Category: Devotional

Wisdom vs Foolishness

Today’s reading has this sort of smackdown between these two personified attributes of wisdom and folly. Both sit on the rooftops, calling out to passers by. So then, while God does not withhold His wisdom, but offers it freely to those who will take it (seemingly as a part of common grace), Satan offers folly just as well. And unlike wisdom — which leads to life through discipline and hard work — folly offers fleeting good times that ultimately lead to death.

And building off of yesterday’s post, we see that those who do not take the correction of a brother or sister in the faith are not merely fools, but WICKED! Not knowing that scorning Godly wisdom is to scorn the one who offers it, and that ultimately the refuser will be the one to suffer dire consequences LATER, if they refuse the difficult rebuke NOW. Because foolishness is brash, abrasive, does what it wants, and looks only at itself. This is so much of what our culture desires. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me.

But wisdom, knowledge, good judgement, discernment, and common sense are OPPOSITE pride, arrogance, corruption, and perverse speech. We cannot participate in both at the same time. It’s one or the other. Choose your fighter.

Choose wisely.

Methinks He Doth Protest Too Much

As I’ve written about before, we tend to believe that people think about things and will react to think in the same manner that we do — this is the false consensus effect. And it’s funny to me when we watch Solomon warn so effusively about the “immoral woman” (ignoring for a moment that if you’re partaking of the activities on offer that would make you an “immoral man”) over and over and over again, yet his only recourse seemed to be ignoring the spirit of the law to fulfill the letter of it by marrying every woman he lusted after. It’s not sin if you’re married!

In the same way, if you see someone (or ARE someone) who is laser-focused on one issue and hammer it repeatedly, it is most likely because they (or you) HAVE fallen in this area or are at least deeply tempted. But this is still an opportunity! If this is happening to someone else, go to them like a brother or sister and ask how things are in that area, and if they need any prayer. And if it’s you, stop trying to put on a show and go talk to someone who can help you deal with your struggle. Don’t do it alone and don’t let your sisters and brother do it alone either.

We need to stop pretending and be honest and raw enough to admit when we have a problem and seek the help we need, or take the correction we are offered!

Knowledge is Power

We’ve all heard this adage somewhere… the first time I heard it was on the title screen of Mortal Kombat 3 for my Super Nintendo. But regardless of the source, if it’s true, it’s true. And this sentiment is echoed loudly in Proverbs 2. The NLT titles this chapter “The Benefits of Wisdom”. Here is a list:

Understand what it means to fear the Lord
Gain knowledge of God
Common sense
A shield
Guarded paths
Protection
Understanding of justice
Finding right paths
Watching over you
Keeping you safe
Salvation of evil people
Salvation from “twisted words”
Salvation from sexual immorality

As we look at this list, think about the things that we are told wisdom grants us. The list is not purely spiritual, but also incredibly practical. Because wisdom is not just some philosophical thought, but — as I wrote back in January:

What is wisdom? Ancients understood wisdom to be a comprehensive understanding of not just the whats, but also the whys and hows. What is this thing? How does it work? Why does it work that way?

Wisdom gives us this understanding about ourselves. Our universe. And our God. Do you not want to be protected from the snare of evil people? And I don’t mean moustache-twirling monocle-clad villains, but people who are deceived by Satan and unwittingly pursuing a path that leads to destruction. Do you want to be trapped in sexual immorality and constantly weighed down by how poorly you feel about yourself? Do you want to know which directions to pursue and leave unexplored in life? Which will lead to heartache and disappointment, and which will lead to life and opportunity? We read 4 times about shields, protection, safety, and oversight? Doesn’t that sound awesome? Someone looking out for our best interests and protecting us from the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune?

Pursue wisdom, friends. Because Wisdom is a practical protection from the attacked of Satan in this world. And we all need that!

Stream of Consciousness or Connected Thoughts?

Sometimes when we read the Bible is seems like we get whiplash! We’re following along in the flow when all of a sudden we are ambushed from out of nowhere by something we never expected and seemingly totally unrelated. A lot of teachers seem content to say, “Well, I guess the author just wanted to make two radically unconnected points and so just sort of did!” To be perfectly blunt, I find this supremely unsatisfying. Sometimes the connective tissue between multiple thoughts is easy, but other times you need to dig a little deeper. And honestly, digging deeper and unifying seemingly unconnected thoughts brings a better, deeper understanding to the Word of God.

Psalm 127 is a simple but effective illustration of this. It is short enough that I have included its entire text for reference.

