Wisdom or Folly?

Proverbs 9:13-18 (NIV)

¹³The woman Folly is loud;

she is undisciplined and without knowledge.

¹⁴She sits at the door of her house,

on a seat at the highest point of the city,

¹⁵calling out to those who pass by,

who go straight on their way.

¹⁶“Let all who are simple come in here!”

she says to those who lack judgment.

¹⁷“Stolen water is sweet;

food eaten in secret is delicious!”

¹⁸But little do they know that the dead are there,

that her guests are in the depths of the grave.

The Hebrew word for "folly" is "stupidity".  Have you ever found yourself doing something stupid, or calling yourself "stupid" for doing something that you know was against God's will?
How do we end up in those situations?

Notice how Proverbs 9 describes "Folly"...
First, she is LOUD.  Have you noticed when we are being tempted to sin, or do something stupid, it is really "loud"?  Loud in the sense that it shouts at you in your mind, calling you, enticing you to do something wrong.  It is so loud that it sometimes becomes hard to resist.

Then, she is UNDISCIPLINED.  What folly tempts us to do has nothing to do with discipline.  Undisciplined is the opposite of self control, resistance.  Folly makes sin look so easy to do, at a certain moment, that we don't think of resisting or controlling ourself.

Then, she is WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE.  Folly tempts us to do something stupid without making us think, without making us look ahead at the consequences of what we're going to do.

And then look at verse 17 - "stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious".  Folly usually moves us to do things that are SECRET, that we hide from others.  It's that secret text to someone of the opposite sex, or using our company's money without permission (with the intent of giving it back, of course...which is exactly what we're talking about), or looking at a website in secret.

In chapter 9 the opposite of folly is WISDOM, God's wisdom.  Wisdom invites us to visit her house, to eat the food she has prepared, and to be ready for instruction, correction and rebuke when needed.
Wisdom calls, no need to be loud.  Wisdom calls us to discipline - to listen, accept correction and rebuke.  Wisdom grants knowledge to us.
9:10 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

We face either wisdom or folly in our life everyday.  I pray we choose wisdom.

Though it Cost All You Have

Proverbs 4:5-7  Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them.  (6)  Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.  (7)  Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

Solomon was dead serious when he wrote to his son about God's wisdom.  And why not - God's wisdom protects us, watches over us.

And yet, how many of us heed the advice of this verse in our own life?

We have been raised to believe in ourselves.  Our wisdom today is founded on our education, our experience in life, learning from our mistakes and striving on to be the person we are today.  This is why God's wisdom doesn't seem to be a priority for us.  It is almost always a last resort.  We cry to God only when all our wisdom has been drained and nothing happens.

But this is not who God must be, or how unimportant His wisdom is in our lives.

For Solomon to say "though it cost you all you have" means that it is something that is so important, so essential, that without it we would not have anything or accomplish anything.  This is how we need to look at God and His wisdom.

A disciple of Christ who has been truly been born again has a change of mind concerning who God is.  All of a sudden God becomes the very source of our life, of wisdom, and we cannot live without Him and His words.  And this is where this desire to know God and His wisdom comes from.  Here is where the willingness to count the cost to know Him and His word comes from.

Though it cost all you have...  Are we willing to spend that extra money for a new bible?  Are we willing to spend extra for fare or gasoline just to attend the bible study, the fellowship or the Sunday worship, knowing that this will add to our wisdom and understanding concerning God and His word?

Are we willing to spend more time in prayer, reading God's word every day?  Are we willing to make that extra effort to be in fellowship with other believers and attend bible studies?

Is this how essential God and His wisdom is in our hearts?

Oh, how all of us would echo the words of the disciples of Christ:

John 6:68  Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.  

Though it cost all you have...

The Greatness of God's Wisdom

Proverbs 3:13-20  Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding,  (14)  for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.  (15)  She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.  (16)  Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.  (17)  Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace.  (18)  She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed.  (19)  By wisdom the LORD laid the earth's foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place;  (20)  by his knowledge the deeps were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew.

This passage has reminded me, time and again, what it means to pray for God's wisdom.  We come to the Lord asking Him to give us wisdom for decisions we need to make, for certain situations where we need it, etc.  But I don't think we actually grasp what it means to seek wisdom, and that's why God through His word needs to remind us of what it is we are actually asking for.

Solomon says in Proverbs 1:7  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

When we pray for wisdom we are praying that we walk with a fear of God in our hearts, that we do what is pleasing and honoring to Him, not to ourselves.  Praying for wisdom is praying that our hearts remain in that state.

