A LIFE OF TRUTH AND CONTENTMENT

Proverbs 30:7-9 NIV  Two things I ask of you, O LORD; do not refuse me before I die:  (8)  Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.  (9)  Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the LORD?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

 How relevant is this proverb today?  The author of this proverb asked for two things from the Lord before he died - a life of being truthful, and a life of contentment.

"Keep falsehood and lies far from me".  What’s the difference between falsehood and lying?

Falsehood is a state of heart.  It is a state of being untrue.  And it is usually seen in the life of a person.  The way he dresses up, the way he talks, the way he deals with others, the way he handles his business.  He portrays himself in a way that is not true.  His whole life is a deception.

This state of heart always leads to lying.  This is why the proverb groups both of them together – falsehood and lies, deception and lies.

We live in a world where falsehood and lies dominate the heart of people.  We do not know anymore if someone is being sincere and honest with us.  As Billy Joel sang “honesty is such a lonely word, everyone is so untrue”.  It’s a world where falsehood and lies is a norm.  We see it in government, in the corporate world, in business, in relationships.  It is hard to trust in anyone today.

 But for a Christian we should live lives where no one will ever doubt our sincerity, our honesty.  The New Testament writings use a number of words to describe this life God desires us to live - blameless, integrity, truthful.

But let’s be honest – it is tempting, because in this world falsehood and lies usually leads to gain and profit.  To get what we want we deceive, we hide the truth.  We lie to gain a sale, profit, or even for pride and position.  This is why have the second part of this proverb:

(8)  …give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.

Neither poverty nor riches.  Just our daily bread.  Jesus used this same phrase when He taught us how to pray in Matthew 6:11 NIV  Give us today our daily bread.  It's interesting how many recite this, pray this verbatim, but don't really understand it.  We don't actually pray for it.

God gave this same lesson to the Israelites during their forty year trek through the wilderness.

Deuteronomy 8:2-3 NIV  Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.  (3)  He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

Imagine - manna, coming from the ground, every day for forty years, the same food day after day.  And they could only get what they needed.  If they got too much it would rot.

God was teaching them to trust in Him.  If He said that He would take care of them, they were to trust Him. If He said that this manna was what they needed, they were to trust Him.

They were to be content with Him and His words.  So far from the state of our hearts, right?  Be honest.

Contentment is not just absent in the heart of men in this world, we, Christians, struggle with it too.  

But it is very obvious in this world.  Our hearts are all wired to desire more.  We are never satisfied.

It's the life of the world.  It's a struggle for the Christian heart.  Notice how difficult it is for us to even think of praying this, more so to actually make this our life - a life of neither poverty nor riches, only our daily bread.

 Why is it almost natural for us to live a life of falsehood and lying?  Why is contentment such an alien attitude of heart?  It’s because of our sinful nature.

When Adam and Eve sinned they were tempted to think of themselves first.  The satisfaction of self, the priority of our lusts and desires, go against God and the life He wants us to live. It was rebellion against what God had prepared for them.  And each one of us were born with this sinful nature.

This is why we need a Savior.  This is why Jesus came, to be the sacrifice acceptable to God to pay the price, the ransom, that will release us from this hold of sin in our hearts.

But even for those of us who are saved, and who walk with God, this is a struggle.  Again, this is why this proverb is so relevant.

(8)  Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. 

 Why should a Christian pray for this?  Because when a heart is born again, we are given just one desire - to live for God, to live according to His ways, to glorify Him.

(9)  Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the LORD?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

If we have too much, we may DISOWN HIM.  If we have too little we may lie and steal, and DISHONOR HIM.

The desire of a Christian’s heart is simple – we do not want to disown or dishonor our God.  God becomes our utmost desire.  He alone satisfies us.  His will becomes our desire.  And we will not allow anything or anyone to take this away.  This is why we live sincere and honest lives.  This is why we just pray for our "daily bread", for what God desires for us to have.  So that God remains who He is in our hearts.

The apostle John warns and encourages us:

1 John 2:16-17 NIV  For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world.  (17)  The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

Let's make sure that the Proverbs 30 prayer becomes the very foundation of how we live before God and before others.

Let's live a life of sincerity and honesty, and with contentment, trusting in the Lord with all of our hearts.

IS PRAYER JUST A PANIC BUTTON?

2 Chronicles 20:1-4 NIV  (1)  After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to make war on Jehoshaphat.  (2)  Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, "A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Sea. It is already in Hazazon Tamar" (that is, En Gedi).  (3)  Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah.  (4)  The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.

