Matthew 8

The second individual that Jesus interacts with after coming down from the mount upon the completion of His sermon is a centurion.   This man appeals to Jesus on behalf of his servant who is paralyzed and suffering.  Jesus offers to come and heal the man, but the centurion reveals his understanding of the authority that Jesus has over everything.  Jesus commends the man's faith and heals the servant from where He is in Capernaum.

Jesus uses this situation to teach about the Kingdom of heaven.  "... many shall come from the east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob... "  This Roman centurion, a Gentile, acted in faith, more that "anyone in Israel",  Jesus said.   It is faith that brings us to the Kingdom's table.  ".. But the sons of the kingdom shall be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." ( v11-12)  It is a lack of faith that casts men out, that excludes them from the Kingdom of heaven.

The centurion had faith to:
come to Jesus
plead with Jesus
intercede for his servant
acknowledge Jesus' authority
obey Jesus' direction to go his way and find his servant healed.

I find myself thinking about my faith.
Do I seek out and come to Jesus with my needs?  Or do I try to find a solution on my own?
Do I plead with Jesus in prayer?  Or do I complain and worry?
Do I  intercede for others?  Or do I ignore or placate them?
Do I really know and believe in the authority of Jesus?
Do I obey His word and walk in His ways?

I like to think that I do those things... but I fall short... way too often.

Father in heaven , You are holy and patient and forgiving.  How many times You must wonder at my little faith! Forgive me Lord!  I do not want to fall short of Your desire for me to be diligent to add to my faith, to grow in faith and in the knowledge of the Savior, Who has been given all authority in heaven and on the earth.  Faith is Your gift to us, Lord.  Thank You for that.  Do in me what You desire that I might live out that great gift until the day that I recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  I ask this in the Name, the authority of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.

Matthew 8  Jesus finishes teaching and comes down from where He was sitting and encounters a multitude of people, yet, He interacts individually with three of them specifically.

The first encounter is with a leper.  This man recognizes the power of Christ to heal him, but appeals to His willingness to do so.  " Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean."  Jesus responds with a touch and a decision, " I am willing;...."  Both the leper and Jesus speak of cleansing instead of healing... " his leprosy was cleansed".  In the Bible, any open or raw wound on the skin might be considered leprosy.  We know it is an actual disease, but until tested, they would not know if it was contagious or not. So, the law required the priest to make the determination of whether or not the person was clean or unclean.  To be unclean would mean that the individual would be contagious, and need to be isolated from others.  Those that came into contact with someone who carried the disease would also be kept isolated so as to not infect anyone else.  The priests were especially vulnerable to the contagions since they had to examine the sores.  Jesus not only healed the man's wounds but freed him from isolation, scorn, fear, and the disgust of others.   Jesus sent the man to the priest so that he would be " a testimony".

Leprosy has been compared with sin. Leprosy starts with a small spot on the skin, it grows, it festers, and it spreads. It is a horrible disease.  Sin starts with a small act of disobedience to God's word - a lie, a theft, a prideful attitude, etc. But, it grows, it festers, and it spreads.. Like leprosy, sin is contagious.  Our acts of rebellion influence those around us.  Like calls to like and before long there is a community of lepers or sinners.

The good news that Jesus brings to us is that He is willing to cleanse us!  He is not afraid to touch us or to come into contact with our sins... in fact, He takes them upon Himself willingly.  Thank You Lord Jesus!  May our cleansed lives be a testimony to others as we walk through this journey of life.

Father in heaven,  Your Word to me today fills my heart with thankfulness.  You are willing!  You will cleanse us from all unrighteousness as we confess our sins to You.   We have to acknowledge that we have an infection.. a serious disease of the soul, for that is what sin really is. We praise You for giving Your Son to be our healer and to take all our "infirmities and to carry away all our diseases." and to pardon all our iniquities. Remove every spot today O Lord that we might have clean hands and pure hearts to worship You.
Amen.

Matthew 5-7  This one sermon, recorded here by Matthew, gives us the core of Jesus's preaching and teaching as He ministered to Israel. I've heard numerous sermons and attended Bible studies that dig deeply into these words of wisdom and truth. I've written about them before in the past.  Today, I am asking the Lord for a new Word from Him through this passage.

My thoughts go back to a book that I am re-reading... A Shepherd looks at Psalm 23.  On the phrase "surely goodness and mercy shall follow me" the author says this:

 " Just as God's goodness and mercy flow to me all the days of my life, so goodness and mercy should follow me, should be left behind me as a legacy to others wherever I go."  He asks these questions:

" Do I leave a blessing and benediction behind me?"
"Do I leave behind peace in lives -or turmoil?"
"Do I leave behind forgiveness - or bitterness?"
"Do I leave behind contentment - or conflict?"
"Do I leave behind flowers of joy - or frustration ?"
" Do I leave behind love - or rancor?"