Let's look at how chapter 3 describes this wisdom:

(14)  for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.  (15)  She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.

I wonder if we understand what this means.  God's wisdom does not necessarily lead us to profit and better yields or returns in life, financially or materially.  In fact, this verse reminds us that when we walk in the wisdom of God it is more precious than any gain or profit in this world.

God's wisdom is not a means to gain more, or to be more successful.  It is simply to walk in the ways that are pleasing to Him.

(16)  Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.

In an age where health and success are the new "gods", both of people in the world and, sadly, even in the church, this stands out as a great reminder of who really gives us long life and riches - it's not alternative medicine or supplements, or hard work and perseverance - it is God Himself.  Of course we can always say that it is God who created supplements and natural medicines, and it is even in Scripture that we are to work hard and be diligent.  But there is a thin line between trusting in God and trusting in these things to have long life, riches and honor.

Walking in God's wisdom assures us that God holds our life.

(17)  Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace.  (18)  She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed.

If we claim to be walking in wisdom, these should characterize our actions - are they pleasant?  Are our words and actions pleasant, or are they abrasive and rude?

Are we promoting peace?  Or are we breeding conflict and tension?

Does it bring a fullness of the life that God describes in His Word?  Or is it promoting a worldly and fleshly life?

(19)  By wisdom the LORD laid the earth's foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place;  (20)  by his knowledge the deeps were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew.

Do we actually realize what we are praying for when we ask our God for wisdom?  It's so easy for us to just ask for it, without realizing the greatness of what we are asking for.

It was by His wisdom that the earth's foundations were laid.  It was by His understanding that He set the heavens, the universe, in place, that the deeps were divided, and that we receive rain.

We are asking our great and mighty God to grant us His wisdom for such simple things as decisions we need to make, or guidance with regards to life.  But what is really mind blowing is that our God is gracious enough to actually give us even an iota of His wisdom and knowledge to guide us in our life.

This should remind us to approach God with great humility and gratitude that He will actually grant it to us.

And, this should remind us that as God reveals to us His wisdom, through His Word, that we are to honor it, and obey it - not looking for the outcome, but knowing that we are using a wisdom that created the world and the universe, and that He is gracious enough to reveal it to us so that we can apply it in our lives.

God's Love...Better than Life

Psalms 63:1-3 (NIV)
¹

Psalm 63:1-3 

O God, you are my God,

earnestly I seek you;

my soul thirsts for you,

my body longs for you,

in a dry and weary land

where there is no water.

²I have seen you in the sanctuary

and beheld your power and your glory.

³Because your love is better than life,

my lips will glorify you.

What is it that gives us human beings joy and satisfaction?  From the human point of view it is what this world gives us, what it offers.  When we have these things that the earthly "life" has to offer we feel a certain form of happiness, security, and joy.
That's why when they're taken away we feel depressed, down and empty.  When we lose or lack money, material things, relationships, recognition, etc., we feel down and dry, empty.
Just like David when he was in the desert of Judah, in a dry and weary land where there was no water.

In a place where David lacked something that his body longed for, notice where David went - to God.  In a place that lacked water, David did not seek a source of water.  He sought for God.  His soul and his body longed for the presence of the Lord.
And this is what he remembered - "I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and glory".  David's soul had a taste of God's reality, of His presence.  And so this is what he looked for.

This is where many of us, if not all of us, make a big mistake.  When we feel the lack of what this world has to offer, we usually look for the same things to satisfy us again.  When we lose a relationship, we long for another one.  When we lose money, we want to gain it back.  If we're not satisfied with a material thing, we go out and buy another one.
But when we are down and troubled because of a loss of something or someone, we need to direct our souls to the One who can really satisfy.  The ONLY ONE who can satisfy us body and soul.

David said "because your love is better than life...".  The knowledge and experience of God's love is better than what life has to offer.  There comes a point in the life of a true Christian where God becomes so much better than anything that this life has to offer.  This is something that God Himself will work in our hearts, because He alone is the source of life, a life that offers true satisfaction and joy.

May all of us have hearts that proclaim "Your love, Lord, is better than life".

God Our Teacher

Psalms 25:8-9 (NIV)

⁸Good and upright is the LORD;

therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.

⁹He guides the humble in what is right

and teaches them his way.

