insight

It All Begins With God

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1 My son, if you receive my words
    and treasure up my commandments with you,
2 making your ear attentive to wisdom
    and inclining your heart to understanding;
3 yes, if you call out for insight
    and raise your voice for understanding,
4 if you seek it like silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasures,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
    he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
8 guarding the paths of justice
    and watching over the way of his saints.
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice
    and equity, every good path;
10 for wisdom will come into your heart,
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
11 discretion will watch over you,
    understanding will guard you,
12 delivering you from the way of evil,
    from men of perverted speech,
13 who forsake the paths of uprightness
    to walk in the ways of darkness,
14 who rejoice in doing evil
    and delight in the perverseness of evil,
15 men whose paths are crooked,
    and who are devious in their ways.

16 So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman,
    from the adulteress with her smooth words,
17 who forsakes the companion of her youth
    and forgets the covenant of her God;
18 for her house sinks down to death,
    and her paths to the departed;
19 none who go to her come back,
    nor do they regain the paths of life.

20 So you will walk in the way of the good
    and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will inhabit the land,
    and those with integrity will remain in it,
22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
    and the treacherous will be rooted out of it. – Proverbs 2:1-22 ESV

If…then.

Proverbs 2 opens up with a father presenting his young son with a series of conditional statements. Each entails a hypothetical situation in which the father imagines his son choosing the right path over the wrong one.

…if you receive my words
    and treasure up my commandments with you…

…if…your ear attentive to wisdom
    and inclining your heart to understanding…

…if you call out for insight
    and raise your voice for understanding…

…if you seek it like silver…

…if you…search for it as for hidden treasures…

The father imagines five hypothetical, yet highly probable situations that optimistically portray his son as an enthusiastic seeker of wisdom. And he eagerly predicts the outcome of his son’s decision to choose the right path.

Then…you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.

But upon closer examination, it appears as if this conditional statement contradicts what was stated in Proverbs 1.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
    fools despise wisdom and instruction. – Proverbs 1:7 ESV

These two proverbs seem to present inexplicable conundrum, similar to the age-old question: Which came first, the chicken of the egg?. Is a healthy fear of the Lord the pathway to wisdom, or is it the other way around? And to the author of Proverbs 2, the answer would seem to be, “Yes!” It’s both. The fear of the Lord and wisdom are inseparable. They go hand in hand. You don’t get one without the other.

Notice what Proverbs 2:5 says: “…then you will understand the fear of the Lord.”

It is not that wisdom produces or results in a healthy fear of the Lord, but that it helps us to comprehend what it means to fear the Lord. The NET Bible translates verse 5 this way: “then you will understand how to fear the Lord.”

The relentless pursuit of godly wisdom and understanding will reveal the will of God and show us how to live in a way that is pleasing to God. In other words, godly wisdom produces godliness – a lifestyle that honors and glorifies our Heavenly Father.  Jesus describes the godly life this way: “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16 ESV). And the apostle Peter put it in practical terms for believers living in the less-than-friendly environment of Asia Minor:

Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world. – 1 Peter 2:12 NLT

The fear of the Lord must show up in everyday life. It must be practical, tangible, and visible. And we learn how to model a proper reverence and awe for God through a relentless pursuit of godly wisdom and instruction. We are to treat God’s wisdom like a priceless treasure for which we search until we find it, and then risk our lives to protect and preserve.

And this pursuit of wisdom is not some shot-in-the-dark quest for the invisible and non-discoverable. It’s not like searching for hidden treasure without a map. No, the author tells us that “the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest” (Proverbs 2:6-7 NLT). He is the source of all wisdom and He makes it freely available to all who come to Him in humility and an honest assessment of our need for Him. 

The wisdom and insight needed to live the godly life comes from God Himself, and He reveals it through His written Word and with the enlightening power of His Holy Spirit. The apostle Peter provides us with a powerful reminder that God is the sole source of all that we need.

May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. – 2 Peter 1:2-3 NLT

The power is ours. But its availability to us is enhanced by our increasing knowledge of God and His Son. That’s a description of increasing wisdom or insight. As our knowledge of the Father and the Son increases, our insight into their sovereign will improves and our godliness increases. In the prayer that He prayed in the garden on the night of his betrayal and arrest, Jesus described what it means to have eternal life.

