Proverbial Thought

Jesus challenges me to speak up for others. There are those who have no voice. There are those who are down and out. God has a goal for me. It is not to be quiet. It is to speak up.

Jesus challenges me to speak out for justice. Justice cries out to be done. God is a God of love and God is a God of justice. Jesus will be the judge. Justice will be done.

Jesus challenges me to stand up for the poor and destitute. If I don’t stand up for the poor, who will? As much as I’ve helped the poor, I’ve helped Jesus. Jesus is clear on that. I am clear on it as well.

Jesus said “I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me. Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me— you did it to me.’” (Matthew 25)

“Speak up for the people who have no voice,
for the rights of all the down-and-outers.
Speak out for justice!
Stand up for the poor and destitute!” ~King Lemuel

Source: Proverbs 31:8-9

Justice is a term used for what is right or “as it should be.” Justice is one of God’s attributes and flows out of His holiness. Justice and righteousness are often used synonymously in the Bible. Since righteousness is the quality or character of being right or just, it is another attribute of God and incorporates both His justice and holiness.

Is God fair? Yes. God’s justice is with any partiality. I can trust God completely.

God calls on me to act justly. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.” (Matthew 23:23)

The moral righteousness of God is revealed in his laws and expressed in his judicial acts. God’s commands and judgments meet perfect standards of justice, and his apportioning of punishments and rewards is also perfectly just. God’s justice is impartial. God is God. God’s justice will be done.

A major aspect of justice is impartiality. A God who did not care about the difference between right and wrong and did not judge me for acting one way or the other would not be an admirable being worthy of my love or trust. The fact that God is just and will judge between right and wrong gives ultimate moral significance to my life and makes me accountable for my actions.

Special praise goes to Jesus for vindicating the penitent and the needy who have no human champions. Ultimately, all God’s ways will be seen as just and equitable.

1 Peter 1:17 — 17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth;
Deuteronomy 10:17 — 17 “For the Master your God is the God of gods and the Master of Masters, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe.
2 Chronicles 19:7 — 7 “Now then let the fear of the Master be upon you; be very careful what you do, for the Master our God will have no part in unrighteousness or partiality or the taking of a bribe.”
Job 34:19 — 19 Who shows no partiality to princes Nor regards the rich above the poor, For they all are the work of His hands?
Daniel 5:27 — 27 “ ‘TEKĒL’—you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.
Acts 10:34 — 34 Opening his mouth, Peter said: “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality,
Romans 2:5 — 5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,
Romans 2:11 — 11 For there is no partiality with God.
Galatians 2:6 — 6 But from those who were of high reputation (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—well, those who were of reputation contributed nothing to me.
Ephesians 6:9 — 9 And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.
Colossians 3:25 — 25 For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality.

1 Comment | tags: justice, Proverbs 31 | posted in Justice

October 29, 2018

We made it!!

By dawnlizjones

FINALLY, we come to what some may consider the capstone (or the low point, depending on your political orientation I suppose) of Proverbs—the “Proverbs 31 woman”.

“The words of Lemuel king of Massa, which his mother taught him…”

I remember a brief conversation with my mother, probably back in the late 60’s; I was around 9 or 10. She said to me, “Dawn, you can be ANYTHING you want to be, and you don’t even have to be just one thing—you can do more than that!” I could grow up to be an engineer (like my dad) or a doctor, start my own business, wow. I was never really aware of any gender barriers, not in my family’s culture. My orientation from youth was “the sky’s the limit!” So what did I choose as my profession?

Nursing. (Duh.)

The word “feminism” carries different connotations for different individuals. For example, there are some that get genuinely frustrated with the masculine references to God as “Father”, which I consider merely a cultural personification. This confusion is actually nothing more than Satan’s devilish device to cloud the true issue of God’s love and ever-expanding justice.