God is our Teacher, for He alone is good and upright.  He alone is the source of truth, righteousness and holy living.  Today, in the new testament, the Holy Spirit, who indwells every true believer, is the One who teaches us, enlightens our hearts concerning God's Word.  As the verse above says "He instructs sinners in His ways".
A sinner is someone who has realized that he/she has gone astray from his/her Shepherd, that he/she has transgressed and done what is wrong in God's sight.  Not everyone will admit this.  This is why a sinner saved by grace recognizes that only God is good and upright, and that he/she is in need of His instruction to walk in His ways.

Psalms 25:4-5 (NIV)

⁴Show me your ways, O LORD,

teach me your paths;

⁵guide me in your truth and teach me,

for you are God my Savior,

and my hope is in you all day long.

But God is not a teacher who stands in front of a class teaching students who are not listening to Him.  He teaches those who are humble.  A sinner saved by grace has a heart that is humble, that realizes that he/she needs a Teacher to tell them what is right.  And contrary to what we may think, this is not a natural state of our heart.  We are rebels by nature.  We are all teenagers in heart who think that we already know what we need, what is right, and so our tendency is to follow our own heart, our own ways.
This is why God will only teach those who humble themselves before Him, who acknowledge their nothingness with regards to life, and to what is right, and listen to Him.

James 1:21 (NIV)
²¹Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

What a blessing to have a good and upright God who graciously teaches us His ways.  And what an important attitude for us to have humble hearts truly listening, learning and applying what our God teaches us.

Running in God's path

Psalms 119:32 (NIV)

³²I run in the path of your commands,

for you have set my heart free.

Have you ever brought your child to a mall, or an open park, and watch him run as if he had been set free from the four walls of your house?  Or maybe you've seen other children doing that, running around enjoying the free space that he has in a mall or a park.  That is so natural for a kid who has been couped up in a house for days, or being in a classroom for days, and then set free to run in an open space.  He feels he can run as fast as he can, as far as he can, anywhere he wants to go!

That seems like what the writer of Psalm 119 is describing.  He wrote "I run in the paths of your commands".  He did not describe obedience to God's commands as crawling, or struggling, or even walking.  He was running.  And why not?  The second half of the verse says "for you have set my heart free!".
Does this describe how we walk in God's commands everyday?  There are some people who call themselves Christian, and yet continue to be rebellious of God's commands.  If ever they do obey, it is with hesitance, and even resistance.  The obedience is seen in their actions, but in their hearts it was a struggle.  They seem to be crawling in the path of God's commands.

A true believer is running in God's path.  Why?  He or she knows that he/she has been set free!
John 8:34 (NIV)
³⁴Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
John 8:36 (NIV)
³⁶So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

We were slaves to sin, imprisoned in the desires of our sinful nature, not able to walk according to God's command.  We would try, but we would eventually fail.
Christ's death on the cross set us free from the hold of sin over our life.  If you believe that, you are now free from the hold that sin has over your mind and body, and you can now obey God by the power of the Holy Spirit who indwells you!
Now that you are free, you can run in the paths of God's commands.  It becomes a joy, a desire in our hearts.  That doesn't mean there is no struggle -yes, the battle will still be there between our flesh and the new desires of our heart, but the joy of following God and His commands remains.
Look what the apostle John says:
1 John 5:3 (NIV)
³This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,

His commands are not burdensome.  They are, in fact, a joy to the heart of a Christian.
All, of course, by His grace and strength.

Buy Wisdom

Proverbs 4:5-7 (NIV)

⁵Get wisdom, get understanding;

do not forget my words or swerve from them.

⁶Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;

love her, and she will watch over you.

⁷Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.

Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

When we see somthing that we want, that we need, there is no hesitation - we will get it at all cost.  If we don't get it right away we never forget about it, and our mind doesn't rest until we buy it.  and even if it costs so much, sometimes even all that we have, we will spend for it.  That's the power of desire.

What about wisdom?  Or to be more specific - what about the wisdom of the Lord, or from the Lord? Is it something that our hearts tell us that we need, that we want everyday?  This is what Solomon was telling his son - get wisdom.  There should be no hesitation whatsoever.  He wasn't to forget it, or forsake it.  And even if it cost all that he had, Solomon told him to get it.

How much are we willing to spend to get the wisdom of the Lord?  Are we willing to spend some extra pesos to buy a bible?  Or maybe a book by a Christian author that we know will encourage us and help us in our walk with God?
How much more gas are we willing to spend to go to a Sunday worship service, or a bible study, or a small group?  How much are we willing to spend for taxi or jeepney fare just to go?
How much of our time are we willing to spare for that fellowship with other believers, or that seminar that will build us up?