“…this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” – John 17:3 ESV

Think about what Jesus is saying. Eternal life is not just some future state in which believers will live in unending community with God the Father and God the Son. It is an actually an unveiled and undiminished awareness of the Godhead. There is a day coming when God’s children will know Him intimately and perfectly. The apostle Paul describes it this way:

Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. – 1 Corinthians 13:12 NLT

In the meantime, we can grow in our knowledge of God and His Son. We can increase in our understanding of who they are and what they expect of us. The author of Proverbs 2 assures us that “you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go” (Proverbs 2:9 NLT). He makes the confident assertion that “wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy” (Proverbs 2:10 NLT).

We will have the ability to make wise choices and avoid evil people. Wisdom will provide practical help in escaping the allure of immorality and promiscuity. And this kind of divine assistance is critical because life can be hard. Decisions have to be made. Difficulties must be dealt with. Sometimes it’s hard to know what to do or how to respond. We are bombarded by bad advice and the well-meaning counsel of friends who are just as confused as we are. So, the author encourages us to “cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures” (Proverbs 2:4 NLT). It appears that he expects us to put a fair amount of effort into the process. He seems to believe that we must want insight and understanding bad enough that we would expend some energy in order to get them. Cry out! Ask! Search! Seek! How badly do we want these things? How hard are we willing to pursue them until we find them?

As we go through life we encounter our desperate need for insight, understanding, wisdom, and knowledge.This world can be a confusing place. We don’t always know what to do. So the first step seems to be a recognition of our deficiencies. We have to come to an understanding of our lack of understanding. We are not the brightest bulbs in the box. But the sad truth seems to be that we don’t usually reach this point of awareness until something difficult happens that leaves us at a loss. It is in those times of desperation that we tend to turn to God, and that is the key – we have to turn to the one and only source where help and hope can be found.

God alone can equip us with much-needed common sense, integrity, and the ability to understand what is just, right and fair. In other words, God gives us discernment, direction, discipline, and discretion. He provides us with all we need to live life on this planet wisely, safely, and righteously. Rather than live according to the standards of this world. we learn to live God’s way. We learn to think like He thinks, love what He loves, hate what He hates, and view life from His perspective.

This life can be hard, but God has given us everything we need to not only survive, but to thrive. With His help, we can live our lives in 4-D, exhibiting discernment, direction, discipline and discretion. He will keep us on the right path. He will help us make wise decisions. He will protect us from the temptation of this world. He will give us the ability to see life from His perspective. But first we must come to the realization that we need what He has. We must desire His  understanding, knowledge, insight and wisdom more than anything else in the world. Then we must seek after it diligently, eagerly, and relentlessly.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

New English Translation (NET)NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

 

Blurred Vision

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22 And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. 23 And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” 25 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”

27 And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” 29 And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” 30 And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him. – Mark 8:22-30 ESV

In this passage, Mark combines two different incidents from the life of Jesus in order to convey an important truth. In the first, Jesus performs only the second miracle that Mark records in his gospel. In chapter 7, we have his record of Jesus healing the deaf man who also suffered from a speech impediment. And there will be some similarities between these two miraculous healings.

Jesus and His disciples have traveled from the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee to the town of Bethsaida, located not far from the sea’s northern-most tip. This was not the first time Jesus had been to Bethsaida. In fact, Matthew reports that Jesus has a stinging indictment against the city for the stubborn refusal of its inhabitants to repent.

Then Jesus began to denounce the towns where he had done so many of his miracles, because they hadn’t repented of their sins and turned to God. “What sorrow awaits you, Korazin and Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did in you had been done in wicked Tyre and Sidon, their people would have repented of their sins long ago, clothing themselves in burlap and throwing ashes on their heads to show their remorse.” – Matthew 11:20-21 NLT

This rather harsh statement from Jesus is important because it provides insight into the miracle Jesus performed. Upon His arrival in Bethsaida, Jesus was met by a group of individuals who were bringing a blind friend in need of healing. Mark says that these compassionate friends “begged him to touch the man and heal him” (Mark 8:22 NLT). And what Jesus does next is both interesting and insightful.

To fully appreciate the actions of Jesus, it is important to consider all that has happened up to this moment. Earlier that same day, Jesus had transformed seven loaves of bread and a few fish into a meal that fed thousands of people. And He had followed up this miracle with a warning to His disciples about the “leaven of the Pharisees.” The religious leaders had come to Jesus demanding that He give them a “sign from heaven” in order to prove His claim to be the Messiah. But these prideful and arrogant men had been blind to all that Jesus had done, refusing to accept His miracles as proof of identity. So, Jesus warned His disciples not to allow the teaching of the Pharisees to influence them. The unrepentant hearts of these self-righteous men were causing them to reject Jesus and encouraging others to do the same. Like yeast spreading through a batch of dough, their unbelief was beginning to permeate and influence the people of Israel. But the disciples failed to understand the meaning behind Jesus’ warning, thinking instead that He was upset that they had failed to bring enough bread. So, Jesus addressed their inability to comprehend His words.

“Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? ‘You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’ Don’t you remember anything at all?” – Mark 8:17-18 NLT

Notice the last thing Jesus said to His disciples before they left for Bethsaida.

“Do you not yet understand?” – Mark 8:21 ESV

All of this sets up what happens next and reveals the sovereign hand of God behind all that Jesus did. It was no coincidence that a blind man was brought to Jesus. And the manner in which Jesus chose to heal the man was highly intentional and purposeful. First, Jesus isolated the man from his well-meaning friends by leading him outside the village. Once they were alone, Jesus spit on the man’s eyes and touched him. But why? Couldn’t Jesus have simply commanded the man to receive his sight? Was it really necessary that this healing require spit and human contact? And why did Jesus’ first attempt to restore the man’s sight seem to fail?

…spitting on the man’s eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked, “Can you see anything now?”

The man looked around. “Yes,” he said, “I see people, but I can’t see them very clearly. They look like trees walking around.” – Mark 8:23-24 NLT

Jesus’ methodology seems a bit odd. And it’s outcome appears less than successful. But everything Jesus did was intentional. The blind man, unable to see anything that Jesus was doing, was able to hear Jesus spit and could feel the sensation of the spit on his eyes. He could sense the hands of Jesus gently touching his eyes. Yet, when he opened his eyes, his sight was only partially restored. He could see but only as through a haze. Everything was fuzzy and indistinct. Men looked like trees walking about.

This man had gone from complete blindness to partial sight. His condition, while much-improved, was not what he had been hoping for. Blurred sight was far better than no sight at all, but it was still not ideal.

Earlier, Jesus had healed a deaf man by restoring his hearing. Now, he was restoring the sight of a blind man. Both hearing and seeing are metaphors for the human capacity to understand. That is why Jesus had said to His disciples: “You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?”

They had seen Him heal the deaf man. And they had heard His warnings about the Pharisees. And yet, they still did not fully understand, just as the blind man did not fully see. But Jesus had no intention of leaving the man with imperfect sight.

Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again, and his eyes were opened. His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly. – Mark 8:25 NLT

Jesus finished what He had begun. He didn’t leave the man with slightly improved sight but He completely restored his vision so that he could see everything clearly. This two-part healing provides an important lesson. It reminds us that Jesus came to restore far more than physical sight or hearing. He came to open the eyes of the spiritually blind so that they might see the glory of His presence. He came to open the ears of the spiritually deaf so that they might hear the message of the good news. But what they see and hear must include the full scope of God’s redemptive message.

The disciples thought they understood who Jesus was. They saw Him as their long-awaited Messiah. They had high hopes that He was going to set up His Kingdom on earth and reward them with places of honor and prominence in His administration. But when they heard Jesus speak, they became increasingly confused by what He said. And before long, when He began to talk of His pending death in Jerusalem, they would have difficulty comprehending and accepting His words.

The apostle Paul reminds us that the plan of God is far greater than we can understand. Much of what we experience in this life appears out of step with our understanding of God’s will. We are like men with partially restored sight who view everything through distorted lenses that provide an imperfect image of reality.

Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. – 1 Corinthians 13:12 NLT

The disciples did not fully comprehend who Jesus was and what He had come to do. But Jesus was gradually opening their eyes to the truth of His ministry and mission. In time, they would see clearly and fully. But, as Paul reminds us, we will not fully understand the ways of God until His plan of redemption is complete.

After telling the newly sighted man to avoid going back to the village, Jesus and His disciples made their way north to Caesarea Philippi. On their way, Jesus struck up a conversation with His disciples, asking them, “Who do people say that I am?” (Mark 8:27 ESV). His question was intended to get the disciples to wrestle with the various rumors concerning His identity. In a sense, Jesus was asking the disciples to reveal who the people understood Him to be. When they saw Jesus perform miracles, what was their conclusion? When they heard Him speak, who did they think they were listening to? And the disciples reveal that there were all kinds of opinions among the people.