 Jehoshaphat had a big problem – three nations had joined forces to make war against him.  It was a vast army.  In fact, Jehoshaphat was alarmed.  Other versions say Jehoshaphat was afraid.  Part of his prayer reveals what he was feeling at the time:

2 Chronicles 20:12 NASB  (12)  "O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You."

He was powerless.  He did not know what to do.  So he prayed.  In a time when he was afraid, and helpless, he cried out to God.

Don’t we all pray during those times?  Isn't prayer the "panic button" that we are to press when we are in dire straits, in difficult situations.

It is common for anyone, even someone who claims to be an atheist, who is afraid and helpless to call upon God.  it is a natural response of a heart that is faced with a big problem that overwhelms us.

But is this all that prayer is?  Is it just a panic button?

It is important that we don’t just look at this event in Jehoshaphat’s life to look see his “prayer life”.

2 Chronicles 17:3-4 NIV  (3)  The LORD was with Jehoshaphat because in his early years he walked in the ways his father David had followed. He did not consult the Baals  (4)  but sought the God of his father and followed his commands rather than the practices of Israel.

 2 Chronicles 18:3-4 NIV  (3)  Ahab king of Israel asked Jehoshaphat king of Judah, "Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead?" Jehoshaphat replied, "I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will join you in the war."  (4)  But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, "First seek the counsel of the LORD."

We are given a glimpse of the heart of Jehoshaphat.  Jehoshaphat walked in the ways of his father David.  He sought God, inquired of Him, sought His counsel, not just during difficult times.  It was a state of heart, a way of life, a habit.

Many times prayer is just a “fire alarm” that we pull when we are in difficult situations.  As natural a response it is to our hearts, prayer is more than just a panic button that we press when we feel helpless or overwhelmed by a problem or situation.

But PRAYER IS A STATE OF HEART.  A true Christian is always praying, always seeking God, always inquiring of Him for anything and everything, in good times or bad, in easy times of hard times.

This state of heart can only come from a work of transformation from God.  You see, each one of us are “wired” to trust in our self, trust in man, in things.  That’s the sinful heart…God is just in the sidelines, someone we run to during hard times.  He is a “spare tire” that we just run to when we have a flat.

But when God transforms a heart, he reveals who He is and makes us realize that there is no one else we can trust  but Him.  We repent of the sin of trusting in our self, recognize who He is, therefore we seek Him, call upon Him, at all times.

Because of this prayer becomes a way of life.  Seeking His counsel becomes a state of heart, something that we do always.

The true test of a heart that truly seeks God, prays to Him, is when life is good, our circumstances are fine, and we are not worried or bothered about anything.  During these times – do we still pray?  Do we still seek God and His counsel?

Are our hearts always in a state of prayer...or is it just a panic button that we press?

 Psalms 62:8 NIV  Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Selah

NO GREATER SACRIFICE

 2 Chronicles 15:7-12 NIV  (7)  But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded."  (8)  When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he took courage. He removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns he had captured in the hills of Ephraim. He repaired the altar of the LORD that was in front of the portico of the LORD's temple.  (9)  Then he assembled all Judah and Benjamin and the people from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon who had settled among them, for large numbers had come over to him from Israel when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.  (10)  They assembled at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa's reign.  (11)  At that time they sacrificed to the LORD seven hundred head of cattle and seven thousand sheep and goats from the plunder they had brought back.  (12)  They entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul.

 Israel was living in rebellion against God.  Even the kings did evil in the sight of God.  But once in a while the Lord would raise up a godly king who would restore worship and righteousness unto Him.  One of these kings was Asa.

He removed detestable idols, he repaired the altar, and he assembled the people for worship.  This was a time of restoration and of worship.

 I cannot help being in awe at the number of cattle and sheep and goats that Asa, king of Israel, offered to the Lord - 700 head of cattle, 7,000 sheep and goats!  Imagine all of these sacrifices, all the blood that was shed, all of them expressions of repentance and worship of their God.

What a way to come back to God.  For sure this was an expression of worship that was acceptable.

 But I also cannot help but compare it to how we Christians were given access to God today, and what expression of worship and sacrifice is acceptable to God, and makes us acceptable to Him today.

Hebrews 9:26-28 NIV  Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.  (27)  Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,  (28)  so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Hebrews 10:10 NIV  And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Hebrews 10:14 NIV  because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

One sacrifice.  Our Lord Jesus Christ’s  sacrifice on the cross, His suffering and death, is worth so much more than 700 heads of cattle and 7,000 sheep and goats.  So much more than any sacrifice that many still think we need to do to make us acceptable to God and to express our worship.

The Messiah has come, the Lamb of God has been sacrificed for our sins.  There is no other sacrifice today that is acceptable to God except Jesus Christ's death on the cross.  And there is no other sacrifice that can be offered that makes us acceptable to God, except Jesus' sacrifice that is offered through our faith in Him.  It is our faith in who He is, and what He has done for us, that reconciles us to God, and what makes our worship and life today acceptable.  It's not our singing, not our good works, not our ministry - only Christ and what He has done for us.