It's really all about realizing that the wisdom of God is something that we cannot live without.  More than any other gadget, product or commodity the world offers.  More than the time we spend with loved ones, friends, restaurants, enjoyment.
It's about how important our heart is compared to what our bodies look for.

Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

²³Above all else, guard your heart, 

for it is the wellspring of life.

Above all else...guard your heart with the wisdom of the Lord.

God Does What Pleases Him

Psalms 115:3 (NIV)
³Our God is in heaven; He does whatever pleases him.

Two important things to understand about our God.
First, our God is in heaven.  He is high and above all things, above all of us.  He is not of the world.  In fact, He is the Creator of the world!  That's why His ways are not like our ways, and His thoughts are not like our thoughts.  He is not worldly in His thinking, His analysis, and His basis of making decisions, or guiding and planning our lives.  He is in heaven.

Many of us make the mistake of bringing our thoughts, our analysis and our understanding of life, of what we need, of what is best of us to God, and expect Him to answer in the way we understand things.  He is in heaven.
When our Lord Jesus taught His disciples to pray it began with "our Father in heaven...".  Always remember this when we pray.

Second, He does whatever pleases Him.
God does not exist to please us - This is one of the most deceptive teachings that we find today.  Many preachers today make it look like God exists to grant what we desire, to make us feel good in this life, to make all our desires come to pass.  They make Him like a genie.  Rub the lamp in the right way and out he comes to grant our wishes.  That is not the God who reveals Himself in His Word.
He does whatever pleases Him.  Why?  Because God is holy, He alone is righteous, He alone is pure and true.  We are sinful, and our hearts are prone to wander away from Him, and seek only what we want.
This is why not all our fleshly desires are granted.  It's what He desires, what pleases Him that He accomplishes in our life.

This is why there are so many things that happen in our life that we don't understand - trials, hardships, problems, etc.  Now, this does not mean that God is pleased with trials and hardships...no.  What pleases God is what happens in our hearts that glorify His name.  What pleases God is that no matter what circumstance we go through it is He whom we seek, who we trust in.
James 1:2-4 (NIV)
²Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. ⁴Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
1 Peter 1:6-7 (NIV)
⁶In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. ⁷These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

But it's not just trials.  It's also about blessings.  Every blessing that God brings to our life is that which pleases Him.  And He knows exactly what to bless us with, so that we do not put our trust in the blessing, and at the same time He gives what we can enjoy.
1 Timothy 6:17 (NIV)
¹⁷Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

This is what pleases God - no matter what blessing we receive, our hope is in Him, and not in the blessing itself.

And as we continually worship Him, meditate on His Word, our minds are renewed so that we understand what His will is.
Romans 12:2 (NIV)
²Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

God's will is good for us, it is pleasing to Him, and perfect...for it is His will.
God is in heaven, and He does what pleases Him.

Keeping in Step with the Spirit

Galatians 5:16 (NIV)
¹⁶So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
Galatians 5:25 (NIV)
²⁵Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

There is a constant war in our hearts between the Spirit, who indwells or lives in every believer in Christ, and the old desires of our sinful nature.  Being a Christian does not mean that our sinful nature has been totally eradicated.  In Christ our sins have been forgiven, having been justified by faith.  But our sinful nature still exists.  That's why by God's grace He indwells us, through the third person of the Trinity - the Holy Spirit.  We become a temple of the Holy Spirit.  And His work is to remind us of the teachings of Christ, guide us through His Word, and empower us so that we may overcome the battles we have against our flesh.
One of the first evidences that we have truly been born again is the realization of the acts of the flesh, and the working of the Spirit in us.  This is found also in Galatians 5:
Galatians 5:19-23 (NIV)
¹⁹The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

This is when the warfare begins.  As we live by the Spirit, surrendering to what He is working in us, bringing out His fruit in our lives, we crucify or put to death the acts of our flesh, or sinful nature, that still lingers in us.  This is a day by day, minute by minute, even moment by moment act of warfare.  Any slight detour from our awareness of the working of the Spirit gives our flesh the chance to come out of its shell, and pop up its ugly head in our lives.

That's why Paul encourages us - ²⁵Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Keep in step.  This reminds me of my ROTC days in college where, as reserve soldiers in training, we were to march in cadence with the command of the officer - left, right, left.  All soldiers would walk in unison with the shout of the commanding officer, and we would walk in step with him.
That's what it means to keep in step with the Spirit.  Everyday, every moment, the Spirit is moving in our hearts, teaching us, guiding us, empowering us, to obey His working in us.  Everytime we take a wrong step, every time we do not keep in step with the Spirit, the opportunity for our sinful nature to come out increases.