I say “ever-expanding” because it seems that justice is one of the over-arching themes throughout the Bible, and I reference the story below as an example of how God is waiting for us to “co-labor” with Him (again, I have no problem with that pronoun) to define His love and justice to a very confused (and confusing) world.

Backstory: Moses and the people of Israel are standing on the threshold of the Promised Land. Land ownership was an important concept, so the dividing of the land was hugely significant. At this time in this culture, only men could “own” land, which was passed down to sons. But this one guy (who had now died while wandering around in the wilderness during that infamous forty-year hike) was survived only by his five daughters.

Now, these ladies could have easily thrown up their hands in bitterness and just resigned themselves to their cultural fate. OR….

“One day a petition was presented by the daughters…These women stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the tribal leaders, and the entire community at the entrance of the Tabernacle… ‘Why should the name of our father disappear from his clan just because he had no sons? Give us property along with the rest of our relatives.’ So Moses brought their case before the LORD. And the LORD replied to Moses, ‘The claim of the daughters of Zelophehad is legitimate. You must give them a grant of land along with their father’s relatives. Assign them the property that would have been given to their father.’”

Whoa! Talk about bold! Talk about initiative! These women not only acquired justice for themselves, but reading the next several verses, also for many who were to follow. New regulations were set up because of their action.

Another interesting point is their motivation. They didn’t want their dad’s name to be disrespected by being left out of the land grant. It wasn’t about them, it was about the honor of their father’s name.

Hmmmm….

God calls us to “come boldly to the throne of grace…” It is there first and foremost that we find the true definition of justice, and God’s heart in forwarding that very thing, not merely for ourselves, but for those who are to follow, and most importantly, for the honor of our Creator’s character. In fact, the Cross is the eternal symbol of, not only God’s love, but His justice. And it’s paid in full.

Now, THAT’S bold.

Proverbs 31:1; Numbers 27 Tyndale House Publishers Inc (2008-06-01). The One Year Bible NLT (One Year Bible: Nlt Book 2) (Kindle Locations 9353-9365). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Leave a comment | tags: Boldness, Cross, encouragement, Father God, feminism, initiative, Jesus, Moses, motive, Proverbs 31, Zelophehad's daughters | posted in Faithfulness, Giving Honor, Uncategorized, Value and Worth

October 28, 2018

Mother Knows Best

By Daniel M. Klem

Once again we have made it to the final chapter in Proverbs, chapter 31.

In summary, this is a chapter about motherly advice.

Think through your decisions. Don’t be a young Tony Stark (“frat boy” or playboy, getting drunk, partying, and fooling around with women), but be better than Iron Man (strong, smart, and dedicated to doing good for others).

And of course, don’t hurry love, no you’ll just have to wait. Trust in the good Lord, not matter how long it takes …

Wait … I just quoted song lyrics …

The great thing about Proverbs is that these are guidelines and advice that apply to anyone. Chapter 31 may be written to a man, but the advice can just as easily be applied to women, simply swap the genders, and it basically applies.

Leave a comment | tags: Book of Proverbs, Can't Hurry Love, Drunkenness, good judgment, Good works, iron lady, Iron Man, Phil Collins, Philanthropist, Playboy, Proverbs 31, The Supremes, Tony Stark, Wisdom | posted in advice

October 26, 2018

Denying the Power

By Daniel M. Klem

There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother. There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up. There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men. -Proverbs 30:11‭-‬14, KJV

These words may have been true throughout history, but they do seem especially true today.

Most of the world appears to be on the same page of seeking personal fulfillment, attaining personal gain, willfully ignoring or forgetting the past, assuming their own righteousness, and condemning anyone who disagrees with them.

When we disregard the lessons of the past, we curse our parents.

When we claim we have all the answers and vilify those with whom we disagree, we declare ourselves righteous as we commit the exact same sins (in different ways).

We become dreamers and idealogues who ignore the sinfulness of humanity and the need for God’s love, grace, and forgiveness.