"For the true child of God, the one under the Shepherd's care, there should never be any sense of shame or fear in going back to where they have lived or been before. Why? Because there they have left a legacy of uplift, encouragement, and inspiration to others. "

And, " The only real, practical measure of my appreciation for the goodness and mercy of God to me is the extent to which I am , in turn, prepared to show goodness and mercy to others. " 
This... the writer says ... satisfies our Shepherd.  He has cared for His sheep with love and tenderness, with goodness and mercy.. and is satisfied when He sees us flourish under His loving care.  He is blessed to see the fruit of goodness and mercy flowing from our lives. 

This is the message of Jesus' s sermon.
"Blessed" - fully satisfied.  "Blessedness is that basic condition created by Christ's indwelling in man's heart which brings a fundamental satisfaction in the life of a believer." ( from my study Bible).

We are blessed as we receive goodness and mercy from our Good Shepherd.
In our spiritual poverty, He gives us His Kingdom.
In our mourning, He gives us comfort.
In our humility,  He gives us an inheritance.
In our hunger and thirst for righteousness , He gives us satisfaction.
As we become merciful, He gives us mercy.
As we become pure in heart, He gives us eyes to see Himself.
As we become peacemakers, He takes us into His family.
As we are persecuted for His sake, He gives us a seat in the Kingdom.
As we are slandered or cursed or falsely accused... He gives us hope and joy!

All that He gives us... will fully satisfy us!
And, as we are satisfied with Him... filled by His goodness and mercy... we in turn begin to produce "good fruit".  We are salt that has not lost its flavor, we are light that is not hidden.
Christ Himself shines through... it is His legacy that we leave behind... one full of goodness and mercy.

Father in heaven,  Hallowed is Your name.
May Your Kingdom come!
May Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give to us today our daily bread.. You know what we need.
Forgive us for the debts we owe You and can never repay.
We let go of all that is owed us by others. We forgive those who have sinned against us.
Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from all evil.
We praise You, the Sovereign King, the Omnipotent Ruler, the Majestic and Eternal God,
Amen.

Matthew 4

The next 40 days and nights for Jesus were days of fasting.  The Old Testament gives us 2 other men who had spent 40 days without food or water:  Moses "was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights...and he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments." ( Ex. 34:28); and Elijah "arose in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God." ( 1 Kings 19:8)  Here, he went into the cave and had an encounter with God in the gentle wind.

Jesus' priority was His time with His Father.  In preparation for the coming test and the ministry ahead, 40 days of complete surrender and reliance on the One Who sits on the throne was essential.
When hunger began to strike, Satan was ready to use it.

Jesus overcame the temptation to turn stones into bread by acknowledging the Word of God which is more vital than food.
Jesus overcame the temptation to prove  Himself by refusing to test the One Who is in control.
Jesus overcame the temptation to receive the kingdoms of the world from the hand of Satan in exchange for worshiping him.. by casting him out and proclaiming His devotion to the Lord alone.

Truths that we can stand on are found here:
God's Word is more essential than any physical need.
God Himself is totally in control of our lives, our futures, and our everything - we can rest in that without trying to make Him prove it!
Only God is worthy of our worship. Anything less... even great power, authority, or honor - is from Satan.

Verses 12-25 give us significant facts:
John was imprisoned.
Jesus moved from Nazareth to Capernaum.
He began to preach the good news that "the kingdom of  heaven is at hand"
He chose his first disciples.
Many multitudes began to follow Him as He preached and miraculously healed all that were brought to Him.

We are told that there was great darkness in the land... "those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death" ( v16) until Jesus came - "a Great Light".  Sometimes we become overwhelmed with the troubles of our world, mass killings, evil threats, or inane politics;  sometimes we become overwhelmed with the troubles a lot closer to home - financial, emotional, or physical trials. Sometimes darkness itself is a struggle - there is a reason that so many people are depressed and suicidal in our land today.  Our culture has tried to snuff out the Light of the World.  But, it cannot overcome!!  Praise the Lord!!

Dear Jesus, may we once again see  "a Light dawn" .  Fill us with Your glorious power, O Spirit of God!  Make us fishers of men and women, proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom.  Father of all glory and might - we want to encounter You, even as Elijah and Moses did at Sinai.  May we know the glory of Your Presence with us now.  May the radiance of Your presence shine in us and through us.   In the Name of Jesus we ask this. Amen.