Listen to the Spirit's marching commands every moment.  At the beginning of the day He may be calling you to pray, to read God's Word, worship and meditate.  And then as you go through the day He will always be there to guide you to live the right life, say the right words, react to various situations and circumstances.  He will keep you away from temptation, strengthen you when you are in the midst of it.  He will bring righteousness, moving us to obey His every Word.

Watching The Master's Hand

Psalms 123:1-2 (NIV)

1I lift up my eyes to you,

to you whose throne is in heaven.

2As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,

as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress,

so our eyes look to the LORD our God,

till he shows us his mercy.

What did the psalmist mean when he said "I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven"?  The general undertanding is that it refers to prayer, or to a gesture of trust upon God.  But to really understand what he was saying to the Lord we need to take it in the context of the next verse, for this describes what his heart was saying.

2As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,

as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress,

so our eyes look to the LORD our God,

till he shows us his mercy.

We need to understand this in the context of ancient Master-servant relationships, something that we don't really practice today.  Servants and maids during those days were not employees or volunteers...they were pracitcally commodities.  Many were bought, others volunteered their servanthood to their masters.  But generally as servants they did not act on their own.  Everything they did was according to what their masters wanted.  Whatever the master commanded them, they were to do.

And what the servants usually looked at were the hand gestures of their masters.  With a wave of a hand, or with a specific signal, the servant knew if he was being called, or asked to do something.  All their movements were based on these hand signals.  And so a slave, or a maid, would be looking to the hand of their master or mistress, for them to know what they were to do.

This was what the psalmist was praying for.  As the eyes of a slave were continually focused on the hand of his master, waiting for the command, so was this psalmist waiting for the Lord to tell him what to do.

The next verses reveal to us what the psalmist was going through:

Psalms 123:3-4 (NIV)

3Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us,

for we have endured much contempt.

4We have endured much ridicule from the proud,

much contempt from the arrogant.

The psalmist was enduring much contempt and ridicule from proud people.  The Hebrew word for "contempt" means "to be despised...a laughingstock".  The word "ridicule" means to be mocked, made fun of.

In a situation like this it would have been natural for the psalmist to fight back, to retaliate or answer back at those who were treating him with contempt. But he didn't.  His eyes looked to his Master, and he was waiting for what his Master would command him to do.

Are we in a similar situation like this?  There are times when people will treat us with contempt, ridicule us or make fun of us.  Maybe it's in your office, or in your dealing with other people.  The natural tendency for us is to respond according to our emotion, or to simply retaliate.  When people are proud and arrogant, the natural response is for us to be proud and arrogant also.

Lift up your eyes to your King, your Master, and look to His hand.  Ask and wait for Him to tell you what to do.  Don’t follow your emotion, and don’t feed your pride.  You are a servant, a maidservant, and it is your Lord now who tells you how to live, what to do.

Generally, this should be the posture of the heart of a servant, or a maidservant…looking to the hand of their Master, and waiting for Him to tell us what to do.  In the New Testament this is called “walking by the Spirit”, always praying, discerning, what the Holy Spirit is prompting us to do, to act, in certain situations.

Of course it all depends on the foundation of our relationship with God - is He our Master?  Are we His servants?  Do we do things on our own volition or our own ways, or are we looking up to Him who sits on the throne?

Whether we are being ridiculed or mocked like the psalmist, or whatever situation we are facing, make sure that our eyes are on the hand of our Master, waiting upon Him before we act, or react.

Not Afraid to be Afraid

Psalms 56:3-4 (NIV)

³When I am afraid,

I will trust in you.

⁴In God, whose word I praise,

in God I trust; I will not be afraid.

What can mortal man do to me?

This passage begins with being afraid.  But it ends with not being afraid.
Why wouldn't David be afraid?  He was being pursued by men who were attacking him, who wanted him dead.  All day long they were pursuing him.  And they weren't going to stop - why?  Because of their pride.
Psalms 56:1-2 (NIV)
¹

Be merciful to me, O God, for men hotly pursue me;

all day long they press their attack.

²My slanderers pursue me all day long;

many are attacking me in their pride.