If the Lord does not build a house, then those who build it work in vain. If the Lord does not guard a city, then the watchman stands guard in vain. It is vain for you to rise early, come home late, and work so hard for your food. Yes, he provides for those whom he loves even when they sleep. Yes, sons are a gift from the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward. Sons born during one’s youth are like arrows in a warrior’s hand. How blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them. They will not be put to shame when they confront enemies at the city gate.
Psalm 127 (NET)

Solomon starts off talking about how if we want anything we are working on to be of lasting value or really matter the Lord needs to be a part of it. Is is truly He who provide, which is why our efforts to do it ourselves is vanity, emptiness, worthless. Then he affirms this assessment twice.

YES, he provides even when we sleep. This statement serve to underscore that God is the one who does things and anything we think we have manufactured for ourselves is an illusion. The product of His common grace at best¹ and the product of God’s active hand at worst²!

YES, sons are a gift from the Lord, like arrows that will protect him from shame…. What?! How does this further the case that God provides? Since when are children like weapons of war? And how are they print us from being shamed in court?? Perhaps my framing has helped you to already see how these things are connected. Children themselves are a gift from God. And once we have moved past the prime of our lives, they will be in the prime of theirs and they will take care of us in the same way we took care of them. And because the children are a gift from God, even their care of us is from Him. Because that’s how He designed families!

“Best” meaning the most charitable possible interpretation that gives the human the greatest possible amount of credit. ↩︎
“Worst” meaning the least charitable possible interpretation that gives the human the least possible amount of credit. ↩︎

The Consequences of Compromise

Compromise has amassed quite a following for itself. We tend to see it as an almost-ideal solution to thorny problems. And often that is true. Often compromise is a great solution, but not always. We should not always default to compromising, instead assessing the situation and determining what course of action is most warranted.

A trivial example: some years ago my brother and his roommate were planning to make themselves some chocolate milk using a mix. They both poured glasses of milk and grabbed the chocolate sauce. But my brother’s roommate quickly realized that there wasn’t enough sauce for both of them to have a chocolate milk so it took it for himself. My brother said, “why not split it?” and his roommate replied, “Is it better for both of us to have bad chocolate milk, or one of us to have good chocolate milk?” My brother relented, seeing the truth in his logic. I would say that the Christian thing to do would have been to sacrifice my own pleasure and give the good one to my roommate, but in this case, my brother’s roommate was not a Christian.

In today’s reading we see a similar situation unfold; starting and ending with bad compromises. Numbers 33:55-56 reads:

But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. And then I will do to you what I plan to do to them.
Numbers 33:55-56 (NIV)

Yet Solomon decides that rather than drive those who remain OUT of the land, they will instead be used as cheap labour. Cheap labour to build the temple of the Lord, no less! Again, God offers a warning that Solomon takes no heed of. And then at the end of today’s reading we see this:

Solomon accumulated chariots and horses; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem.
2 Kings 10:26 (NIV)

Which looks eerily similar to this:

The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.”
Deuteronomy 17:16 (NIV)

How long do you think you can disregard the commands, decrees, regulations, and warnings of the Lord before it finally does you in? How long before spiritual disaster, calamity, or even death come to you? This, dear friends, is playing with fire and it’s a bad idea. Don’t test the Lord. That is a fool’s game.

Starting Well vs Finishing Well

Solomon finishes building the temple and the glory of the Lord fills it. It is an awe-inspiring moment, Solomon prays to dedicate the temple and the people make sacrifices to the Lord and good times are had by all. Then God appears before Solomon in a theophany and says that He has heard the prayers and petitions of the people, that he will protect the people from devastation if they humbled themselves and seek Him. He then re-affirms the conditional covenant made with David, then ends with the final half being a rather dire warning, for which no particular reaction or reflection on the part of Solomon is recorded.

When I was a teen my youth pastor used to take me to a youth convention called “Historymaker”. It was pretty rad. And there was such a powerful presence of God there and times of prayer and vulnerability and just being surrounded by so many students who wanted to be closer to God was inspiring. I wanted to press into God more deeply as a result of these events. And I was not alone. All my youth group friends were the same way. But the effects of that were tamped down and faded away once we left that “sacred” environment and returned to our “secular” lives. I dubbed this phenomenon the “Historymaker High”. The problem being that we wanted the FEELING of closeness with God to continue, but we were no longer spending 10+ hours every day in worship, prayer, and bible study… in fact I would wager that most of us were doing REALLY WELL if we spent 10+ hours a MONTH in worship, prayer, and bible study¹!

We wanted the relationship to remain strong while we did nothing to nurture it. We did not stay close to God. Despite our pastor’s encouragement, we rarely cracked open our bibles, I doubt many of us even knew where the one we had WAS. And so as we casually, carelessly withdrew, we wondered why God felt to far away.

I see something similar happening with Solomon. Most of God’s message was warning. But Israel was pleased with His presence and approval of the temple that the warning seems to have gone almost unnoticed. Like they are hearing what they WANT to hear rather than taking heed of the rather intense warning on offer.