“John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” – Mark 8:28 ESV

The people were like the man with partially restored sight. They could see, but imperfectly. Their view of Jesus was incomplete and inconclusive. Notice that there is no mention of Jesus being the Messiah. When the people looked at Jesus, it was like they were viewing Him through distorted lenses. He appeared indistinct and blurry.

This prompted Jesus to turn to His disciples and ask them the same question: “But who do you say that I am?” (Mark 8:29 ESV). These men had spent their every waking minute with Jesus. They had seen every one of His miracles and had heard every one of His messages. They enjoyed intimate access to Jesus and the privilege of hearing Him explain some of His more cryptic parables. So, who did they understand Him to be?

And the ever-impulsive Peter was the first to respond.

“You are the Christ.” – Mark 8:29 ESV

In his gospel account, Mathew records that Peter added the further description: “the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16 ESV). Peter, speaking on behalf of all the disciples, acknowledge Jesus to be the Messiah but also the Son of God. His words revealed a level of understanding and insight that the rest of the people did not share. But Matthew lets us know that Peter did not come to this conclusion on his own.

“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 16:17 ESV

God had revealed this insight to Peter. His partially blinded eyes had been opened so that he could see the truth of who Jesus was. This statement from the lips of Peter was like an unexpected epiphany. Even as the words came out of his mouth, Peter must have wondered whether he truly believed them. And He would go on to reveal that his understanding of who Jesus was and what He had come to do was still cloudy and indistinct. He would continue to wrestle with the weight of his own words and the expectations of his own heart. But the time would come when he and his fellow disciples would see everything clearly and distinctly.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG)Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

Ephesians 1:15-23

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Limitless Power.

Ephesians 1:15-23

I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. – Ephesians 1:19-20 NLT

Paul was a praying man. His letters are filled with the prayers he prayed on behalf of God’s people. They give a glimpse into his heart and into what he believed to be of highest priority when it came to the lives of the people of God. First of all, Paul continually thanked God for all those whom He had restored to a right relationship with Himself through faith in Christ. Paul did not take the salvation of a single individual for granted. He viewed it as the redemptive work of a gracious God, who was not obligated to save a single soul. But Paul was not content with their salvation, he knew that God wanted to bring about their sanctification. So he prayed to that end. He asked God to give them spiritual wisdom and insight so that they might grow in their knowledge of Him. They needed God to give them the capacity and cognitive ability to see Him at work all around them. It is one thing to read the stories of God’s interactions with mankind recorded in the Scriptures. But it is another thing to be able to see and experience the interactions of God in your own life as He interjects Himself into the daily affairs of each day. That is when we really get to know Him – experientially, not just intellectually.

Paul also prayed that the “eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe” (Ephesians 1:18-19 NASB). Paul wanted them to see things from a spiritual, not an earthly perspective. He wanted them to develop the ability to see things from God’s point of view. Rather than focus solely on the things of this earth, they were to see things through a new set of lenses. Believers are to be people of hope. We have a future. We have an inheritance. And we have a power available to us that is unlike anything else in this world. It is the very same power that raised Christ from the dead. Paul describes it this way: “This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 1:19-20 NLT). Paul told the Romans that this power was not some disembodied energy source, but the Spirit of God Himself. “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you” (Romans 8:11 NLT). We have this incredible source of power living within us in the form of the Holy Spirit. And Paul prayed that all believers would come to recognize and rely on that power. We have not been left defenseless in this world. We have not been left to fend for ourselves. The very same power that raised Christ from death to life is available to us each and every day of our lives. And the Holy Spirit gives life to our mortal, earthly bodies. This is not just a reference to some future event when we will be give new, resurrected bodies in heaven. It is talking about the here and now. Jesus said that He had come to give us life more abundantly. The Spirit makes that possible. Jesus also declared, “Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’ (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)” (John 7:38-39 NLT). The Spirit within us is a source of power and life.

But far too often, we find ourselves still operating in our own strength and limited to our own feeble energy. We miss out on the abundant life that Jesus promised. We feel helpless against our own sin nature and can’t seem to put to death the natural, sinful passions that still well up inside us at times. All because we fail to recognize and avail ourselves of the power available to us through the Holy Spirit. So Paul prayed that we would understand this great power given to us directly from God. But Paul wasn’t interested in us having an intellectual understanding of the Holy Spirit. He wanted it to be practical, helpful, and life transforming. As believers we must wake up to the reality that we have God’s power within us. We have Christ, sitting at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us. And as members of the body of Christ, His Church, He has authority over us. In fact, Christ has authority over ALL things. We have an all-powerful heavenly Father who loves us and has His best in store for us, an all-powerful Savior who is some day coming back for us, and an all-powerful Holy Spirit who lives within us and is constantly transforming us into the likeness of Christ. Paul prayed that the reality of those things would become increasingly clear to us. Because when we discover the truth of those claims, we are able to live with hope, joy, peace, patience, endurance, love and power.