So David cries out..."when I am afraid...".
There are some Christians who are ashamed to admit that they are afraid.  When going through trials, feeling anxious, when someone asks them how they are their usual answer is "I'm ok", or "God is good".
But did you notice David...he wasn't afraid to say that he was afraid!
I don't think there is any human being who does not encounter a situation where he becomes afraid...even for just a few seconds.  It may be temporary, but we do experience some sort of fear.
But where should that fear lead us?

David said "When I am afraid I WILL TRUST IN YOU"
The fear of David concerning those who were pursuing him quickly turned out to be a situation where he could express his trust in God!
It's normal and human to be afraid.  But we are not supposed to stay afraid.  When we are afraid we are to trust in God.
What about God should we trust?  In God WHOSE WORD I PRAISE.
God has given us his Word, His promises.  This is what David trusted in - the word of the Lord, His promises to him as King of Israel, and as God's child.

This now is what lead David to finally say "IN GOD I TRUST, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID"
That's when the fear was overcome - when David recalled, and believed, the promise of the Lord, His word for David.

We may begin by being afraid, but when we recall, embrace and believe the word God has for us, that fear is erased.  This is why it is so important for a Christian to be filled with the word of God, His promises for us. It is a never ending filling in our hearts, that we may overcome all fear in our hearts.

Do not be afraid to be afraid when it leads you to trust in God whose Word your praise!

The Word of God...our Mirror

James 1:23-25 (NIV)
²³Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

I always notice people walking in the streets taking advantage of every opportunity to check how they look.  They will pass by restaurants, offices, even cars parked, look at their reflection in the glass windows.  Some do it as if they're pros - just one simple, quick glance, almost not noticeable.  Others will take their time, stop for a while, check themselves from the top of their heads to the sole of their feet, not realizing that the people eating in the restaurant, or the driver inside the parked car, are looking straight at them!
Some women have their pocket mirrors to check how they look once in a while.  Even cellphones have a button called "mirror", that you can press and see yourself.  I think it's just the camera that evolved into a mirror, which it actually does - it mirrors how we look.

We all need mirrors to check how we look.  We do it before we leave the house, and throughout the day we need to keep checking if we still look alright.

What is the spiritual mirror of a Christian?  James writes to remind believers that the Word of God is our mirror.  The Word of God shows us how we should live.  The Word of God shows us how we should look, how we are supposed to "dress up" as Christians.  And it reveals it to us for every aspect of our life - from the top of our head to the sole of our feet.  Every area - our thoughts, what we look at, what we say, what we listen to, where our heads turn, our heart, what our hands hold, where our feet take us.  The Word of God should be our mirror, showing us how we should live.

And yet, there are so many Christians who leave their homes without looking at their spiritual mirror. We go through the day without looking at our spiritual mirror.  And even worse, there are some who go through weeks, months even years without looking at their spiritual mirror.  Not surprisingly they live lives that are not pleasing to God, that do not reflect His character, that do not glorify His name.

This is why we read God's Word everyday, meditate upon His teachings every moment, and make sure we go back to our spiritual mirror again and again, to make sure that we see how we are, how we are living.  It is a natural concern for a Chrsitian, just as it is with every human being, to want to make sure he looks ok.

And in this hi-tech day we live in - this mirror is even in our cellphone!  So don't just press the "mirror" button in your phone to check how you physically look.  Press that bible app as often as you can, daily, just to check if you look as good as how God wants you to look.

Enjoying God's Dwelling Place

Psalms 84:1-4 (NIV)
¹

How lovely is your dwelling place,

O LORD Almighty!

²My soul yearns, even faints,

for the courts of the LORD;

my heart and my flesh cry out

for the living God.

³Even the sparrow has found a home,

and the swallow a nest for herself,

where she may have her young—

a place near your altar,

O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.

⁴Blessed are those who dwell in your house;

they are ever praising you.

I smiled when I read the first verse of this psalm.  I could just imagine what a feeling the writer of this psalm had when he saw the temple of God, how much his soul yearned to be in His presence, to stay and serve in His temple.
This is the reason why every year Israelites would go on a pilgrimage, no matter how far they were, to be in the Lord's temple.  The joy of being in His presence, a privilege that even sparrows had as they laid their nests there.  It was a joy to travel, and the joy in their hearts turned deserts into streams of water!
There is nothing better than enjoying the presence of God in His dwelling place.

Believers in Christ today can enjoy the same thing.  But how many of us realize that God's presence is not just in a church building, nor just in the fellowship of fellow believers?  I use the word "just" because yes, when believers gather to worship in a church building God is there, and when believers gather to fellowship and talk about God He is there.
1 Corinthians 3:16 (NIV)
¹⁶Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?