Matthew 3

John the Baptist "came preaching".    What an interesting man John became.  Filled with the Holy Spirit before he was even born,  John was chosen to be the "voice of one crying in the wilderness".  
Like other prophets before him, his life was not his own.  He wore a camel's hair garment and had a leather belt.  He ate locusts and honey.  Definitely not a "normal" life for one who was the son of a priest.  As we, the chosen of Christ, follow Him... we also will find that our lives are not "normal" as opposed to the world's philosophies.

John preached a message of repentance.  He baptized those who confessed their sins, acknowledging their separation from God. He chastised the religious leaders who came to make a show of their religious positions.  And, John told of the One who was coming... the One who would baptize with the Holy Spirit, the One who was worthy of true worship, the One who would separate the wheat from the chaff.

When Jesus came to be baptized, John was rightly reluctant to do it.  He knew the righteousness of Jesus.  He knew his own need to be overwhelmed with Jesus who would save him.  But, Jesus had a purpose in John's baptism... together they would "fulfill all righteousness".  It was an act of submission, for the purpose of completing, or making full, all that is right and just.   The result of Jesus' submission was the glorious appearance of the Holy Spirit who came in a unique way, and the audible voice of God, the Father saying, " This is My beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased." 

As Matthew writes this gospel, this good news,  he wants to not only record the historical facts of the coming of the Messiah, but to present the way of salvation... which must start with repentance.  This word "repentance" comes from the Greek word - metanoia - a reversal, a reformation, a feeling of compunction - guilt, a pricking of the conscience that results in thinking differently, of regret and shame.

This inward acknowledgement must lead to an outward confession.  Paul writes it this way, "The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart - that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."  ( Romans 10:8-10)

Father in heaven, You are faithful and loving to us, showing mercy and grace to all who repent of and confess their sins... and then recognize that Jesus Christ is the Lord, the One who takes away those sins and covers us with His own perfectly complete righteousness.  Overwhelm us with Yourself O Lord! Fill us to the full with Your own Spirit! Thank you for the Word of Life that overflows our souls with the truth and brings refreshing joy every time we read it.  Amen!

Matthew 1-2

The Good News, the Gospel, that Matthew wrote begins with a testimony to God's faithfulness and purpose.  Beginning with Abraham, God carefully chose and mercifully led a family, generation to generation, to become a unique nation, that would produce a Man, Who is God's Son and Mary's child...

God chose Mary to be the child's mother.  He chose Joseph to be her husband.
He chose Bethlehem to be His birthplace.
He chose the wise men to come and worship Him.
God even chose Herod to threaten their lives and cause them to go to Egypt.

Nothing happened, the good things, the bad things, and the terrible things... that God did not know about.  From the beginning, our God planned the way of salvation... Jesus, "for it is He who will save His people from their sins." ( 1:21)

Thank You Father, for sending us Your Son. amen

Proverbs 26-31

Peter wrote " Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. " ( II Peter 1:2-3)   He goes on to ask us to diligently add to our faith - moral excellence, knowledge , self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness, and love - for these qualities will " render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" ( 1:5-8).

The proverbs are words of knowledge and wisdom that endorse moral excellence, self-control, and all the rest.  We can do well to learn from them.  We learn the positive, rewarding life that will result when we walk in the way of righteousness.  And, we learn the negative, disastrous results of folly, wickedness, and laziness.  The proverbs hit on every area of life - marriage, raising children, work, relationships with friends, family, and neighbors. There are proverbs for the rich, the poor, the kings and the slaves.  There is much wisdom about helping the needy and the oppressed.

Most importantly, the proverbs remind us over and over to have the right relationship with our God. 
We need to magnify the Lord - understand His greatness and our lowliness.  We fear Him, with respect and honor, humbling ourselves appropriately.

Proverbs 30: 4 says " Who has ascended into heaven and descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has wrapped the waters in His garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name or His son's name? Surely you know!"

Yes, we know- His Name is Yahweh, Jehovah, the great I Am!  And, His son's Name is Jesus, the Christ, our Lord and Savior.  In knowing Him we can know all we need to know, as Peter said... for Life and for godliness.

Father, anoint our heads with the oil of Your Holy Spirit, that we may think upon the things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy.  Deliver us from the evil influences that mold our thoughts, our ideas, our emotions, our impulses and drives,  conforming us to this world.  Transform us by renewing our minds with the Word and the power of Your Spirit.  We pray this in the Name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, amen.

Proverbs 23-25

Wisdom
Understanding
Knowledge
3 things we are in great need of and exhorted to seek after... for the truth of God's word is the source of life and all happiness.

Many of these words of truth are repeated in the New Testament, some by Paul, some by James, and some by Jesus, Himself.  Truth is always truth.

Jesus talked about the problem of loving money and being anxious about what we own.   Proverbs 23:4 -5says, " Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, cease it from your consideration of it. When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. for wealth certainly makes itself wings. Like an eagle that flies toward the heavens." 

