Proverbs 11:3 - Walking with Integrity

Proverbs 11:3

The integrity of the upright will guide them,

But the falseness of the treacherous will destroy them. 

Message: Walking with Integrity

Time: Proverbs records multiple individuals as its author with Solomon as the principal author. Solomon died in 931 BC though most think the book was likely in its final form sometime before the end of Hezekiah’s reign in 686 BC. It is a book that instructs people on the path of wisdom. It speaks to all of life and living our lives under the authority and direction of God.

What the Lord is Saying: Last lesson mentioned pride for the first time since starting in Chapter 10 and today this verses mention 'them.' Contrasts continue - wicked and upright. The key thought here is integrity contrasted with falseness. 

The person with integrity is honest and has strong moral character - both in public and private. This is a person that walks the talk in front of others and behind closed doors. 

Some of the themes of this verse found in commentaries: 

• Fraudulent persons (literally, those who “cover” a matter up) pervert the truth, thereby ruining their own characters (inasmuch as in time they can hardly distinguish right from wrong), and losing the favor of Almighty God. (Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers)
• An honest man's principles are fixed, therefore his way is plain. (Matthew Henry)
• Lowly souls become full of wisdom as the low place becomes full of water. (Rabbinic paraphrase as cited by Albert Barnes)
• The upright's sincere obedience to God’s laws shall keep them from crooked and dangerous courses, and lead them in a right and safe way. The wicked devices by which they design and expect to secure themselves, shall be the instrument of their destruction. (Matthew Poole's Commentary)

On Sunday, the Sunday School teacher reviewed the life of Solomon. 700 wives and 300 concubines is what stands out. And yet he supports all of those women. Hard to imagine he sees all of those women and yet he provides for them. Maybe it is better than we think. I asked someone after the class if Solomon was saved and he thought he had a perspective that God must be involved in life. Just not sure I see a personal devotion from him, but he's probably right. 

From this text, the words seem obvious. Live in an upright manner, being a person of integrity and you will be guided by good, versus the fraudulent one's who lose favor with God and through their coverup get to a point of not being able to distinguish right and wrong. 

Just as valleys (low places) receive and hold water, humble hearts (lowly souls) receive and hold wisdom. 

Not sure if anyone decides to be wicked, but their ways of being selfish result in their destruction. Kind of a hard lesson here today. 

Prayer: O God, you are good and full of wisdom. Give me understanding of this verse and help it to be a guide to my life. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

2 Peter 1:3-8 - The Right Tools

2 Peter 1:3-8

3 His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 By these he has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, 6 knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, 7 godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Message: The Right Tools

Time: Written by Peter, he being influenced by the writings of Paul to Ephesus (Ephesians) somewhere between 62 and 63 AD. 

What the Lord is Saying: We had a guest speaker this morning at church and he did a message from 2 Peter on Right Tools. He used an example of fly fishing throughout his message to basically talk about the fact that God has given us Christians all the right tools that we need to carry out godliness in our lives. 

As is my pattern, I looked at the text and went back to verse 1 to understand a little bit better the context of this passage. Peter's message is written to those Christians that have the same understanding of faith or belief that he does. 

I noticed verse 1 says this faith is "by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ." I wondered with that verse if Peter is linking God and Jesus or if God and Jesus are separate. On one hand, it sounds like he is stating that Jesus the Savior is God. But could he be stating that faith is of the righteousness of God and the righteousness of Jesus Christ?

In verse 2, he asks that "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord." Here again, Peter is mentioning grace and peace because of those (verse 1) having a knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 

Even if Peter is not stating that Jesus is God, he is linking characteristics that are the same of the two - righteousness, grace, peace - all found in the knowledge of God and Jesus. 

Verse 3 - "His divine power." When I read this, that's what made me go back to verse 1 and 2 and think about who's divine power He is speaking about for His is singular and yet so possibly it lends itself to think that verse 1 and 2 and the words of God and Jesus are unified rather than separate. Yet, His divine power could be the last name spoken in verse 2 (remembering that punctuation and verse divisions were added later). But also here we then have Jesus being the one with divine power and God also has divine power. Thus, there is another linkage here with Jesus and God having the same attribute of divine power. 

This here is the point of the pastor's message yesterday morning and initially the first point of the text of 2nd Peter. That to the Christian, the fellow believer and Peter - that through Jesus, his righteousness and our knowledge, those Christians have "everything pertaining to life and godliness." The everything we have is because of the faith we have, the grace, and the peace. This is indeed a compelling statement. We have everything pertaining to life because we have faith "through the true knowledge of Him." 