But sometimes there's another place that believers miss out on with regards to God's presence - our own hearts, our own bodies!
1 Corinthians 6:19 (NIV)
¹⁹Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;

Our body, we individually, are a temple of the Holy Spirit.  We are His temple!  Why?  Because He resides in us!
Colossians 1:27 (NIV)
²⁷To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Christ in us!  The indwelling presence of our God in us makes us His temple, His dwelling place.
Our pilgrimage to worship and see how lovely our God is not in a trek or travel to a place, or a building.  He is right in our hearts.  When we spend time in worship, prayer, meditation and listening to Him speak to us through His Word and through the Spirit teaching us - that's our pilgrimage.  And what a joy it is to just sit and enjoy the presence of God.  There is no greater joy than this.  Truly how lovely is Your dwelling place Almighty God!
Sadly, many of us miss out on this everyday!

Oh, may all our hearts sing just like the psalmist - How lovely is your dwelling place! may we sing this every day, every moment of our life!

Trusting in God's lovingkindness

Psalms 52:1 (NASB)

¹Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man?

The lovingkindness of God endures all day long.

6-7

⁶The righteous will see and fear,

And will laugh at him, saying,

⁷“Behold, the man who would not make God his refuge,

But trusted in the abundance of his riches

And was strong in his evil desire.”

That's the way of the world - people will do evil, and they will boast in it.  If you look at the context of this psalm, as seen in verses 6-7, it refers to man not making God his refuge but trusting in the abundance of his riches and in his evil desires.
In the world people boast of their evil ways - how they cheat the government in taxes, how they cheat their customers, cut corners, compromise on the quality of their service or goods, just to earn more money.  And they boast about it!
If you work with someone like that notice how they will pass on their "secrets", and their practices.  And if you don't follow what they do you are branded as a non-conformist.

If you're a believer you trust in what the psalmist said in the first verse - the lovingkindness of God endures all day long.  We do not need to resort to evil ways to earn money, because we trust that God's lovingkindness will take care of us...the whole day, every day, for the rest of our life.

May this be the battlecry, the testimony, of all of Christians - we will not boast in evil ways, but will trust in the lovingkindness of God always.

Wisdom or Folly?

Proverbs 9:1-6 (NIV)

1Wisdom has built her house;

she has hewn out its seven pillars.

2She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine;

she has also set her table.

3She has sent out her maids, and she calls

from the highest point of the city.

4“Let all who are simple come in here!”

she says to those who lack judgment.

5“Come, eat my food

and drink the wine I have mixed.

6Leave your simple ways and you will live;

walk in the way of understanding.

I like how Proverbs 9 shows us the contrast between how the wisdom of God (here personified as a woman) and Folly present themselves to people.  In the passage above wisdom builds her house and shows how well it is built, and how strong a foundation it has.  With it she  prepares a sumptuous meal, showing us how enjoyable and filling it will be.  Then, she sends out her maids to call out to all from the highest point of the city, so that all may see what she has prepared.

God’s wisdom for His people is not offered blindly to us.  He shows us how it is built, how strong the foundation of His wisdom is.  He also shows us how enjoyable and filling it is to walk according to His Word, His wisdom.

Of course this does not come magically into the mind of a believer.  We need to seek Him and His word, that we may know and understand what He is offering us.

But His wisdom is there…always available, and clearly explained to each of us.

This is in contrast to Folly.

 Proverbs 9:13-15 (NIV)

13The woman Folly is loud;

she is undisciplined and without knowledge.

14She sits at the door of her house,

on a seat at the highest point of the city,

15calling out to those who pass by,

who go straight on their way.

Folly is loud, undisciplined and without knowledge.  No explanation how her house was built or how strong it is, there is no preparation of any meal or of sending out her maids to call.

She just tempts.  All folly does is tell us what we can enjoy.

Proverbs 9:16-18 (NIV)

16“Let all who are simple come in here!”

she says to those who lack judgment.

17“Stolen water is sweet;

food eaten in secret is delicious!”

18But little do they know that the dead are there,

that her guests are in the depths of the grave.

 Notice that there is no presentation of how it will benefit us, or what good it will bring us.  It just says that what it offers is sweet and delicious.

Folly does not call out to those who have judgment, but to those who lack it.  She does not want anyone thinking or judging whether their actions will be good for them or not.