Father, I confess that far too often I live in my own feeble strength, then wonder why things don’t turn out quite like I was expecting. I fail to understand that this life was not meant to be lived in my own strength. If I could do it on my own, I wouldn’t need You and there would have been no need for Your Son to die. But He did. And I need the power that He has made available. As Paul prayed, I ask that You would give me spiritual wisdom and insight. Help me see You at work around me and in me. Help me understand, appreciate and tap into the power You have made available to me. Give me an eternal perspective that views the world through Your eyes and not mine. Never let me forget that Jesus is in control of ALL things, and I have no reason to worry, fret, doubt, or despair. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Proverbs 26e

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No Honor For Fools.

“Honor is no more associated with fools than snow with summer or rain with harvest.” – Proverbs 26:1 NLT

Why would you praise someone who is essentially worthless and unworthy? Why in the world would you elevate to high position someone who has shown themselves incapable of making wise decisions and using sound judgment? According the the NET Study Bible, “‘Honor’ in this passage probably means respect, external recognition of worth, accolades, advancement to high position, etc.” It seems ludicrous that anyone would want to bestow honor on someone who is undeserving, but the truth is, we do it all the time. A few areas in our society where it is rampant are professional sports, politics and entertainment. Every day we see young men being honored, praised and rewarded for their athletic prowess, while they live like fools. They are children in the bodies of grown men. They lack discernment, common sense, understanding and wisdom. They live as if they are invincible and spend their money like it is inexhaustible. We cringe at their antics and demand that they be role models for our children, but they lack the capacity. We cheer them, pay good money to watch them, and pin our sports hopes on them. Then we are shocked and disappointed when we read of their latest escapades. How about politics? As a society, we regularly elevate men and women to high positions who, while perhaps better educated, are just as foolish and lacking in wisdom as any professional athlete. Some of these career politicians have perfected the art of lying and, while elected as representatives of the people, have become much more concerned about their own well-being than the needs and wants of their constituents. They are self-aggrandizing, power-hungry fools who have no desire to rule according to God’s terms and in keeping with His commands. Yet we regularly re-elect them and give them another chance to prove their foolishness.

And then there is the entertainment world, filled with countless individuals who model the life of foolishness, living in a fantasy world filled with money, power, and popularity. Their lives are followed faithfully by adoring fans who watch their every move and listen to every word that comes out of their mouths, as if they were oracles spouting wisdom directly from the throne of God. Yet their lives are marked by lack of self-control, poor decision making, promiscuity, selfishness and self-centeredness, broken relationships, financial mismanagement, emotional instability and more. And yet, we honor and esteem them. We hold them up as icons of virtue and wisdom. We listen intently as they share their opinions on everything from gun control to world peace. They are rich and influential, but they lack wisdom, common sense, and discernment. And yet, we honor them.

But Solomon warns us, “Honoring a fool is as foolish as tying a stone to a slingshot” (Proverbs 26:8 NLT). What a vivid picture. Imagine the stupidity of tying a stone to a slingshot and expecting anything useful to happen as a result. It would be idiotic. And that’s exactly his point. When we honor those who are undeserving of honor, we are making a mockery of not only honor, but of the value of wisdom. The entire Book of Proverbs is filled with admonitions and reminders about the value of wisdom and it’s non-negotiable role in our lives. It is the wisdom of God, not the wisdom of this world. It is understanding, insight, discipline, discernment, common sense and wise living right from the throne of God Himself. Those who reject it are not to be honored and esteemed. They are not to be given places of responsibility and power. We shouldn’t elect fools or employ them. “An employer who hires a fool or a bystander is like an archer who shoots at random” (Proverbs 26:10 NLT). Fools are a menace to society. They are a danger to themselves and dishonoring to God. We are not to honor them, esteem them, elevate them, or to desire to be like them. Wisdom is God’s measuring stick. It is His standard of judgment. And it should be ours.

Father, forgive us for honoring fools in our lives. We make a mockery of wisdom every time we do. Give us the determination to live wisely and to look for others who do the same. Help us raise the standard and expect more from those who lead us. May we be a wise people who value wise living. Amen.