Paul quoted in Romans 12:20 what Solomon wrote in Proverbs 25:21-22 " If your enemy is hungry give him food to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you." 

James wrote about many of the themes found in Proverbs - the danger of the tongue, the sin of showing partiality, and the need for wisdom.

As I move through chapter after chapter in Proverbs.. .and the Psalms too.. I find myself starting to get ... overwhelmed? lazy? satiated?   I can't seem to take any more in!  It's like eating Thanksgiving dinner... all delicious, but you can only eat so much before you burst!  I know that we can never have too much truth or wisdom or knowledge... but I need much smaller bites! So here is a small bite that I want to chew on for a while, " My son, if your heart is wise, my own heart will be glad; and my inmost being will rejoice, when your lips speak what is right." ( 23:15-16)  Which sounds an awful lot like another New Testament writer, John.. " I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth." ( 3 John 1:4)

Father in heaven, Your Word is sweeter than honey, more desirable than gold, and more vital than food to the starving man. Truly, as You said, we do not live by bread alone, but by what comes from Your mouth . Write Your words on our hearts and in our minds, that we might live accordingly.  Fill us with the knowledge of Your will, through all spiritual wisdom and understanding, that we might live a life worthy of You, pleasing You, and bearing good fruit.  Strengthen us by Your glorious might we ask.  Thank You for bringing us into Your Kingdom, qualifying us to share in the inheritance of the saints. Amen.

Proverbs 21-22   I feel as if every one of these verses would make a great poster or bumper sticker -

" He who guards his mouth and his tongue,

 guards his soul from troubles!"

Proverbs 21:23 

or

"The rich and the poor have a common bond,

the Lord is the maker of them all."

Proverbs 22:2

" A man who wanders from the way of understanding

 will rest in the assembly of the dead." 

Proverbs 21:16

Each one is worth meditating on and living by.  Each one gives us truth to digest into our souls.  Proverbs 22:20-21 says, "Have I not written to you excellent things, of counsels and knowledge, to make you know the certainty of the words of truth, that you may answer to him who sent you?" 

These are indeed "excellent things" - "words of truth"... that lead us to the narrow gate and along the narrow way, in harmony with our Lord.

" To do righteousness and justice is desired by the Lord rather than sacrifice ." (21:3)   "To do" - to practice, exercise, accomplish, commit, work at, yield to, or provide - righteousness.  This is what the Lord desires for each of us.  Righteousness - the Hebrew word is "tsdaqah" - rightness, justice, virtue.  The root word means "to be... right", morally, legally, to do justice.  Justice - has to do with every part of the law: the act, the place, the suit, the crime, and the penalty... done right.  

This concept of righteousness - to do what is right and to be right - is exactly what the proverbs are defining in very practical and specific words.   The Lord "weighs the hearts", determining not just if we "do" right,  but if we "are" right.   He searches our "innermost" beings.  So, it is more than just what we do that counts, but, like Jesus said, " You will know them by their fruits." 

Some of these "fruits" listed in these proverbs are:

Diligent planning, as opposed to acting hastily. (v5)

Honest work, as opposed to dishonest gain. ( v6)

Upright conduct, (v7)

Receiving knowledge and instruction. (v11)

Being cautious around those who are wicked. ( v12)

Joyful in executing justice. (v15) 

Pursuing righteousness and loyalty. ( v21)

Guarding the tongue. ( v23) 

Generous giving. ( v26)

Listening to and speaking truth ( v28)

Faithful, steady and sure to walk uprightly (v29)

Keeps a good reputation . (22:1)

Avoids evil ( v3)

Humility and fear of the Lord ( v4)

Guards himself from perversity. (v5)

Trains his children to walk in righteousness (v6)

Loves purity and speaks graciously, (v11)

Listens to wisdom ( v17) 

Trusts in the Lord ( v19)

And so much more.... 

Father in heaven, we give You  all our praise for  You have saved us, forgiving our sins and making us righteous through the death of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.  It is only by Him that we can "be" righteous at all.  Sanctify us through and through, entirely, that we may be "preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ".  May the fruit of righteousness be produced in our hearts and seen in our lives,  by Your Spirit so that You will be forever glorified as we walk in Your ways and share Your grace and mercy with our world.  amen. 

Proverbs 18-20

Many of these proverbs repeat the truths already stated... warning about the ways of wickedness, laziness, and foolishness and showing the ways of righteousness, wisdom, and favor found in the fear of the Lord.

What has struck me most about reading through this book this time, is how much it talks about our speech . "The words of a man's mouth are deep waters." 18:4 states.  They can bring ruin or victory, life or death, satisfaction or poverty.

