365 Reflections

Proverbs 16 is all about the purposes of the Lord. And in this chapter we find tremendous insight into His purposes and how we often fail to regard His sovereignty over our feelings.  Many Christians want to examine their purpose but few want to examine how often their own hearts are misaligned from God's ultimate purpose for them.  Proverbs 16:1–3 (ESV) The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD. 2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirit. 3 Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established. Three thoughts the chapter opens with.  First, the Lord controls the speech of men. We can make the attempt to direct our lives according to a certain plan but we all need many people to give us the affirmation in order to get anywhere. We need the job to be offered, the proposal to be accepted, and the child to listen to what we say. But God ultimately has charge over all the responses people have t

If you're human you know it. The tongue gets you in more trouble than any other part of you. Perhaps because it is so small and so easy to maneuver we often let it loose to tear down our lives with wreckless speech. Proverbs 15 deals primarily with that nasty part of the body.  Proverbs 15:1–2 (ESV) A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. 2 The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly. The truth of this verse cannot be overstated. When things are heated, the best thing to do is cool them down with a word of grace. Learn to temper your words and your life will be filled with peace. Likewise, verse 4 says,  Proverbs 15:4 (ESV)  A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. The temptation of every person is to lash out and demean or enflame our opponents with words. Why? Because our hearts are full of poison without the intervention of the Holy Spirit. But when the Holy Spirit is in charge an

Wisdom takes root in our lives the moment we stop blaming others for our problems and realize that we may be causing most of them. Consider the first three verses of Proverbs 14.  Proverbs 14:1–3 (ESV) The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down. 2 Whoever walks in uprightness fears the LORD, but he who is devious in his ways despises him. 3 By the mouth of a fool comes a rod for his back, but the lips of the wise will preserve them. Three proverbs show the harsh reality of those who live by foolishness. These are contrasted with the built up and preserved life of the wise. They highlight the very true reality that our messes in life come from our own foolishness. If only we were told to take accountability more often rather than to find blame in someone else. Perhaps we'd finally change for the better.   If you think about it, we are inundated with the spirit of blame. Politicians make a living off getting you to blame others for your problems

The secrets to a successful life are pretty simple - do the opposite of whatever comes naturally. Proverbs 13 introduces us to some of those very things.  First, learn to stop sharing every opinion and thought and rather seek to learn and be taught. Proverbs 13:1 (ESV) A wise son hears his father’s instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke. Proverbs 13:3 (ESV) Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin. The old saying is true, "God gave you two ears and ONE mouth for a reason." Therefore listen at least twice as much as you speak. Plus, the truth of all of us is there's a lot of nonsense in us that comes naturally from that sin nature. But if we listened more and spoke less we'd learn and grow wise.  Second, keep your head down and focus on your work. Stop looking to get rich quick.  Proverbs 13:4 (ESV) The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. Proverbs

Being corrected isn't fun. But it is blessed when we are ready to receive it. Proverbs 12 shows us the fruit of discipline. Proverbs 12:1 (ESV) Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge , but he who hates reproof is stupid. Proverbs 12:15 (ESV) The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice. I believe our lives are defined by how we respond to the challenges around us and within us to change how we live. So much of life needs challenging. Our attitude needs adjustment, our aptitude needs acceleration, our social skills need congeniality and our physical bodies need moderation. Life without discipline makes us stupid on many fronts. And scripture makes it clear that discipline brings righteous fruit.  Hebrews 12:11 (ESV) For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Coming back to Proverbs we find that righteousness brings stability.  Pro

Proverbs 11 is a wonderful chapter on what a righteous life can look like. The chapter ends with this proverb which wraps it all up: Proverbs 11:30 (ESV) The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise. What is a righteous person? Someone who brings life to the dead places of this world and brings salvation to those who are lost. How do they do it? Read back in the chapter to see. Most of the chapter speaks to how we handle money.  Things like honesty in measurements: Proverbs 11:1 (ESV) A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight. We may think this is a small issue but the Lord calls it an abomination. When scales measured everything in an economy, adjuting your scale or fixing it in your favor was a travesty to the Lord. Why? Because that person you were doing business with matters to Him as well.  Or consider the empty promise of wealth without character. Proverbs 11:4 (ESV) Riches do not profit in the day of wr

I always need to remind people that the greatest legacy you can leave in life is godly children (either biological or spiritual). In a world dominated by people trying to get their names on buildings, in lights, or listed in positions of power we need to remember how quickly the building can fall, the lights can go out and the position can be replaced.  Proverbs is a book written for children by parents who want their descendants to walk wisely in their generation for their lives are the only thing that will truly outlive those parents. So we come to Proverbs 10 with that in mind. And a series of seemingly disconnected wise sayings come together.  Proverbs 10:1 (ESV) The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother. What makes for a wise son? The rest of the chapter unfolds it.  First, there is Godly industry: Proverbs 10:2–5 (ESV) Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death. 3 The LORD does no