And later in the text it states therefore, with the qualities mentioned in verse 5-7, namely "moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love -- we are neither useless nor unfruitful." Thus we have everything we need for life an godliness and because of that we will be fruitful and useful. 

This sounds like a promise. This takes me back to verse 4 - "For by these" where these seems to be "everything pertaining to life and godliness." Peter says, "these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature." 

Again, we have everything we need pertaining to life and godliness. We have qualities that we will supply to others and throughout life to be of use and fruitful. Thus, we become divine-like. 

But in this text then is a mysterious statement to me - "He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises." Promises. What are these promises? 

2 Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness..." There is a promise. 

2 Peter 3:13 says, "But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth." 

We have everything we need for life and being Godly. We are those that have faith and knowledge of God and Jesus. We have been given qualities. We will be useful and bear fruit. We will be divine. And this is all according to His precious and magnificent promises. 

I find this interesting because Peter explains all of these outcomes which we have because of our faith, but doesn't specify the promises, and so his audience must have understood these promises. 

I don't know exactly what these promises are right now. I could look at commentaries and review the different ideas. I suppose for now I will focus on what I know - I have everything I need.

Prayer: God, you have done it. Through faith, I have everything I need to do everything pertaining to life and godliness. I want to discover this Lord. And believe this and trust in this. And help me to share this with others to encourage them. Give us all hope. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

I Samuel 9:1-2 - Saul, Son of Kish

I Samuel 9:1-2

1 Now there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, son of a Benjaminite, a valiant mighty man. 2 He had a son whose name was Saul, a young and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome man than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people.

Message: Saul, Son of Kish

Time: This book is a biography of Samuel's life and career up to his death. It took place over a period of about 110 years, stretching from the closing days of the judges, when Samuel was born (ca. 1120 BC) through the death of Saul (1011 BC).

What the Lord is Saying: My Overview of I Samuel 1-8 -- Elkanah comes to Shiloh to offer sacrifices and provides a double portion to his wife Hannah who is without children. Samuel is then born to Hannah and Elkanah and taken to Shiloh to be dedicated to the Lord. Hannah praises God. In contrast, Eli (the priest) has 2 worthless sons that do not follow the Lord compared to Samuel that is dedicated to the Lord for service. Eli trains Samuel and he is growing with the Lord God, as a prophet, and bringing God’s word to Israel. Eli, after 40 years as judge, dies after hearing his sons have died, Israel has been defeated and the ark is taken by Philistines. One of Eli's sons - Phinehas wife has a son, Ichabad meaning, "The Glory Departs from Israel." The Philistines take the ark to Dagon, their god as a sort of victory but Yahweh conquers Dagon and other cities for possessing the ark of God. With all of the judgment taking place by possessing the ark, the Philistines turn over the ark and make a guilt offering of tumors and mice. Offerings received from the people as well. Samuel leads the people to restoration from the hand of the Philistines. The people respond by putting away their foreign Gods and Samuel removes the evil, restores the good and God responds and makes a way for victory against the Philistines. At the end of Samuel's life, the people want a new king of their own doing. God provides a king through Samuel, not giving them what they need, but what they want. 

Verse 1 introduces this son from the tribe of Benjamin, the youngest son of Jacob (Israel). Verse 1 mentions Aphiah as being in the line of Benjamin, but there is no other mention of Aphiah and he was not a son of Benjamin, nor Becorath or Zeror, but Abiel is the great grand-father of Saul. Interesting these names listed and yet not clearly connected and yet the author it important to show this lineage of Saul.  Kish was a "valiant mighty man."

Kish had a son name Saul. 

- a young and handsome man

- not more of a handsome man among sons of Israel (Jacob) and that is over 700 years, so I suppose he is quite handsome

- taller than any of the other people

I suppose it is of note that the most interesting information to share about Saul is he is handsome and tall. His father was a valiant mighty man. Saul, however is handsome and tall. Saul looks the part and this seems to be what the people want. God gives the people what they want. Elections are set up as popular vote. The people choose their leader. But God ultimately is in charge so whoever is at the head is who the people want. Yet God is involved. 

Summary: God gives the people what they want in a leader - Saul - tall and handsome. 

Promise: Am I more focused on my looks and appearance or my spiritual growth and who I am as a person. 