The other truth that stands out to me is the vital importance of knowledge.  We are told to seek knowledge, acquire knowledge, keep understanding, listen to counsel, don't stray from knowledge, and to consider knowledge to be precious.

The title that my Bible uses for chapters 19-23 is "On Life and Conduct".  Those who love the Lord and want to walk in His wisdom will have a change in their lives and it will be seen in their conduct. Some character traits that we should see in a Christian's life.. in our own lives are:

understanding
loyalty
trustworthiness
integrity
justice
purity
righteousness
hard work
humility
diligence
patience
truthfulness
generosity
kindness
good control of the tongue
respect for discipline

And most of all we must know the Lord.  To know Him and to bow before Him in complete surrender and worship.  "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe." (18:10)  Just in these 3 chapters we are reminded that:
The Lord shows favor to those who find a good, prudent wife. (18:22, 19:14)
His counsel will always "stand" (19:21)
"The fear of the Lord leads to life." (19:23)
He makes a "hearing ear and the seeing eye." (20:12)
He saves those who wait for Him.  ( 20:22)
He ordains our steps. (20:24)
He searches our innermost parts. (v27)

Father in heaven, how great and wonderful are Your words to us! Wonderful words of life!  The promises You have given us are more than we can understand sometimes.  You  bless us with families and give us strength to live righteous and holy lives by Your grace.  You ordain our steps and know our hearts, forgiving and sanctifying us by Your own Spirit within us.  And You brought us into this blessed relationship through the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, shed on a cruel cross.  Hallelujah for the cross and praise to the One who rose from the dead!  You lead us in a procession of triumph, Your word tells us.  Thank You.  Amen.

Proverbs 17

Quietness is better than strife.
Acting wisely is better than acting shamefully.

 The Lord tests our hearts - as surely as a refining pot tests silver and a furnace tests gold.

Listening to wicked lips and paying attention to destructive tongues- leads to becoming evil.
Being a mocker offends our Lord.
Rejoicing at another's problems will bring punishment to you.


"Grandchildren are the crown of old men."  ( and old women!) Verse 6

A fool should not be giving speeches and a prince should not be telling lies.
A bribe is like a charm...
Covering another's sins ... is love in action.
Telling about it.. is not.

A fool won't listen to a rebuke, but a man of understanding will take it in deeply.
A rebellious man is seeking evil and will find it.
It is better to meet up with a mama bear separated from her cubs than a fool.
Returning evil for good will only multiply evil to yourself.

Get control of strife while it is just a drip,  before it becomes a flood. (v14)
The Lord finds it disgusting when someone justifies the wicked and condemns the righteous.
A fool might try to buy wisdom, but it is worthless to him.
A real friend will love you no matter what.  A brother will stick with you through the hard times.
It is foolish to pledge / commit yourself for someone else when you don't know what they will do.

To love sin is to love trouble.
To let in the world is to seek destruction.
To dwell on what is crooked will bring "no good".
To speak what is perverted is to "fall into evil."

The most sorrowful thing is to see your children walk in foolishness instead of wisdom.  ( v21, 25)


"A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones." verse 22

Wicked men give and receive bribes in order to pervert justice.

"Wisdom is in the presence of the one who has understanding, but the eyes of the fool are on the ends of the earth." v24
A man with knowledge restrains his mouth.
A man of understanding keeps his cool.
Even a foolish man seems wise when he is silent.

Wisdom. Understanding. Knowledge. These proverbs spell it out for us. We need to have understanding in order to gain the knowledge so that we can become wise.  It is only by a righteous fear of the Lord do we begin to understand.  It is all a gift! Grace!

Father in heaven, God of grace and mercy,  how holy and wonderful You are!  You give us the desire to know You, to receive Your Word, and to walk in Your wisdom.  You give us Your Spirit to dwell in us and make us able to even receive this truth.  You give us salvation through the blood of our dear Lord, Jesus Christ, so that we can know You.  All is a gift. Thank You.  Help us to live according to these words.  May we know that Your wisdom is here, right here in You... and may we stop looking anywhere else to find it. Great are You Lord and highly to be praised!  Your greatness is unending, unsearchable, unfathomable... blessed be Your holy Name. Amen.

Proverbs 16  Sprinkled throughout this chapter are nuggets of wisdom about:

Making plans
V 1 "The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord."
V2 " All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but the Lord weighs his motives." 
V3 "Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established." 
V 9 "The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." 
V25 "There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." 

Our plans, our intentions and purposes, start then, in our hearts and minds.  We think they are right and clean and good. But, there is only one way that this can be so.. if they are committed to the Lord!
For it is our Sovereign Lord who sees our real intentions and knows where our plans might really lead us.  We have to go back to Proverbs 3: 5-6, leaning not on our own understanding, but acknowledging Him in all our plans so that He can establish our paths.  Here is the wisdom that we must live by! Our every plan, intention, and purpose... submitted to and committed to Him, Who knows what is best for us. 