I’ll just come out and say it: how you start almost doesn’t matter. How you finish matters. I’ve seen so many. So. Many. Christians start out strong, on fire, excited! But once the ‘high’ wears off so does the passion. And that passion is what sustains you through the valleys when life is hard.

If you want to finish well, there are three simple things you need to do. Just three. Prayer, Scripture, and Fellowship. Prayer: talk to God, follow the ACTS pattern (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication). Scripture: Spend time in the Word. Every day. Even just 15 minutes. Watch the changes that happen! Fellowship: “It is not good for the man to be alone”, God Himself said it. Surround yourself with other Christians. Good ones. One who will tell you when you are being a moron and ones who expect the same from you.

It’s not rocket surgery, but it does take effort. I have found it to be more than worthy of that effort.

I figure 1 hour at youth group and 1 hour at church per week works out to an average of 8 hours a month. ↩︎

Does God Demand Perfection?

During the dedication of the temple, Solomon offers a lengthy prayer before the assembly. This portion stood out for me:

“When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to their enemies, who take them captive to their own lands, far away or near; and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly’; and if they turn backto you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name; then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their captors to show them mercy
1 Kings 8:46-50, NIV

Note the progression here, I think this may be something a lot of us can identify with — I know I can.

We sin
- For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God — Rom 3:23, NIV
God gives us over to our enemies
- Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you — Gen 4:7b, NIV
We see the consequences of our sin
- Hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh — 1Co 5:5a, NIV
We repent of AND turn from our sin
- If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways — 2Ch 7:14a, NIV
God hears us
- Then I will hear from heaven — 2Ch 7:14b, NIV
God forgives us
- And I will forgive their sin — 2Ch 7:14c, NIV
We are released from the bondage of our sin
- So that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord — 1Co 5:5b, NIV

This is the process. If you are dealing with the consequences of sin, that’s God giving you what you’ve earned — that’s justice. If you ask for forgiveness and seek God, turning away from your sin, God will hear you and cover you with his grace — that’s mercy.

He knows we are incapable of perfection, and so Jesus came to fulfill that requirement. If we want to be covered by the blood of Jesus at Calvary, then we need to draw near to him and stand under His umbrella of grace.

What Does it Mean to be Good at Something?

Today’s devotional is a simple one. In 1 Kings 7:14b we read, “Huram was filled with wisdom, with understanding and with knowledge to do all kinds of bronze work”. Note that there are 3 words used to describe Huram’s ability to work with bronze. Wisdom, understanding, and knowledge.

Wisdom. Understanding. Knowledge.

Why these 3 words, and how do they apply to a craftsperson’s¹ trade? Well, the fact is that they don’t merely apply to trade work. They do, in fact, apply to ALL work. Any work that you or I may do should be done with wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. In order to more fully understand what this means, let’s take a very brief look at each word in the original Hebrew.

Wisdom. This word carries the meaning of technical knowledge or skill. This is a person who is capable of performing the task.

Understanding. This word means insight. That is, the capacity for discerning a right course. This is a person who can see what needs to be done to bring the task to completion.

Knowledge. This is a knowledge of how to apply wisdom and understanding to the task at hand.

These are the qualities that any of us need to accomplish any given task. We must possess the skill. We must know how to get things done. We must know how to combine those skills to actually accomplish was is set before us. This may seem simple, but I have worked with a great many people who possess only one or two of these — I suspect we all have. In fact, despite these skills being so seemingly straightforward, the last time we saw someone who was explicitly labelled as being in possession of all three was Bezalel in the beginning of Exodus 31! And that was cited as being a gift from God.

So, if you possess wisdom, understanding, and knowledge in an area, that is because God has gifted you in that way. Step out into that gifting and use it for the glory of the One who gave it to you!

I know the word “craftsperson” is a weird word that doesn’t roll off the tongue well, but the fact remains that the work being done — any work that IS being done — might be performed by either a man or a woman. ↩︎

Cut The Baby In Half!

(An excursus on selfishness)

This is a very famous and very crazy story. Two prostitutes who are also roommates (it would make sense for the prostitutes to room together, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were more than just the two) give birth around the same time. One woman’s baby dies during the night, so she swaps it with the other woman’s baby. The matter eventually comes before Solomon who decides to cut the baby in half and give half to each claimant. Well, obviously the real mother would rather her baby live a full life with someone else than die in her arms, so she pleads for the baby to instead be given to the other woman. The other woman — meanwhile — consents to having the baby murdered! Solomon recognizes that no parent in their right mind would prefer to kill their own child! And so the baby is rightly given to the woman who sought to have its life spared.