Through Christ's sacrifice, and our faith in Him, we now enjoy this life of worship and righteousness.

All Glory to Him Alone.

CORRUPTION AND COMPASSION

 Psalms 14:1-3 (NIV)

[1] The fool says in his heart, 

“There is no God.” 

They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; 

there is no one who does good.

[2] The LORD looks down from heaven 

on the sons of men 

to see if there are any who understand, 

any who seek God.

[3] All have turned aside, 

they have together become corrupt; 

there is no one who does good, 

not even one.

Are we still surprised that there is corruption all around?  Even in the midst of a pandemic, you would think that people would be sincere, honest, in their dealings.  No.  They are still corrupt.  Here we have the biblical understanding of why there is corruption everywhere - The fool says IN HIS HEART “there is no God”.  

He believes it in his religion, even with his mouth he will profess a belief in a God.  He will pray, He will call out to God for help.  But in his HEART he says “there is no God”.  It is just our SELF that matters.  Me, myself and I - that’s who is important in our hearts.  And we will do anything and everything just for our self.

That’s why men are corrupt.  Many (not necessarily all) in government are corrupt.  And not just government (they’re the only ones magnified in the news), even in companies, businesses, individuals - all are corrupt.  Even hospitals are corrupt.  (Did you hear that story about LSI’s (locally stranded individuals) faking their health certificates just so they could go back to their province?  Both the LSI and the computer shop that helped them print out a fake certificate were corrupt). No one does good in the eyes of God.  If ever they are doing “good” it is all for SELF.  Self gain, self exaltation, self gratification.  God calls them FOOLS.

Look at verse 3 - “there is NO ONE WHO DOES GOOD, NOT EVEN ONE”.  In the eyes of God, as He looks down on the earth, there is no one who does good.  And that is why we are surprised when someone we know and trust turns out to be corrupt.  It is embedded in a man’s heart.

But take a closer look at verse 3 - “there is NO ONE WHO DOES GOOD, NOT EVEN ONE”.  That includes us, doesn’t it?  A true Christian knows that our hearts, when left on it’s own, without God, without the conviction of the Holy Spirit, is corrupt.

The only reason why God can look down on a true believer and say that we are righteous and good...the only way that we are able to do good, and not be corrupt in our ways now,  is only because we have put our faith in His Son, who died on the cross for our sins, and washed us, changed our hearts, and made us new.  And we have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit, indwelling us, convicting us, changing us, renewing us everyday.

But deep down we know we were just like the people in the world, whom we quickly judge to be corrupt.

There is no way that a true disciple of Christ can look at the world and bring judgement upon a people who are corrupt, for we were once one with them, we were once like them.  We are who we are today only because of Christ who has made us new.

And that is why we have compassion.  That is why we pray with compassion, that everyone in this world will know the Savior, and believe, that their hearts may also be cleansed and made new, just as Christ was gracious upon us and made us righteous and new in His sight.

1 Timothy 2:1-6 (NIV)

[1] I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— [2] for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. [3] This is good, and pleases God our Savior, [4] who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. [5] For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, [6] who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time. 

The Fear of the Lord - the Beginning of Wisdom

Proverbs 9:10 ESV-r  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

What is a proverb?  A dictionary defines a proverb as a “concise and expressive saying, stating a general truth or a piece of advice".

We all need these truths and pieces of advice, don’t we?

There are many sources of these truths or advice today.  And though people today do not necessarily call them “proverbs”, they are nuggets of “truth” and advice that people read, believe and use as a compass for how they live and decide on things.  They usually come from men and women successful in their own right – in business, everyday life, family matters, relationships, etc.  We see them all over social media.  And many Christians fall prey to them, not realizing they are following a wrong path.

There is a book of the Bible that is called “Proverbs”, written by a man who prayed for wisdom.

But what is it that makes these proverbs of Solomon so essential to believers today?

Look what the first chapter proclaims:

Proverbs 1:7 ESV-r  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Look at what Solomon writes in the 9^th chapter:

Proverbs 9:10 ESV-r  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

And look how the whole book ends:

Proverbs 31:30 ESV-r  Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

The proverbs written in this book are all founded on one thing – the fear of the Lord.  It came from a man who prayed for wisdom.  It was written by someone who walked and ruled their nation with wisdom.  And they are all written with one specific goal – that his sons would also walk in this wisdom.

And the book is all founded in THE FEAR OF THE LORD.

