Proverbs 29:26 It all comes from above

Many seek an audience with a ruler,
    but it is from the Lord that one gets justice.

We all try to do the best we can with our lives, right? We try to eat nutritious food, we try to do well in school, well, I'm not choosing very good examples, am I? (Grin)  Sometimes I eat stuff that I know good and well is NOT good for me, and I didn't always give my best in school.

Let's try that again.

We attempt to make the best of our lives, to select a school to go to or a trade to learn, a spouse to marry, a car to drive, a home to live in, and on and on. What we don’t realize is that while we seek a certain conclusion to life’s questions and uncertainties in one direction, the answer comes from the Lord.
Ever heard people talk about God's will? They sometimes talk about His directed will, and His permissive will. His directed will is when He reaches down and directs a person or a situation, to accomplish His purpose. His permissive will is when he permits us to do something, or He permits something to happen in our lives. (Remember Job? The devil only had the ability to do what he did, because God permitted him to do so.)

It's interesting that people can be divided into groups by what they believe on this issue. The first group is the group of people who firmly believe that everything that happens in their lives comes from the hand of God. The second group is certain that they are the captains of their ships, and they are in complete control. The third group has no clue and really doesn't care -- their only interest is in what they can get from the world around them, and they are hoping for a pain-free and stress-free existence.

As Christians, we may be falsely accused and stand before a judge, asking for mercy and understanding. If we get it, it is because God directed it -- it all comes from above. As disciples of Jesus, we may desire a certain job, and want it so badly that we can taste it, as they say. If we are hired, it's because unbeknownst to the employer, God moved in the situation to accomplish His end.

How does He find the time to answer all of these prayers? Don't forget, He has an infinite amount of time, and love, in order to answer our finite prayers and and to direct our finite lives.

Does God permit us to do evil? Yes. We are free will beings, independent agents who should live our lives to glorify Him, but sometimes we experience epic failure due to our sin. Does He offer mercy and forgiveness? Oh, yes.

Jeremiah 10:23 O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walks to direct his own steps.
Psalms 86:5 For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy to all them that call on you.

Now is the time, and today is the day, to follow Christ, to believe in Him, and acknowledge His hand in our lives.  Seek to obey Him, and be thankful, for He has a purpose for our lives. Frankly, there are too many miracles for us to think that everything happens at random.
It all comes from above!

Proverbs 20:8 Throne of Judgment

Pro 20:8  A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes.

Matthew Henry notes that this verse describes a good king --- one that sits upon his throne, but not as a throne of honor, where he will be deferred to, and rest easy, and men will make homage to him.
Instead he sits upon his throne and does the work of a ruler: he doles out justice and mercy. He makes war upon his enemies. He makes things right for those who have been injured or harmed.  He punishes those who have done wrong.  He does not delegate matters to others, but is responsible for all of his kingly duties.
Henry says, " He makes his business his delight..."   Surely this is an apt description of a good and wise king.

Is it not also an accurate description of the King of all creation? He metes out judgment to the sinners, but showers mercy to those who claim His promise of salvation. He punishes those who have willfully erred, but gives sweet comfort to those who have been hurt or afflicted.

Jer 9:24  But let the one who boasts, boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight." declares the Lord.

And we have access to this King . . . just check out Hebrews 4:16:

        Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Even more wonderful is this promise --- we can approach Him not just as a King, but as our Father:

         I John 3:1 "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.

Lastly, as one of His children, I have great responsibility:

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

That is always my prayer --- that my light would shine for Him.

Prov 16 : 10 - 15 Great or Small

Pro 16:10  A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment.
Pro 16:11  A just weight and balance are the LORD's: all the weights of the bag are his work.
Pro 16:12  It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness.
Pro 16:13  Righteous lips are the delight of kings; and they love him that speaketh right.
Pro 16:14  The wrath of a king is as messengers of death: but a wise man will pacify it.
Pro 16:15  In the light of the king's countenance is life; and his favor is as a cloud of the latter rain.

Wow! What a great week of study we had last week with Tonya! I hope that this week will continue our progress . . . there's a lot here, so let's get started!

My title is "Great and Small" because these verses focus on those who are in authority -- kings (who ruled the land) and magistrates (who ruled in matters of weights and balances, ensuring against fraud). But these verses have a lot to say to us, even though we may consider ourselves "small" and not having the authority that the kings and magistrates had.

Verse 10 is not all inclusive --- by that I mean that not every king would not have been an example of this verse. Solomon is saying that if the king will be just, and rule in the fear of the Lord, and seek direction from Him, then He can favor them with grace and wisdom above all others, as He did Solomon.  Solomon then notes that public justice is something that God pays attention to. He is not, as some believe, a God who set the universe into motion, and then walked away; He is actively at work, even today.
The next four verses speak about the character of a good king --- he not only "plays fair" and is just, but it is an "abomination" for him to do otherwise. That's a really strong word - he will abhor, despise, oppose it with every fiber of his being.  In verse 14 and 15, Solomon illustrates the absolute power of kings -- if they were happy, others were happy. If they were angry, others were quaking in their sandals.

Can you imagine just how easy it would be, with that kind of power, to become arrogant? To be prideful? But Solomon's advice in other verses has been to seek wisdom, and to remain humble.

President Theodore Roosevelt and a dear friend engaged in a nighttime ritual to keep themselves humble. After an evening of conversation they would go outside on a clear night, and search the skies until one or the other found a faint speck of light-mist in a certain spot in the sky. Then the one who spotted it, would recite: "That is the Spiral Galaxy in Andromeda. That speck is as large as our Milky Way. It is one of a hundred million galaxies. It consists of a hundred billion suns, and each of them is larger than our own sun." Then the speaker would exclaim, "Now that we have our perspective, let's call it a day!" Pride is the constant enemy of the Christian, just as Solomon was noting that it could be the enemy of a good and righteous king. We need to keep alert to the sin or pride, so that we can reject Satan's suggestions of "how important" we are, how much "better" we are than others, and how "great" our achievements are. Whatever we have, and whatever we are, is by God's grace. Let's get in the habit of thanking Him for that!

Proverbs 14: 35

The king's favor is toward a servant who acts wisely, but his anger is toward him who acts shamefully.

Oh, man...do you have your work cut out for you today! (Yep--I'm giving you homework today!)

So, when you read today's verse, it's pretty self-explanatory, right? How about we (meaning you because I've already done my homework on this) look up some kings in the Bible. In your journal (and in the comments if you wish) list several different instances where #1--a king showed favor to someone who acted wisely and #2--a king showed his anger to a subject or subjects because they were out of line.

Finally, think about how this verse can relate to us as Christians. Record your thoughts.

Enjoy your study time!
---Tonya---