This story is always touted as an exemplar of Solomon’s wisdom, as this certainly was a shrewd move by the king, but what stood out for me as I re-read this story today was the value of the child. I don’t think Solomon ever actually intended to bifurcate the child. I think he was playing a high-stakes bluff. Because he knew how much parents valued their children — I suspect mothers even more so (because they get a 9-month head-start). And this shows right thinking.

Children are deeply valued by God. The first command given to Adam and Eve was to “be fruitful and multiply”. That was the first one! God uses the paradigm of family to frame our relationship with Him. We are called CHILDREN of the Most High; sons and daughters of the Lord. When children are buzzing around Jesus, the Disciples try to move them away so He can tend to the important adults, but Jesus insists that they allow the children to stay! Even going as far as to declare that we should be LIKE THEM.

But today we see children as a status symbol. Look at the celebrities who thrust their “transgender” children into the spotlight to show how accepting and affirming they are as parents. Look at the parents who try to live vicariously through their children by forcing them into athletics, dance, acting, or whatever other activity the PARENTS love and want to be “proud of their children” for. We see parents who don’t want to go through the trauma of pregnancy hiring a womb so that they can have a child on THEIR terms, regardless of what might be best for the actual child. Down’s syndrome was nearly eradicated in Iceland… because they would screen for it and abort (read: kill) any baby who had it! This is called eugenics and when the Nazi’s used this methodology to create the “ideal” human it was rightly discredited and abhorred. But now it’s cool, I guess.

And in the same vein, we only want children when it is convenient for US. We wouldn’t want children to get in the way of our career, goals, lifestyle, or really ANYTHING that would be the least bit inconvenient. The individualism of the West has led us to this place where the instinct to become mothers and fathers is dulled and has become an afterthought to our own happiness and fulfillment (marriage is regarded much the same way). Studies have shown that people report being happier cooking, shopping, and even watching TV(!) than spending time with their kids when they get home from work.

Do you see it? It’s all about me! My happiness! I want, I need, I require! We have become our own gods, and it’s easy to tell because we worship ourselves. And we only want things that will make OUR lives better. It’s little wonder then, that when we look to God, we want to know what is in it for US. What’s the trade-off? What do I get in exchange for my time and effort? Let’s break out the scales and see if this is a good deal. Because it’s all about me. That’ll probably work out fine for the rest of your life.

But after that? The outlook is less positive. Remember: God is love (real, pure, honest love). Marriage helps us understand one aspect of that love; the part that shows a desire for commitment and unity represented in the union of Christ and His church at the end of this world. And parenthood helps us understand another aspect of that love; the part that loves unconditionally and would die without thought or hesitation to protect that child as represented in the sacrifice of Jesus for our sin at Calvary.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, NIV

Don’t be afraid to do what God has asked us to do. Take a chance and learn to love. Really love. Like Jesus did. Like God does.

Can God Still Work Through Me If I Suck?

I’ll just say it, I find David’s orders to his son to kill Joab and Shimei to be deeply troubling. If Joab had done something worthy of death, then David should have killed him. But David did not, likely because Joab provided an incredible amount of utility to him. Then There’s Shimei, who had cursed David, but then changed his tune and came around to serve David. Combine that with the fact that David promised Shimei that he would not kill him, and the command to Solomon to do so comes off even worse! And these are part of the keys to the kingdom that David gives to his son! It’s no wonder then that Solomon also kills his own brother for a presumed coup (that is, asking to marry a girl who had “helped keep David warm”) and then dismisses the high priest — Abiathar — who had supported Adonaijah’s presumed ascent to the throne. This all seems much more like revenge and consolidation of power than it does one Godly king passing the throne to another.

It’s not until AFTER this that Solomon asks God for wisdom to lead well. Solomon’s actions in his personal life would lead him away from God, and his son would ultimately divide the kingdom of Israel. Solomon is a case study in the utter folly of human wisdom. And while David gets a lot of credit for being super awesome, that’s not what I see. I see a man who was deeply flawed, a poor father, a poor husband, a middling king, and a great military leader. The only thing David really had going for him was that — despite is glaring flaws — his heart was genuine and earnest in it’s longing for God.

What made David great in history? That God used him. What made Solomon great in history? That God used him. And if God can use these two exceptionally flawed men, He can use you! No matter how bad you THINK you are, God can use you! Do you really believe that God is so weak that He can only use perfect vessels?! His power is made perfect in weakness!

Think about this: God worked through Pharaoh! God worked through Balaam. God worked through Balaam’s donkey! The Bible is rife with examples of even people who HATED God being used by Him to accomplish His purposes. Now, salvation is a separate issue. I think we would all rather be a flawed-but-saved David than a used-but-damned Pharaoh. But the point remains…

You’re never too flawed to be used by God!