Prayer: Lord, perhaps from this verse I am to learn that while being handsome and tall and good looks is what matters to people so very often and also to me most of the time, what I need to be more focused on is what i son the inside. O God, I am like these people, that want the good looking king - wife. Lord, help me in this. I need this lesson today. I need to be about You. And what is important to You. Redefine me God. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

Proverbs 11:2 - Understand Your Limits

Proverbs 11:2

When pride comes, then comes dishonor

But with the humble is wisdom. 

Message: Understand your limits

Time: Proverbs records multiple individuals as its author with Solomon as the principal author. Solomon died in 931 BC though most think the book was likely in its final form sometime before the end of Hezekiah’s reign in 686 BC. It is a book that instructs people on the path of wisdom. It speaks to all of life and living our lives under the authority and direction of God.

What the Lord is Saying: This is the first time that pride is mentioned. This verse compares pride and humility. 

Pride seems to be a problem as this verse mentions, for with it comes dishonor. There is a connotation of pride in our world today that doesn't seem to be wrong, such as me saying "I am proud of my children" which seems to be an admission that I am glad that my children are mine. It is a word which shows that I am extremely glad with a deep level of satisfaction for having an association with a person or cause. 

But traditionally, pride or being prideful is a vice. And more specifically in religious traditions, it is competing with reliance and dependence on God. With God as creator, we serve Him and surrender to Him and His ways. We are guided by His principles and in life, he is the one to receive glory for anything that is accomplished including my work. Without God in the picture, it seems like life shifts to personal achievement as well as societal achievement. Its focus is more on community being served and guiding our principles. 

I have been reading a book on life and more specifically life in my later years. I am 58 and so with the kids gone from the home and myself past my prime of productivity, I am looking at these later years and figuring out my purpose. Chapter 3 of this book is "Kick your success addiction" and primarily is focusing attention on workaholism. The book mentions that "work, which is a source of meaning and purpose, becomes workaholism, which hurts our relationships." Saint Augustine observed that "pride lurks even in good works in order to destroy them." Success is fine and part of excellence but somewhere along the way it becomes an addiction in our life. 

I know I struggle with pride. I have gifts that I think the Lord has given me and it seems it is important to not be tempted to think too highly of myself and in the process get my focus off of God. As years have gone by and as I have done things, often driven to do those things, I start seeing myself as the one that needs to do things. This mostly occurs at work, in the work I do and work assignments. 

In this verse, the writer states that pride produces dishonor. NIV says disgrace, shame (KJV). From the internet, "Luke 14:11 says, "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted". This verse emphasizes a principle of spiritual humility, suggesting that those who seek honor for themselves through pride will be brought low, while those who are humble will ultimately be lifted up by God." Thus, God will humble every person. 

Thus, this verse is framing the unhealthy version of pride or the kind of pride that inflates the view of oneself. The dishonor or shame is the result of this unhealthy or inflated view of oneself. The problem seems to be when the scale is tipped and a person moves from confidence to overconfidence. The overconfident person takes unnecessary risks because they think they cannot fail. A student thinks they can't fail, so in turn, they don't study. A person who has great confidence in their driving might cause themselves to take risks on the road and result in getting a ticket which is showing them at fault. The person starts out thinking they can't fail, but this could produce failure. The failure is the dishonor or shame of now being seen as a foolish person.

I get this way at times, thinking I can do things that sometime are beyond my ability. That time I worked on Pamela's car and changing a tire and then forgot to tighten the lug nuts once the car was on the ground. And the wheel came off and I looked foolish. I felt like a bad person, a failure. And it all started with "I can do this" even though I am not a mechanic. 

The contrast here is the humble person. This is the person with a quiet confidence. It is a person that understands their limits. This is the person knows when they can handle something and knows when they need to shift the responsibility to another person. The humble person still acts but acts within reason and this is the person then which is seen as wise. This person knows when to give where credit where credit is due. 

Prayer: O God, help me to be that person that understands my limits. You have gifted everyone differently and often it is better when the right person does the task at hand. Help my overconfidence. I suppose I have that tendency to think, "I got this" but I can be a strong person that trusts in others and ultimately trusts in You. Help me understand me. And live within my constraints. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

I Samuel 8 - Israel Sinfully Demands a King

I Samuel 8

19 Yet the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, “No, but there shall be a king over us, 20 so that we also may be like all the nations, and our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”

Message: Israel Sinfully Demands a King

Time: This book is a biography of Samuel's life and career up to his death. It took place over a period of about 110 years, stretching from the closing days of the judges, when Samuel was born (ca. 1120 BC) through the death of Saul (1011 BC).

