, or even our spouse, we are allowing our expectations to rule us. And when that happens, we are putting our expectations ahead of our service to God --- you know what that means? 
Our expectations have just assumed the role of an idol in our lives. It may not be a statue or tangible item, but it's an idol just the same. And we need to knock it down and get back to focusing on our Lord.

Job was referring to man's tendency to look upon women, but he did something that we can do, too. He said, " I made a covenant with my eyes, not to look lustfully at a young woman." (Job 31:1)  It may sound a little wonky, but he made an agreement with his eyes . . . and we can do that, too.
We can determine to be content, to be satisfied, and to fill our eyes with His word.

Proverbs 27:19 Mirror, mirror

As water reflects the face,
    so one’s life reflects the heart.

Isn't it amazing how sometimes you can look at a lake and see such a perfect reflection? Sometimes it is difficult to tell where the land ends and the reflected image begins!

Sometimes when we look in a mirror, we see what we want to see. Remember the wicked queen? "Mirror, mirror, on the wall . . . "  Now, she had an advantage in a mirror that would speak to her, and magic spells to change her appearance.  Even if we don't have an enchanted mirror, we may look into it and ignore the gray hairs, the wrinkles that are starting, and the fact that we just don't look quite as young as we feel!

I wonder if we ignore things about ourselves when we look into our best mirror - God's Word?

The Bible tells us many things about how we should appear -- does our reflection match up with the ideal? Are we paying attention to "walk" or are we satisfied just to "talk"?

Let's check out this group of verses from the book of James:

22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.  (James 1: 22-25)

Staying close to our Father in prayer, and shining the light of His Word onto our lives will allow us to "see" ourselves clearly, and then reflect that light for others to see.

For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! (Ephesians 5:8)

And we have been charged with a large responsibility:

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.  Matthew 5:16

We need to remember that our outward lives reflect our inward heart. A life of strife or of foolish behavior reflects the fact that we are not absorbing the wisdom found in the Bible and living it out. Let's always try to reflect the light of Christ that is within us!

Proverbs 27:18 Honorable service

The one who guards a fig tree will eat its fruit,
    and whoever protects their master will be honored.

You might have heard someone make a comparison before --- starting with one thing that was certain, and then noting that the other will happen, too.
Something along these lines: "As surely as the sun will rise tomorrow morning, I will get it done."  Since we assume that all's right with the world, and that the sun will rise as it always does, we conclude that they are quite determined to do whatever they have promised. 

I think that is what Solomon is doing here. It was obvious to him that whoever tended a flock would use the flock sometimes for milk or meat, and that someone who tended a vineyard or a field would make use of the products that they were given responsibility for. It's even noted in the Bible:

 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk?  I Corinthians 9:7

So, Solomon is saying here that it is also every bit as certain that "whoever protects his master will be honored." The Hebrew word that is translated "protect" here in the NIV also has meanings of "hedge about with thorns," and "guard, attend to, wait upon, serve."

Jesus told us:

Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. John 12:26 

How can we best serve Him?  Let's look at Romans 12:

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach;  if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. 

^{We must determine what our gifts are, and serve Him with all our hearts!}