Being leaders -
A king is responsible for "divine" decisions. V10
He must be careful to "not err in judgement" 
It is disgusting to the Lord when a king commits wickedness. v12
A position of authority "is established on righteousness" 
"Righteous lips are the king's delight, and he who speaks right is loved." v 13
"The wrath of a king is as messengers of death, but  a wise man will appease it." v14
"In the light of a king's face is life, and his favor is like a cloud with the spring rain." v15

Think about these words in light of our current political system!  The leader who has the fear of the Lord and commits his way to the Lord, has everything to gain.. for his way will be established. But those who "err in judgement" and commit wickedness will gain only God's wrath.  How we need to pray for our president and senators and congressmen - that they will not err in judgement and commit wickedness, but would speak and do what is right.

And again, more words about our mouths!
Verse 21 " ... and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness." 
Verse 23 "The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, and adds persuasiveness to his lips."
Verse 24 "Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." 
Verse 27 "A worthless man digs up evil, while his words are as a scorching fire." 
Verse28 " A perverse man spreads strife, and a slanderer separates intimate friends." 

James wrote about this too. "And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity, the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life and is set on fire by hell." (James 3:6) To tame the tongue, he tells us, " If anyone does not stumble is what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well." ( v2)  What is the cure for this? There is only one. " But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy . " (v17)
We must:
"submit to God" (4:7);
"Draw near to God" ( 4:8) and
"Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord.." (4:10)

In Christ, Paul wrote, "are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." ( Col. 2:3)  And so I pray:

Father in heaven, may the peace of Christ rule in my heart today. May His words richly dwell in me, with all wisdom and with thankfulness.  May all I do in word or in deed, be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as I give thanks through Him to You, God, the Father. Amen.  ( Col. 3:15-17)

Proverbs 15 This chapter continues to exhort us to live the life of righteousness and to gain knowledge and wisdom through the fear of the Lord and by His Word.  There are several topics that strike me as something I need to meditate on:

1. Prayer -
Verse 8 " The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the righteous is His delight."
 Verse 29  " The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous." 
We are reminded in verse 3 that the Lord is watching, He sees the evil and the good, and in verse 11 we are told that the "hearts of men"  are open before the Lord.  He knows those who just go through the motions of going to church, acting like they are worshipping the Lord, but whose hearts are far from Him.  Their gifts and offerings are meaningless, and even more, they are an "abomination" - they are disgusting to Him. That is a strong word! Consider the fact that in Leviticus 18 the Lord commands the Israelites not to commit the abominations of the Egyptians and other nations, listing every kind of sexual immorality you could imagine.  Being a hypocrite, playing church, is just as disgusting to God as those things.
Yet, the good news is that those who love and serve the Lord with genuine worship are "His delight"!
He hears our prayers.  He sees our hearts and knows our deepest needs.

Lord, help us to serve You with pure hearts and clean hands, in genuine faith and in the fear of the Lord.

2.  Our well-being- Living a life of righteousness and faith effects us physically and emotionally as well as spiritually.
Verse 13 " A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, but when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken." 
Verse 15 " All the days of the afflicted are bad, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast." 
Verse 30 " Bright eyes gladden the heart; good news puts fat on the bones." 

We are not surprised any more by the prominence of depression and suicide in our society.  The rich and the poor, it doesn't matter; the young and the old.. makes no difference.  Without the Lord, there is no joy, no satisfaction, and no hope. Our world continues to chase the wind.  There is a great need for the Truth of God's Word to be preached! For only in Jesus can there be real joy!

3.  Again there are many references to our mouths, our words, in this chapter.
Verse 1 "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but  a harsh word stirs anger." 
Verse 2, " The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable, but the mouth of the fool spouts folly."
Verse 4 "A soothing tongue is a tree of life, but perversion in it crushes the spirit." 
Verse 7 "The lips of the wise spread knowledge, but the hearts of fools are not so." 
Verse 14 "The mind of the intelligent seeks knowledge, but the mouth of the fool feeds on folly." 
Verse 23 "A man has joy in an apt answer, and how delightful is a timely word." 
Verse 26 "Evil plans are an abomination to the Lord, but pleasant words are pure." 
Verse 28 "The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. " 

As people of God, followers of Christ, our words need to become more like our Shepherd's - gentle, reasonable, wise, apt, delightful, pure and pleasant, thoughtful.  The proverbs also address the necessity of discipline and reproof  (v5, 10,31 and 32); and  counsel (v22).  We receive the "instruction for wisdom" and the "fear of the Lord "  We listen and learn and then we are to live it out in our homes and workplaces, in our cities and nations.  And so I pray:

Father in heaven, great and Mighty are You in all the earth. You see our hearts, they are open before You.  You know our weaknesses, our failures, and our greatest needs.   I ask You Father, to give us pure hearts to worship You in spirit and in truth.  I pray that our prayers would be delightful to You and that we will know that You hear us.  I pray for hearts of joy and satisfaction in You.  And I ask that You will take our bodies, living sacrifices.. acceptable sacrifices... for all that we are belongs to You.  Take our mouths and transform us, by the renewing of our minds, so that rivers of living water will flow from us in all gentleness, purity, and wisdom.  Thank You for the indwelling Spirit and for the mind of Christ, to whom we yield and in whose name we pray. Amen.

Proverbs 14 

Verse 8 " The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way."  

Verse 15b " But the prudent man considers his steps." 

Verse 18 b "But the prudent are crowned with knowledge." 

The dictionary defines prudent as  - capable of exercising sound judgement in practical matters; cautious  or discreet in conduct; circumspect, not rash; managing carefully and with economy.  The Hebrew word [aruwm] means cunning.  It comes from the root word [ aram] which means to make bare, beware, take crafty counsel.  To be cunning is to be skillful or cleaver;  it is usually used in a negative sense of being skillfully deceptive, sly, or crafty. But it can also mean to know, to do something with skill and proficiency; ( World Dictionary). 

The Word of God makes it clear to us that we are to live and walk according to our Lord's commands, by the Spirit, with faith in Jesus Christ.  This is not something that we can do without His power and grace.  We need to be prudent:

- to understand the way we must live 

- the steps we must walk

- the choices we must make, 

- the goals we set, 

- the purpose for our lives. 

The proverbs help us to be prudent, to exercise sound judgement, to carefully manage our lives skillfully and wisely, in the fear of the Lord. 

To build up our homes and families with wisdom, instead of tearing them down with foolishness. v1

To walk in righteousness in the fear of the Lord, instead of being crooked and despising the Lord. v2

To speak words of wisdom which preserve us, instead of foolishness which brings punishment. v3

To be a faithful witness, speaking truth, instead of a lying v5

To be kind and gracious to those in need, instead of being bitter and scornful v9/10

When we are committed and careful to walk according to God's will, in love and grace and goodness, He promises again and again that He will bless us!

Our homes will flourish v11

We will find satisfaction in our lives v14

We will find happiness in helping others v21

We will profit from our labors v23

We will have confidence in the Lord, our children will find refuge in Him v26

We will find peace in our hearts and health in our bodies v30

We know that we have a refuge for eternity when we die v32

Our nation will even profit!  v34

It is everything that we could ever want or need, right? Do we want it enough to work at it?  To be prudent, to be careful, to take the time and energy to develop these virtues in our own lives and in our children's lives? Again and again, the Lord reminds us to be intentional in the things we say and the things we do!  It is so easy to just go along with the flow of work and chores and recreation - living without really thinking about it. We are busy people! ( Even in retirement!)  But, this is so important ! And so I pray:

Father in heaven, my Refuge and Fortress, always faithful and patient, help me to live prudently, intentionally, skillfully and even cunningly.. according to Your Word.  Make me righteous and wise.  Make me gracious and kind, truthful and generous, obedient and humble.  I need You, O Lord, I need You.  Every hour I need You! Thank You for loving me, saving me, and sanctifying me by Your grace and power.  Christ in me, the hope of glory!  It is in Your name I pray, Amen. 

Proverbs 13 continues to contrast the life of the righteous man with that of a wicked man.  Over and over again the writer teaches that there are great benefits to living in the Wisdom of the Lord and there are horrible consequences for going the way of wickedness.  We each have a choice as to which life we want to live. This book of wisdom is spelling it out for us plainly and explicitly.  It is very practical and reasonable.

To live for the Lord is to walk by the Spirit, in wisdom and truth.  It is to:
accept discipline
desire good
guard our mouth
be diligent
guard our way
be humble
rejoice in righteousness
receive counsel
work hard
keep God's commandments
teach wisdom
gain understanding
act with knowledge
be faithful in our messages to others
listen to reproof
walk with the wise
leave a legacy
love and diligently discipline our children

Some of the benefits of righteous living are:
enjoying good v2
preserving life v3
finding satisfaction v4, 25
having desires fulfilled v12
rewards v13
prosperity v21

Delight, satisfaction, fulfilled desires, sweetness in the soul, -- all that we need and want are found in the way of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.  While the way of the world, the way of unrighteousness is filled with ruin, want, failure, poverty, and shame.

