Prov. 16 : 16 A Whole Lot Better!

In this world of internet communications, we often find the letters and symbols inadequate to show our feelings --- it's not the same as a face to face conversation, is it?  We find ourselves wanting to give emphasis, to remind our reader that something is humorous, or even to make certain that we are not misunderstood or hurt another person's feelings.

We find ourselves using acronyms (ROFL, OMG, BTW, etc), happy faces, smilies, and exclamation points! We want to be sure that our reader understands just what we mean.

This is actually not a new problem --- Solomon had this issue, too. Want to know how I know this? Let's examine our verse for today:

Pro 16:16  How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!

There are two special ways that Solomon used here, to get our attention. First, he is changing how he says this . . . in other verses he has said "it is better to" and then gone on. This time he is speaking with assurance, even amazement: HOW MUCH better it is. He's saying to us, "It's like night and day - the difference here. It really is SO much better!"  And he emphasizes it so much, that there are exclamation points there . . . look familiar?  He's saying that heavenly wisdom is ever so much better than worldly knowledge and wealth.

When we want heavenly wisdom, we have to start at the beginning . . . seeking God and His grace --- that Plan that was put into place long before we were around. Matthew Henry says in his commentary:

      Grace is more valuable than gold. Grace is the gift of God's peculiar favour; gold only of common providence. Grace is for ourselves; gold for others. Grace is for the soul and eternity; gold only for the body and time. Grace will stand us in stead in a dying hour, when gold will do us no good.

I'm so glad that I will have grace, instead of gold, to cling to when I leave this earth! How much better that will be!  How about you?

Proverbs 14 : 19 When beggars can be choosers

Pro 14:19  The evil bow before the good; and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

I thought this was an interesting verse to study today. It's interesting especially because it is different from some of the verses we've looked at before. More than once we've been told that here on earth, it may look like the scales are lopsided.

It may look like the wicked have the best of things --- that they prosper in spite of their sin. We've noted that the righteous are wealthy, and are prosperous in a different way --- that in due time, they will reap bountiful rewards for their pursuit of godliness and rejection of immorality.

That is all still true. But in this verse, Solomon is noting something that he must have seen in his lifetime, and we may see it sometimes, too. There are times when God in His wisdom will chasten the wicked in this mortal life, and bring them down "off their high horse" as my grandma used to say.  And He may bless the righteous near those souls, and others who see it will acknowledge that their God is mighty, and that their lives in His service are just and happy.  Then the wicked will know without a doubt that God has favored the righteous.

There are stories in the Scriptures of people (some wicked, some not so wicked) that have asked for the favors and prayers of the righteous. Kind of like they come to the gate and knock, and beg for the upright to help them. I think that sometimes they look inside the gate, and in spite of their wickedness, and their unbelief, they are attracted to what lies beyond the gate, and perhaps a little jealous. They may scoff, and mock, and taunt, but in the quiet, when no one else is around, they may think wistfully of how they'd like to choose differently, and go through that gate.

Lord, help me to be a light, to be a gate that is attractive, and doesn't put people off.  Let my life with You be appealing to those who don't yet know You, and help me to be ready to tell them about Your grace.

Proverbs 13: 7 - 8 All that Glitters is not Gold

The basic thought of verse 7 is that one cannot judge by mere outward appearances. It would seem to be a contradiction to believe that giving to others will make us rich, but this is only because we think of it in human terms....we are leaving out God, who will bless truly cheerful giving. Not the kind of giving that makes it seem as if the gift has been wrenched from our hand unwillingly, but the giving that is, while sacrificial, given with the prayer that God may use it for His glory, and thankfulness for His blessings -- since His generosity to us is allowing us to give.    

I know that we have all heard the saying, "All that glitters is not gold," or even "don't judge a book by its cover." Outward appearances can indeed be deceiving. A person may be thought of as well off; they may bustle about and proudly make a great show of spending like there is no tomorrow to save for, and yet if all of their obligations were paid off, they would be penniless. Another may be incredibly blessed by God in temporal wealth, but in meanness of spirit would rather live below what He has given them, and be thought of as poor. In this way, that person is a poor steward, just like the first person: he or she is even showing ingratitude to God, because the blessings are not freely and cheerfully shared. 

Verse 8 continues to speak about wealth but in a different way: if riches have their advantage, poverty has an advantage, too! The poor man doesn't have to worry about being robbed, or being required to pay a ransom! When the Hebrew nation was taken captivity to Babylon, they actually left the poor people behind: In II Kings 25:12, it says "But the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen." That simply means that they thought the poor people weren't worth the trouble, so they left them behind, to tend the land!

Real wealth, pretended wealth.....hmmm. I think I would rather be spiritually rich, wouldn't you? I mean rich in grace. That is God's biggest and best gift to us --- the grace (unmerited favor) that caused Him to send His Son to die in our place, and save us from our sins. I think to be truly rich is to have the riches of the soul, and receive His grace, then gift it again to those around us. I hope that all of you have received His greatest Gift.