And the solution? Either attempt to eradicate the lower class (poor and needy) or make everyone the lower class. (Or, worse, killing them off literally.)

The Real Solution

Paul warned us such days would come (2 Timothy 3). We have been moving boundaries, reinterpreting Scripture, disobeying authority through declaring it obsolete and even harmful, and throwing out Scripture as antiquated, uninspired, powerless, error-filled, and merely written by men.

But the way forward is to pursue godliness through repentance, faith in Christ, the reading of Scripture, fellowship with the saints, prayer, and allowing the Holy Spirit to conform us to the image of the Son to the glory of God the Father. (2 Timothy 3 and 4 expound on these, too!)

Leave a comment | tags: Believe, Book of Proverbs, Disobedient, Last Days, Read, Rebellious, Repent, Scripture, truth, Warnings | posted in Truth, Warnings

October 25, 2018

Not just what, but why?

By dawnlizjones

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Human beings sure are smart!

Bob and I went over to the church to see if we could help our assistant pastor and some friends who were busting up the concrete getting ready to put in a new parking area by the daycare center. Kevin, who is also a farmer, had brought in his own Bobcat and was adroitly ripping up the ground and dumping it into the truck. Bob and I are always so impressed by this guy’s expertise in all things concerning the practical working of dirt.

I’m also pretty amazed at how people invented and manufactured the Bobcat. Or the concrete it busts up for that matter! Or how about Apollo 13? A popular movie from years ago, I just admire at the ingenuity of bringing them back home safely—with slide rules. Continue reading

Leave a comment | tags: asking, Common sense, Fear of the Lord, God, humility, James 1:5, Jesus, Knowledge, Pride, proverbs, Wisdom | posted in Uncategorized, Wisdom

October 23, 2018

Am I offending people?

By M. Wiley Wilson

There is wisdom and there is stupidity. God is kind enough to alert me to both.

Putting others down and being a rude bully is intended to draw attention to me. If I am so insecure that the only way I think I can look good is to put others down, that is the height of stupidity.

I don’t like to think I act that way. I need to be careful. It is too easy to fall into the trap, particularly in our new world of technology and social media.

The Apostle Paul advises “Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in the Messiah forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:31)

If you’re dumb enough to call attention to yourself
    by offending people and making rude gestures,
Don’t be surprised if someone bloodies your nose.
    Churned milk turns into butter;
    riled emotions turn into fist fights.

Source: Proverbs 30:32-33

Image result for rude

2 Comments | tags: Proverbs 30, relationships, rude | posted in Friendship

October 22, 2018

How to Pray

By Daniel M. Klem

Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain. –Proverbs 30:7‭-‬9, KJV

Do you ever think Jesus felt frustrated with His disciples? They made a few silly statements and asked quite a few silly questions, sometimes immediately after He gave a decent explanation of things.

That has little to do with today’s passage, but for people steeped in religious teachings and Bible readings (well, the tanakh, or our Old Testament) they missed quite a bit.

For example, do these verses look familiar?

And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

And he said unto them, When ye pray, say,

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
Luke 11:1‭-‬4

Admittedly, it could be hard to miss this little prayer in Proverbs for how important it really is, especially knowing Jesus’ disciples were mostly anything but religious leaders who studied the Scriptures frequently.

This passage, though, does more fully explain what Jesus was telling us to pray:

Teach me to be content,
Help me control my mouth and thoughts,
Keep me from blaspheming you by my actions,
Remind me that You are in control, and people watch me when I say I am Yours.

In other words, “God, help me love You and love others.”

It keeps coming back to these two things. Almost like they are great commandments. 😉

Pray for contentment in all things but one: Pray for an abundance of love.

1 Comment | tags: Book of Proverbs, Contentment, Greatest Commandment, Lord's Prayer, love, prayer, Proverbs 30, Speech | posted in conversation/speech, Love

October 21, 2018

God’s Word Is True

By Daniel M. Klem

Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. -Proverbs 30:5, KJV

Scripture reminds us time and again that it is the very word of God, and He does not lie nor change. Therefore, we can know that what we read (when faithfully translated for us!) is trustworthy and true.