The “truth” and advice of the world is all about what we can get for our own benefit.  They are teachings and advice given for success, prosperity, personal gain and self-preservation.  This is what makes the “truths” and advice they give very attractive.  And unknowingly many Christians fall into the trap of following them, without seeking what is truly essential for us.  So many so called Christians have practically set aside God’s Word, leaving it to pastors to use for sermons, not seeing the practical and wise application it has to the Christian life.  

Life today is just all about what is good and beneficial for people, it's what they live for.  But for Christians it’s not about what is right and good for us, or what is beneficial and profitable for us - It’s about what is right and good for God.  And this is what moves us to fear God.  Pleasing Him, glorifying Him, living according to His righteousness, become the very desires of our hearts.  It is this fear of God that serves as the foundation of what we believe is right and good for us.  And the source of these truths come from Scripture.  The book of Proverbs is just one of the sources of these truths of life, truths found in the whole counsel of Scripture.

What a blessing it would be if we made these proverbs a daily habit.  We have 31 chapters, one for each day, to read and meditate upon, trusting God for the strength to apply them in our life.  

But we mustn't forget that without the fear of God, they will Without this foundation, the book will amount to nothing for us.  Actually, the whole Bible, God’s Word, will mean nothing without the fear of God in our heart.

And if our desire is to walk in the fear of God, we have a treasury of sayings, teachings and practical understandings of life found in the book of Proverbs that will guide us day by day.  And it's not just in the book of Proverbs, but in every book of the Bible, as they reveal to us who our God is and what His will is.

 Psalms 1:1-3 ESV-r  Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;  (2)  but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.  (3)  He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

 John 6:68-69 ESV-r  Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,  (69)  and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God."

May the very desire of our heart be to walk in the fear of God.  And may the source of truth and advice to live this life be God and His Word.  We have it not just in the book of Proverbs, but in the whole counsel of Scripture.

Finding Rest in God ALONE

 Psalms 62:1-2 (NIV)

[1] My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.

[2] He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

Vs. 5-8

[5] Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.

[6] He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

[7] My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

[8] Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

How many times do you see the word “ALONE” in this psalm?  Psalm 62 is a song of rest - a rest that is found in total trust in God.  

First, in verse 1 and 2 David sets the foundation and proclaims that his soul finds rest in God ALONE.  He ALONE was his hope, his salvation.  It was God ALONE who was his Rock, his Fortress, and in Him he would not be shaken.  This is what David believed.

Then in verses 5 to 7 David seems to speak to himself - “find rest, O my soul, in God ALONE”.  Even with his right understanding of who God it seems David still had a heart that wandered off, and he had to remind himself, his soul, that he should find rest in God alone.

And so David called upon the people to call upon the Lord with him, in verse 8 - “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”

David believed that in God alone he would find rest.  He knew that his heart would still wander and find rest in other things, and so he needed to remind himself to trust God, to pour out his heart to Him.

Does God stand alone in our soul?  Or does He stand with other people, other things?  In our hearts do we believe that our Sovereign God alone can give us rest?  One of the reasons why there are so many of us who are not at rest during this pandemic is that God does not stand alone in our hearts, He still shares that position with other people and things.  If that is the case, then He is not our Lord.  And if He is not our Lord, we have no rest.  We will still be shaken.

The reason many of us have no rest, no peace, is because we still believe that rest comes from a number of sources, God just being one of them.  Our hearts still depend on other people, other things, to give us rest.  We’re waiting on a better government, a better system, better decisions.  We’re waiting on better circumstances, for a vaccine to come, we’re waiting for life to go back to normal, before we can rest.

Our souls do not find rest in God alone.  Therefore, we are shaken.

Our hearts must proclaim, just as David did, that our rest is in God ALONE.  That He ALONE is our rock, our fortress, and that in Him alone do we take refuge.  Then, and only then, can we REST.

And with this belief, that He stands alone in our hearts, do we seek Him everyday?  Even if we do believe that God stands alone in our hearts, we need to remind ourselves to trust Him, we need to refresh ourselves with His Word.  We need God Himself to refresh us with His presence.  If God alone is our refuge, then we will cry out to Him everyday, proclaim our trust, and from that gain the rest that we so need.

The reason there are many of us who are still not at rest is that we’re spending more time watching the news, looking at statistics - how many have the virus, how many are dying, how many are recovering.  We’re spending more time criticizing the government, complaining about the steps they are taking, rather than spending time with God.  We are more consumed by what the world is saying (which is full of contradictions and lies) rather than God’s Word which continually assures us of who He is, and what His promise is.

Let’s settle the matter in our hearts.  Does our soul find rest in God alone?  Do we remind our soul everyday of this truth?  Does this belief move us to pour out our hearts to Him, trust Him, and rest in Him?

Or are we still trusting in other people, in circumstances, to give us this rest?

John 14:27 (NIV)  [27] Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.