What the Lord is Saying: O God, my wife and I are preparing this week to go and see friends. Lord, help that time with them to be good and encouraging to us all. Keep us safe and make the times positive. If we play golf, help me to simply enjoy that time and not to be stressful. Lord, draw this couple and us closer to You through these days we have together. Give us strength as we prepare to leave. Thank you for this text and these lives of Samuel and others that lived 2500 years ago and yet there words are preserved for our understanding. 

Samuel is now older. He appoints his sons as judges: Joel and Abija. However, sons accepted bribes, they were fine with dishonest gain, and perverted justice. The elders want a different judge after Samuel, not his sons. Samuel prayed. The Lord responds that they are rejecting Him, not Samuel. They serve other gods. They abandon God. Samuel communicates to the people about the judge that is coming. 

Samuel tells them about the king coming. He will reign over them. Servants will go ahead of chariots. Commanders will be appointed. Some for military and some for farming. Daughters will be servants as well, like cooks, bakers. The best from your fields will be taken. A tenth will be given to him. He will take best servants. And will take a tenth of your flocks. But the people did not listen. 

God will give them the king they want, but it won't be for their good. Reminds me of Romans 1 when God gave the people over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity. The people do not want God so God in his sovereignty allows them to meet their own desires. 

Summary: At the end of Samuel's life, the people want a new king of their own doing. God provides a king through Samuel, not giving them what they need, but what they want. 

Promise: If we run after sin, the Lord may just allow us to fall, and much suffering will follow. 

Prayer: Lord, I need to always surrender to You and ask You, what you want in this situation. I want to be guided by your ways and seek You always. Help me in this Lord. Help me to be guided by You and trust in Your provision. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

Proverbs 11:1 - Black and White in a Grey World

Proverbs 11:1

A false balance is an abomination to the Lord,

but a just weight is His delight. 

Message: Black and White in a Grey World

Time: Proverbs records multiple individuals as its author with Solomon as the principal author. Solomon died in 931 BC though most think the book was likely in its final form sometime before the end of Hezekiah’s reign in 686 BC. It is a book that instructs people on the path of wisdom. It speaks to all of life and living our lives under the authority and direction of God.

What the Lord is Saying: God, it has been interesting reading these words of Solomon, starting in chapter 10 and the contrast between the righteous and the wicked. Lord, I believe I see the righteous as being those that are living their lives according to Your design. I see it as those individuals you have directly called as your chosen ones. The wicked are not your called ones. And so in life there is these two different types of people. And your word clearly shows that distinction while I think in our world there is a subtle move to try and take the ways of the wicked and make them to be not so wicked but more or less good. Is the world getting more gray? Yet Lord, there remains a clear distinction. 

God, maybe these Proverbs are there to help me see that distinction and remind me that it is there. Help me to read these proverbs so I can see the person I am to be. Help me to understand what the writer meant by these words and therefore what you what me to take away from them. 

This verse now uses weights and measures to make a contrast between what is good and not good or bad or unwelcome or against you. The text uses the word abomination which is a strong word Lord to show extreme dislike, hateful or morally offensive. This abomination to the Lord that is described is a false balance in this text. Other translations state dishonest scales with the Amplified even bringing in dishonest business practices. Lord, wouldn't this be obvious that you abhor what is dishonest or false? That principle seems easy, but maybe it is hard at times to call out what exactly is dishonest or false.

Right now, the first thought that comes up for me is work and our purchasing practices. In our quest to get goods and services, there is a thirst or desire to get what we need as fast as possible without having to jump through too many hoops. And I notice often it is hard to understand what the rules are and what we are permitted to do. And so we often will try to state things in the best possible way for our purposes in order to see if they get accepted. We only change when we are told to change. In essence, because the standard is unclear, we try to see what we can do. Thus, what is false is blurry. How we define what is false is blurry. I wonder if this is how we approach life at times. Rather than staring at the black and white, I look at the gray. 

Lord, you take me back to that album by Leslie Phillips -- Black and White in Grey World. As you know, I did not at the time get into her music as the rocker female lead singer was not my thing I gravitated towards and actually sort of disdained. Leslie, later known as Sam, is now seen as a person deconstructing their faith, which is now a popular term for describing people that are taking the traditional faith and revising it or changing it or even abandoning it. But I mention it here Lord because of the title track. Those lyrics voice the idea of standing out (i.e. black/white) in a world that blends.  