If it is not pure, it is not true. You may come across passages and verses that are difficult to understand or seem contradictory. We must remember a few things:

We typically are separated by culture and thousands of years of time from when they were written. There may be:
- euphamisms and figures of speech we no longer use,
- historical references that seem out of place, or are practices that only make sense when seen/experienced, or
- descriptions that seem odd to us;
Concepts are beyond our understanding (like the Trinity or free will with God’s sovereignty);
Authors frequently seemed to play loose with details, but it was to make a specific point (such as the gospel writers putting orders of events in slightly different ways to highlight different details);
Other portions of Scripture help fill in details not apparent in other portions (Why does God say “we/us/our” in Genesis? Jesus helps us see the unity of the Trinity of Father, Son, and Spirit).

Jesus helps us see the truth and reliability of Scripture, because His life, death, and resurrection verify it. If any part is untrue, the entire thing falls apart. But He has shown us that He and His Word are trustworthy for the salvation of our souls.

Leave a comment | tags: Book of Proverbs, God, God's Word, Jesus, salvation, trust, Trust the Lord, truth, Word of the Lord | posted in Trust the Lord, Truth, Word of the Lord

October 20, 2018

Not About Politics, But There Are Sides

By Daniel M. Klem

An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked. –Proverbs 29:27 KJV

I was ready to write about politics, and angry partisanship. And this verse certainly can speak to partisan politics.

However, I just want to speak the truth:

There are only two sides in this historical and eternal battle: with God or against Him (Matthew 12:30).

There are no other ways or sides, and this leads to many people seeing Christians, and by extension God, as narrow-minded (which is true, to a point – Matthew 7:14), even evil, for saying not everyone is good or can get to God their own way.

But, if Jesus truly is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, then there is no other path to God (John 14:6).

If you do what God calls evil, you are a wicked sinner. But if you repent of your evil ways (change the way you think and act – Romans 12:1-2) and believe Jesus died for your punishment to cover your wickedness and rose again to life, then you are on His side (Acts 2:38-39).

To refuse the leading of the Holy Spirit to believe in Christ is choose to be against God (Matthew 12:31, John 8:44).

Leave a comment | tags: anti-Christ, Baptized, Believe, Book of Proverbs, Christ, Politics, Repent, Sides, The Righteous, The Wicked | posted in Fear of the Lord, Paths of Life, The Righteous, The Wicked

October 19, 2018

Has Grace Got You?

By Daniel M. Klem

In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare: but the righteous doth sing and rejoice. –Proverbs 29:6, KJV

When we get in trouble for doing something we should not have been doing, we sure do feel bad.

When we get away with something wrong, we are relieved, but the snare of guilt refuses to let us relax completely.

When we are forgiven, golly gee, are we happy!

It is just like MercyMe’s song, Grace Got You.

It combines these last two points and explains them very poetically, and it is how Christians should feel!

Sing,
So the back row hears you.
Glide,
‘Cause walking just won’t do.
Dance,
You don’t have to know how to,
Ever since, ever since grace got you.

Laugh,
‘Till your whole side’s hurting.
Smile,
Like you just got away with something,
Why?
‘Cause you just got away with something,
Ever since, ever since grace got you.

We essentially get away with all of the times we rubbed our sin in God’s face, all because He sent His Son to die on a cross in our place of punishment.

The question then becomes, how do we respond when others wrong us?

Just as God forgave us, we ought to forgive others. This is one of the greatest works we can do in Christ’s name. The hope is that they will see this (and other good works) and turn to Christ.

Then, we can all sing together the praise of the One who created and forgives us, rejoicing in His grace and love.

May we sing God’s praises continually. (Colossians 3:16-17, 1 Thessalonians 5:15-18)