Ken Miller

Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Proverbs 7c

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A Prized Possession.

“Keep my commands so that you may live, and obey my instruction as your most prized possession.” – Proverbs 7:2 NET

We value a lot of things in life. Sometimes it’s the small things, like a good cup of coffee. But we can also value more important things like our freedom or health. The problem is that we tend to treat them all the same way. We can get so used to having them that we no longer truly value them as we should because we never really believe we run the risk of losing them. Many of these things are privileges or blessings that we have turned into rights. We think we deserve and are entitled to good health just like a good cup of coffee. We can’t imagine not being in good health or having our freedom. So we take them both for granted. We can do the same thing with the wisdom of God. He has given us instruction and insight into every aspect of life. He has placed His Spirit within us to provide us with not only the ability to understand His Word, but the power to obey it. He has placed us within the Body of Christ, His Church, so that we might have the encouragement and examples we need to live according to God’s commands. But if we’re not careful, we can take it all for granted.

The wisdom God offers is vital for life. It is not just an add-on or an available option. It is a non-negotiable necessity for living life well. Which is why we should make the wisdom of God our most prized possession. Over and over in Proverbs, we are told to hide the wisdom of God in our hearts. “Bind them on your forearm; write them on the tablet of your heart” (Proverbs 7:3 NET). Over in Proverbs 2, we are told that if we cry out for insight from God, if we ask for understanding from God, if we search for them like silver and seek for them like hidden treasure, then we will understand what is right, just, and fair. We will find the right way to go. “For wisdom will enter your heart and knowledge will fill you with joy” (Proverbs 2:10 NLT). It is when the wisdom of God makes the short trip from our heads to our hearts that we truly begin to benefit from all that it has to offer. We gain the insight, understanding, commons sense, and discretion we need to live life well. But we have to treasure the wisdom of God and make it our most prized possession. We can’t afford to take it for granted or view it as some kind of entitlement. “Love wisdom like a sister; make insight a beloved member of your family. Let them protect you…” (Proverbs 7:4-5 NLT).

Father, I value a lot of things in life, but I also take far too many of them for granted. What I truly value, I should be willing to fight for, die for, expend all my energy for. May your wisdom be my greatest, most prized possession. Help me to understand and appreciate just how valuable a gift it really is. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Proverbs 17b

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Set Your Sights On Wisdom.

“Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom, but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.” – Proverbs 17:24 NLT

When reading the Proverbs it sometimes helps if you replace the word, “Wisdom” with Christ. Christ is the epitome, the personification, the embodiment of wisdom. Paul tells us, “It is because of him [God] that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30 NLT). Christ, because He is God, doesn’t just have wisdom, He IS wisdom. It is His very nature. So when we look at verse 24 with this in mind, it gives us a new perspective. “Sensible people keep their eyes glued on Christ.” This verse is talking about a person who has understanding, insight or discernment. It is NOT because they have these qualities that they keep their eyes glued on Christ. It is BECAUSE they keep their eyes glued on Christ that they have these qualities. Those who keep Christ “in front of” themselves or right in their faces are the ones who will receive understanding, insight and discernment. They will grow wiser because they have fellowship with the one who is the very wisdom of God.

The idea here is one of focus and expectation. While the godly keep Christ clearly in their sights, the foolish “wander to the ends of the earth.” The fool does not seek Christ. He doesn’t turn to Him for understanding, insight or discernment. Instead, he searches anywhere and everywhere hoping to find what he can only find in Christ. And the sad part is, Christ is available to the fool at any time. He is always there. He is readily findable and accessible – to anyone and everyone. He is no respecter of persons. In fact, look at verse two. It contains a subtle, yet significant message. It describes “a wise servant.” That may not jump out to us, but in their day to call a servant wise would be ridiculous. It would be like an oxymoron. Wise and servant just don’t seem to go together. But a common, household servant who comes to Christ would be just that. He would be wise. In Solomon’s day, a servant who served Yahweh first and foremost would have been wise. He would have gained wisdom from seeking and serving God, and would have been an even better servant to his earthly master.