Father in heaven, Your Word is truth and brings Light into our lives. Thank You.  I love You Lord and desire to live according to Your Word and will.  Help me to hear and to obey.  Help me to keep seeking and finding You as I seek You with all my heart. Once again I turn my eyes upon Jesus and confess my need, my desire for You to fill me, surround me, take me, melt me and mold me, that I might be all that You have purposed for me to be.
In the beautiful name of Jesus I pray,
amen.

Proverbs 12 "In the way of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death." (v28)

The man or woman who lives according to the Word of God, pursuing wisdom and having a holy fear of the Lord will:

love discipline and knowledge  (v1)
obtain God's favor (v2)
be unmoved by circumstances (v3)
bring honor to his or her spouse (v4)
think just thoughts (v5)
speak words of deliverance to others (v6)
have a secure home and family (v7)
have insight (v8)
be better off (v9)
have compassion even on his animals (v10)
work hard and be fruitful (v11)
yield the fruit of righteousness (v12)
escape from troubles (v13)
be "satisfied with good by the fruit of his words" and be rewarded for his good works. (v14)
listen to counsel (v15)
not speak of another's dishonor (v16)
speaks truth and tells what is right (v17)
speak words of healing (v18)
be eternally established by speaking the truth (v19)
find joy in helping others find peace (v20)
stay out of harm's way (v21)
delight the Lord (v22)
keeps from boasting about his "knowledge" (v23)
be diligent (v24)
bring gladness to others with his good words (v25)
guide his neighbors to righteousness (v26)
have the "precious possession" of diligence (v27)

This is the "delight" of our Lord, to "deal faithfully",  to live this abundant life of righteousness and find favor in His eyes.  Two passages come to mind as I think of these things, especially the many proverbs involving the use of our tongues:
Matthew 15:18-19 " But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders."
and Galatians 5:19-22  " Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality , idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these,  of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,  goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." 

Jesus says that what is in our heart comes out our mouths. Solomon's proverbs affirm this same truth and adds that it comes out in every part of our lives : our words and actions,  our attitudes and our work ethic; our present path and our future hope.   Paul gives us this - " But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.... Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." (Galatians 5:16, 24)  He tells us to " let each one examine his own work..." (v4)  We must pay attention to, examine carefully, what is coming out of our mouths and our actions as well.  Are we walking by the Spirit? Are we doing the things listed above that reveal a life of righteousness?  Are we delighting our Lord?

Father in heaven,  You are a loving God and I praise You.  You call us to joy and peace, to truth and righteousness .  You want us to delight in You as You delight in us as we walk in Your ways.  Help me to walk in Your Spirit and to crucify the flesh.  Jesus, thank You for forgiving me my sins and cleansing me from all unrighteousness. Create in me a clean heart so that what comes out of my mouth will be pure and pleasing and good.  Once again, my Savior, I surrender myself to You. amen.

Proverbs 11  - contrasting righteousness and wickedness; wisdom vs folly:

The Lord delights in just balances and hates false ones.  (v 1) He cares about how we do business.
The Lord honors the humble and dishonors the proud. (v2)  He cares about our attitudes.
Integrity is a guide, falseness will destroy. v3  He cares about our character.
Money won't save you; righteousness will. v4 He cares about what we trust in.
Righteousness makes life smoother, wickedness brings failure. v5  He cares about our daily lives.
Righteousness delivers, greed traps the treacherous. v6  He cares about our troubles.
The wicked have no hope for eternity. v7  He cares about our future.

The righteous may have trouble, but they will be delivered. The wicked will not. v8
The godless man will destroy his neighbor with his words, the righteous will be delivered through knowledge. v9
When the righteous do well, it benefits the city and brings rejoicing. v9-10
When the wicked die, the city rejoices.
The Lord cares about our neighbors and our towns and cities.

A righteous man will not tell rumors or lies, gossip, or tales.
He will seek guidance from an "abundance of counselors"
He will be careful in his dealings with strangers.
He will be merciful.
He will sow righteousness.
He will desire good.
He will be generous.
And he will be rewarded.

A righteous woman will be gracious.  She will have discretion . She will desire good.

Here is how we flourish and bear much fruit... how we gain life.  We trust in God's Word and live according to His plan.  We become His righteous sons and daughters through Jesus Christ and walk in faith by His Holy Spirit every day.  We seek wisdom and depend on His power in us to stay blameless.  We give ourselves to Him and then live like He does. We live this truth: " I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and delivered Himself up  for me." Galatians 2:20

And so I pray:
Gracious Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank You for loving me and giving me salvation through Jesus Christ the Lord.  Fill me again and again with Your Spirit, that I might truly live the life of Christ in faith and holiness.  You are my God and my Salvation .  I give my all to You.  Lead me in Your ways and may You will be done. All glory and honor and blessing is Yours forever and ever. Amen.