This world I live in Lord not only acknowledges the blending of black/white, but accepts it, then approves it and then celebrates it. It has turned grey into a stand alone conclusion. Now, black and white is no longer the standard but the exception and often described as radical. That song starts out with these words - "No distinction, no emotion for right or wrong / They tell me any choice will do / No color contrast in their dull morality / The shades of good and bad are through." 

Jesus, you have words that are now recorded in Revelation 3:15-16 to speak about this grey person - "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot...so because you are lukewarm....I will spit you out of My mouth." Ouch. Lord, those are strong words. While we venture towards lukewarm or grey, you state spitting that out. 

Lord, as I study these scriptures, I see the reminder of the opposites while I live in a world of the gray or blending. Simply identifying the black and white now is hard for I am daily being trained in only the color of grey. Help me God to stand out even if my standing out is not what people want. I want to be of your delight and so i want to be a just weight or let your truth in me be defined by You and Your definition. I will stumble Lord. I will forsake You as I have done. Forgive me for this now and in the future. Let it be glaring in my life the direction I need to go and be. As I go to church today, I thank you for that place, a place of refuge that retrains me or reminds me of your standards. I go there to get trained. And then help me to return to the arena of gray and continue to stand out. As I come across these grey moments, help me to know what is the way of standing out. Sometimes I can't see it Lord or I am blinded to it. Sometimes I don't know what is your standard. I pray for your grace to be extended to me so I can see what is the just weight. Lord, help me also to separate the sin from the sinner. I want to hate the sin, but I want to love the sinner. This is hard at times Lord. Again, I pray for your grace. Thank you Lord for calling me and taking me to this standard of living - of being. In Christ alone I pray. Amen. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

I Samuel 7 - Israel Puts Away Foreign Gods

I Samuel 7

Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the Lord with all your heart, remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your hearts to the Lord and serve Him alone; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”

Message: Israel Puts Away Foreign Gods

Time: This book is a biography of Samuel's life and career up to his death. It took place over a period of about 110 years, stretching from the closing days of the judges, when Samuel was born (ca. 1120 BC) through the death of Saul (1011 BC).

What the Lord is Saying: The Ark of the Covenant is back in the right hands, "into the house of Abinadab." Eleazar is "to keep the ark." It was there for twenty years. The people lamented after the Lord. There is sorrow for the way in which the Ark has been handled. 

In verse 3, Samuel challenges the house of Israel with an IF..THEN statement of promise. If the people will return to the Lord and abandon the foreign gods then they will be delivered from the hand of the Philistines. And so they followed suit and did this. Samuel prayed for them at Mizpah. The people fasted, crying out their sin against the Lord. Samuel judged the sons of Israel. Samuel was God's representative of these people. 

It is interesting because he sounds like the office of the priest that is present today in the Catholic Church. And yet with the Holy Spirit as our guide, do we need this judge today? It seems we don't. The judge then made sure that the people followed correctly, redirecting people when necessary and punishing those that went wayward. He acted on the ways of God and laws of God before a people. This seems like a role that is still needed in some ways to God. People want to honor God, but are not sure and therefore go to people for answers, for help, guidance.

Coming back to the story of Israel. The Philistines heard about this gathering at Mizpah for Israel to get things right with God. The people go to Samuel and say, "Do not cease to cry to the Lord our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.” Basically, don't give up on us yet. 

Samuel sacrifices to the Lord and the Lord responded and confused the Philistines as they came to battle Israel. Samuel signifies this with a stone called Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far the Lord has helped us.” Philistines were taken care of and cities were restored to Israel that had been taken. They had been delivered. Samuel had acted on behalf of the people and the people had responded as well in turning their hearts to God, away from the foreign Gods. 

"Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life." Samuel judged Israel in many places. In Ramah he built an altar to the Lord. 

Summary: Samuel leads the people to restoration from the hand of the Philistines. The people respond by putting away their foreign Gods and Samuel removes the evil, restores the good and God responds and makes a way for victory against the Philistines. 

Promise: I need to be a person who repents and turns my life, all of my life, over to God. 

Prayer: O God, free from the sin that entangles me. I give air time to it all of the time. Instead turn my heart toward you so that I am removing anything that is serving the world and its ways. Those are my foreign Gods. Thank you Holy Spirit for interceding for me and being my intermediary between God and me. Thank you for working favor in my life. Keep me humble and worshipping you always. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.