Christ is available, yet fools seek for understanding, insight and discernment anywhere and everywhere else. But what they discover is more foolishness. They may gain intelligence, but “eloquent words are not fitting for a fool” (Proverbs 17:7 NLT). Fools never really learn. They continue to make the same mistakes over and over again. They become easy prey for the enemy. They are prone to gossip and slander. They are attracted to evil. They use poor judgment. They bring heartbreak to their parents and are constant disappointments to their friends. All because they refuse to look to Christ. They will not focus their attention on Him. And the can be said for so many of us who call ourselves Christ-followers. We can easily take our eyes off of the one who saved us, and decide that we can now save ourselves from all that the world, the enemy and our own sinful flesh throw at us. We turn to the world for wisdom instead of Christ. And we become fools in the process. The New American Standard Bible translates verse 24, “Wisdom is in the presence of the one who has understanding.” The person of understanding is the one who has made Christ his close and intimate companion. He spends a great deal of time with Christ. The wisdom of Christ has rubbed off on him. The prophet Isaiah said it this way: “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”

Father, I want to keep my mind and my eyes fixed on Your Son, the one who contains all the wisdom of heaven and makes it available to me. Forgive me for taking my eyes off of Him at times, for looking to the world for understanding, insight and discernment. I know the world can’t deliver. Help me to keep my thoughts fixed on Him. Amen.

Ken Miller

Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

 

Proverbs 8

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All You Need.

“I, Wisdom, live together with good judgment. I know where to discover knowledge and discernment.” – Proverbs 8:12 NLT

Wisdom, the very personification of God, calls out indiscriminately to anyone and everyone who will listen. Wisdom stands at the very crossroads of life, calling out to everyone who passes by. The simple and foolish get special attention. Their very nature prevents them from having good judgment and making wise choices. They are naive, incapable of seeing their own inadequacies and their vulnerability to danger because of their lack of wisdom. They pride themselves on their open-mindedness, unaware that this trait leaves them susceptible to all kinds of lies and deception. Wisdom offers them truth in place of falsehood, wholesome advice instead of the unhealthy counsel of this world. The benefits of God’s wisdom are priceless and far more valuable in the end than any kind of earthly treasure man could pursue. And wisdom comes with a bonus offer. Get wisdom and you also get good judgment, knowledge, discernment, common sense and insight – all at no extra cost!

Wisdom is far more than just some kind of knowledge or ability we receive from God so we can live more successfully. It is the very essence of God. It is part of His nature. God used His wisdom to create the world. The wisdom of God was instrumental in forming the oceans, heavens, mountains, and even mankind. “I was the architect by his side. I was his constant delight, rejoicing always in his presence” (Proverbs 8:30 NLT). Wisdom and God are inseparable. One does not exist without the other. The wisdom talked about in these Proverbs is the very wisdom of God – eternal, divine, endless, complete, inexhaustible, and unavailable anywhere else. God is offering us His wisdom – the same wisdom He used to form the world and the universe. Find it and you have everything you need for life. “For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the Lord” (Proverbs 8:35 NLT). God’s wisdom calls to us from the pages of Scripture every day of our lives. He offers His divine wisdom through His inspired Word. As believers we have His Holy Spirit living within us, helping us understand and apply the wisdom of God to our everyday lives. But receiving the wisdom of God begins with a healthy awe for God and a willing obedience to do what He says simply because of who He is. If His wisdom resulted in the universe and all that’s within it, surely it can help us navigate the affairs of everyday life. The wisdom of God is all we need. But are we truly convinced of that fact? Until we are, we will really never seek it or value it in our lives.

Father, Your wisdom is all I need, but I confess that there are far too many times when I think I need other things more. Whether it’s pleasure, or money, or popularity, I can find a lot of things I value more than Your wisdom. I can find a lot of things to do rather than spend time in Your Word searching for Your truth and seeking Your wisdom. Help me understand that there is nothing else I need in this world than what I can get from You. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

 

Proverbs 7

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The Protective Power Of Wisdom.

“Love wisdom like a sister; make insight a beloved member of your family. Let them protect you from an affair with an immoral woman, from listening to the flattery of a promiscuous woman.” – Proverbs 7:4-5 NLT