Then she offers the effect - the sweetness and deliciousness of what folly does, not focusing on the fact it is stolen and done in secret.

And, there is no explanation of the eternal effect of what they are going to do - for all sin leads to death.

Wisdom and Folly will always battle for victory over our minds, fighting for someone to follow them.

Will we stop and look at what God’s wisdom offers us, or will we simply  follow the temptation of folly, look to what we can enjoy for a few moments, without understanding its eternal effect?

Ordering our Prayer

Psalms 5:3 (NASB)

³In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice;

In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.

It takes discipline to pray.  Prayer, for sure, is a spiritual act.  It is a working of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, moving us to express our desire for fellowship with God, with whom we have access through Jesus Christ, and also an expression of dependence upon our Lord when we have needs, problems, etc.  And, of course, it is an expression of thanksgiving and worship.  All of this happening in our hearts, our inner being.
But it takes discipline.  Our flesh would rather do something else.  Our flesh does not see the importance and essence of the spiritual realm, our fellowship and dependence on God.  And so our flesh usualy leads us to what it believes to be more important than prayer - household chores, taking care of family members, work or business, studies, and other things.
But we need to discipline ourselves to pray.

This is what the psalmist said in the verse above...In the morning I will ORDER my prayer to You, and eagerly watch.  To "order" in Hebrew means "to arrange, or set in order".  One of the things this word has in mind is the formation of soldiers when they are going to war.  They are formed, or set in order, in a way to gain victory.
It's the same with prayer.  We need to arrange our schedules so that we put prayer as a priority.  Notice the psalmist saying that he ordered his prayer IN THE MORNING.  The Hebrew word is actually "DAWN".  First thing in the morning.
First things first.  Some of us may not be able to wake up at dawn to pray, and others may even have to do some important chores at the beginning of the day.  But in our hearts prayer is arranged that it is in the top priority.

If we put a premium on our relationship with God, if we know that our priority in life must be our heart, our spiritual state, then we will arrange prayer in the most important part of the day.  Again, It may not necessarily be the first thing that we do...but we arrange our day understanding that we won't last a day without our fellowship and expression of worship and dependence upon God.

Acquire Wisdom!

Proverbs 4:5-7 (NASB)

⁵Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding!

Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

⁶“Do not forsake her, and she will guard you;

Love her, and she will watch over you.

⁷“The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom;

And with all your acquiring, get understanding.

I like how the NASB translates this passage, using an exclamation point to emphasize it's importance.  The word "acquire" in Hebrew literally means "to get", or "to buy".  When you "get" something it is something that you want.  Generally speaking, when you spend for something it means you really want it, to the point that you're willing to spend money for it.  This was the wise words that Solomon was leaving his son.  He wasn't just giving advice...He was commanding him to acquire wisdom as if it was the most important thing in his life.

The default attitude of our hearts is to take spiritual wisdom from God and His Word as of secondary importance (sometimes even less).  We depend on our own wisdom, the wisdom of others, the wisdom of "gurus" who have learned so much from their experience, the wisdom of the world.  We spend our money on books, spend our time reading social media posts or articles about success and financial gain, attending seminars and talks of successful people, so that maybe some of their success and wealth may pass on to us.  Sadly, the wisdom of God always seems to be the last resort.

This is why there are many Christians who have no idea concerning God's wisdom...we wait until the last minute to seek it, and by that time our hearts are so far from Him we cannot discern it anymore.  We make His wisdom the last option after trying all other human and worldly options.

How do we acquire wisdom? Simple...GET IT.  It's right in front of us, in the Bible on our desk, or in the app in our cellphone.  We just have to make that effort to get it, to read it, meditate upon it, and then practice it
BUY IT!  How much of your time and effort are you willing to spend to get the wisdom that God has for us to use in our everyday life?  The wisdom of God does not come miraculously, nor from a once a week listening to a sermon.  You have to spend time, strength, and sometimes even money to acquire the wisdom God has for us.
Sadly, we don't, not realizing the consequence it brings upon our life.

Proverbs 4:20-23 (NASB)

²⁰My son, give attention to my words;

Incline your ear to my sayings.

²¹Do not let them depart from your sight;

Keep them in the midst of your heart.

²²For they are life to those who find them

And health to all their body.

²³Watch over your heart with all diligence,

For from it flow the springs of life.

 The springs of life do not come from the world, or from worldly wisdom...it comes from our heart.  The question is...what is filling our hearts?  Are you acquiring the right wisdom for your life?  Are you willing to spend, for God's wisdom?