Godly wisdom has its benefits. That may sound like an understatement or an extreme case of overstating the obvious, but in either case, it’s true. When we seek God and follow His ways, we gain an extreme advantage in this life. Without Him, we are left vulnerable to the temptations that are guaranteed to come our way as we live our lives on this planet. Solomon knew that and so he went out of his way to teach his sons to seek the wisdom and insight God had to offer them. In this Proverb he warns his sons in very graphic detail about the one temptation that faces just about every member of the male side of the species: The adulterous woman. He uses a story to illustrate for his sons just how susceptible they will be without the wisdom and insight that God provides. He describes “some naive young men, and one in particular who lacked common sense” (Proverbs 7:7 NLT). The Hebrew word translated “naive” here can also mean “open-minded, one easily persuaded or enticed.” These young men lacked the capacity to defend themselves from temptation. They were naturally open-minded or, in a way, empty-headed, unable to say no to the tempting offers this world throws at every young man. One of the young men, who becomes the focus of Solomon’s story, was “void of understanding” according to the King James version. He lacked common sense. He didn’t have any wisdom from God that would warn him of the dangers that lie ahead. So when the adulterous woman spotted him walking by her house, she pounced. One of the first things that should jump out at us is the face that this young man was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It says, “He was crossing the street near the house of an immoral woman, strolling down the path by her house” (Proverbs 7:8 NLT). He had not business being there. Yet Solomon describes him as “strolling” along, completely unaware of just how much danger he was in. Without the wisdom of God, he was going to find himself defenseless to the temptations headed his way. He was going to buy into the flattering words from this woman’s lips that to a wise man would have been obvious lies. “You’re the one I was looking for!,” she would say, and “like an ox going to the slaughter,” he would believer her. He would be easily seduced by her “pretty speech” and suffer the devastating consequences of his mistake.

But he would not be alone. “For she has been the ruin of many; many men have been her victims” (Proverbs 7:26 NLT). The list of names of the men who have found themselves victims of this temptation is long and it continues to grow. All because men continue to reject the wisdom that God offers. Even so-called godly men fall prey to the adulterous woman because they reject the wisdom God offers them. They refuse to listen to His Word. Instead. hey choose to give in to their desires and satisfy their natural pleasures. They live for the moment and seek to meet the needs of their flesh, rather than live in the power of the Spirit. The wisdom of God could protect them, but they refuse to listen. Wisdom has its benefits, but only if we take advantage of all it has to offer. We have to want the wisdom of God more than we want the pleasures of this world.

Father, protect me and protect my sons through Your wisdom. Give us insight and understanding of the world in which we live. Give us the capacity to see through the subtle lies of the enemy that come against us each and every day as men. May we stand strong in Your power and equipped with Your wisdom. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

 

Proverbs 2

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Living Life In 4D.

“Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go.” – Proverbs 2:5 NLT

Life can be hard. Decisions have to be made. Difficulties must be dealt with. Sometimes it is hard to know what to do or how to respond. We are bombarded by bad advice and the well-meaning counsel of friends who are just as confused as we are. So what are we to do? Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, encourages us to “cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures” (Proverbs 2:4 NLT). It would appear that Solomon expected us to put in a fair amount of effort into the process. He seems to believe that we must want insight and understanding bad enough that we would expend some energy in order to get them. Cry out! Ask! Search! Seek! How badly do we want these things? How hard are we willing to pursue them until we find them?

As we go through life we encounter our desperate need for insight, understanding, wisdom, and knowledge.This world can be a confusing place. We don’t always know what to do. So the first step seems to be a recognition of our deficiencies. We have to come to an understanding of our lack of understanding. We are not the brightest bulbs in the box. But the sad truth seems to be that we don’t usually reach this point of awareness until something difficult happens in our lives that leaves us at a loss. It is in those times of desperation that we tend to turn to God, and that is the key – we have to turn to the source. Solomon makes it clear that insight and understanding are only available from one source and that is God. When we cry out, ask, search and seek from Him, we are told that we will “understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God” (Proverbs 2:5 NLT). It is God who grants wisdom, knowledge and understanding. He alone can equip us with much-needed common sense, integrity, and the ability to understand what is just, right and fair. In other words, God gives us discernment, direction, discipline and discretion. He provides us with all we need to live life on this planet wisely, safely, and righteously. Rather than live according to the standards of this world. we learn to live God’s way. We learn to think like He thinks, love what He loves, hate what He hates, and view life from His perspective. This life can be hard, but God has given us everything we need to not only survive, but thrive. We can live wise lives, marked by discernment, direction, discipline and discretion. He will keep us on the right path. He will help us make wise decisions. He will protect us from the temptation of this world. He will give us the ability to see life from His perspective. But first we must come to the realization that we need what He has. We must desire His  understanding, knowledge, insight and wisdom more than anything else in the world. Then we must seek after it diligently, eagerly, and regularly.

Father, there is no reason we should struggle in this world with a lack of discernment, direction, discipline and discretion. You provide all four and have made them readily available to us through Your Word, Your Spirit and Your Body. Give us a growing desire to know what You know, to understand life as You understand it, and to live according to Your wise standards. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org