PROVERBS 13:23

A poor person’s farm may produce much food,
but injustice sweeps it all away.

Identifying with God’s causes

So the godly do not always prosper. This proverb breathes a word of warning amid all the other proverbs extolling the success of the godly.

It makes sense that godly people tend to prosper more than wicked people in a just environment. Godly people are less likely to throw away their money and lives on gambling, drunken revelry, drug addiction, and so forth. Godly people tend to be honest and hardworking, responsible.

But then there are the godly caught in systems of economic incompetence, political oppression, religious persecution, and cultural prejudice. In fact, God, speaking through several Old Testament prophets seems especially concerned with economic injustice. And Jesus railed against religious people who fixated on religious pet peeves while ignoring justice issues.

Churches in my denomination are receiving an offering in February called “Heart of Ministries”. The money collected will help rescue some of the 27 million slaves in the world today, many of whom live in our “land of the free”. I think causes like this one have a very special place in God’s heart.

Lord God, of all the social issues I could give to or get involved with, allow your passion for justice to beat in my chest more and more. – Mike Leamon

PROVERBS 13:7-8

Some who are poor pretend to be rich;
others who are rich pretend to be poor.

The rich can pay a ransom for their lives,
but the poor won’t even get threatened.

Contentment and integrity

Yesterday’s paper (Rochester D&C) featured an article about shopping trends of rich people during economic downturns. It turns out high end stores have ditched their designer bags with store labels for plain white paper bags and home delivery. People do not want to be seen buying expensive clothes when others are being laid off, so they pretend to be poor.

On the flip side, the catalyst for the economic recession we are now experiencing was poor people taking on loans they were unable to sustain. In an attempt to “have it all” people lived beyond their means pretending to be something they were not.

The Bible gives us a different example. Paul said he had learned the secret of being content with little and with much. (Philippians 4:12) His financial position really did not matter; it was irrelevant to his identity. Paul’s identity was found in Christ and so should ours be. Instead of pretending to be something we are not, live out your true identity in Christ irregardless of your financial status.

Lord of all creation, help me to be content with what you have given me today. Help me to live from my identity in you rather than a social status achieved through wealth, education or position. - Dan Jones

PROVERBS 12:1

To learn, you must love discipline;
it is stupid to hate correction.

Perfection

I have tendencies towards perfectionism. I expect myself to perform at 100% all the time and will beat myself up when I make a mistake. I have started to become more comfortable with my limitations, but I still demand excellence from myself as I judge excellence. That is the problem with perfectionist like me; we create our own standard of criteria for critiquing ourselves. Should anyone else add to these criteria we will either reject their opinion or compile it to an ever-growing list of impossible self-imposed demands.

Perfectionists can actually have a difficult time learning. They become so obsessed with being right, when they are wrong they fall into depression or denial that inhibits the learning process. We learn the most when we apply correction to our mistakes through understanding.

Too often we think of discipline as just punishment, but biblical discipline is more teaching than reprimand. When God disciplines us He shows us something better. The telos of discipline is right understanding and acquired knowledge.

Giving up the need to be right all the time actually opens the door to more understanding. In surrendering my perfectionism, I add to my knowledge.

Omniscient Father, I admit my propensity to think I must always be right thereby making me believe I am right. Help me to appreciate my mistakes, not as failures, but as opportunities to learn. Help me to avoid demanding more of myself than you do. Teach me your ways that I may learn to walk more faithfully with you. – Dan Jones

PROVERBS 12:5
The plans of the godly are just;
the advice of the wicked is treacherous.

Are they really?
I’m bothered by this proverb, in particular the first half. Are the plans of the godly just? Is this generally true?

The Bible Belt south defended slavery declaring their cause righteous. I read recently, as part of all the presidential inauguration hoopla, that Lyndon Johnson, signing 1960's civil rights legislation, lamented he was handing the south over to the Republican party. And so it has been, even in this election.

Pollsters confirm that the majority of the deeply committed Christians (the godly?) celebrate the Republican dominance in the south and wish it to be national dominance. Does anyone mind that such dominance grew out of profound racial prejudice!

Few subcultures can claim to be more adamantly patriotic than Evangelicals fighting in the trenches of the culture wars to save our beloved country. It’s been my experience that voices critical of American history and practice are slandered as unpatriotic. We cling tenaciously to our myth of a Christian (godly?) Nation.

It is godly to proclaim “justice for all”. And many Christians have fought valiantly for this godly goal. But as many have resisted and defended the way our country treated Indians, refused women the right to vote, trapped the poor in unsafe and pittance-paying jobs while church-going Robber Barrons grew wealthy, and on and on.

Today “godly” people speak about illegal immigrants in simplistic and cold terms as if these people did not bear the image of God. We rant about shipping jobs overseas without thinking about whether or not “and justice for all” includes the whole world. The “godly” people around me who speak openly about jobs never ask if we should consider the economic impact our economic policies have on the rest of the world, the much poorer rest of the world.

The big justice issue for my “godly” peers seems to be abortion. Fine. But for every 10 words I hear about abortion I hear less than 1 about the even greater number of children between birth and 5 who dies every year of preventable causes.

The plans of the godly are just?

God who loves justice, forgive me when my pursuit of godliness ignores your passion for justice. Forbid that I would settle for simplistic answers to complex issues that would, if practiced, in fact increase injustice. Grant that I would hunger and thirst for righteousness/justice for others as much as I do for myself. - Mike Leamon

PROVERBS 11:2

Pride leads to disgrace,
but with humility comes wisdom.

Know it all

I know some people who have an answer for everything. They are experts on everything from construction to BBQ to marital counseling and politics. No matter what the topic is they will tell you what should be done without ever asking what the real problem is. Their words bluster forth with arrogance and pride and anyone who does not do it their way is an idiot.

Needless to say, I do not really enjoy hanging out with these people. Instead of showing real concern for the things I may be struggling with, they only demean and demagogue.

On the other hand, I have accountability friends who humbly seek to understand my situations and then ask probing questions forcing me to discover my own flaws in an atmosphere of support and love. I love hanging out with these people. In fact we go on vacations with them and try to visit as often as we can. Every time I get together with people who are humble, I come away wiser.

I know what type of people I like to associate with, the question I have today is who am I? Am I too quick with answers instead of listening? Is my motif humility or pride?

God of grace, I ask that you forgive me when I fail to listen first, instead giving answers before I understand the situation. Help me to adopt a lifestyle of humble wisdom with disregard to who gets the credit. I ask that you would lift me up erasing my desire to lift up myself. – Dan Jones

PROVERBS 11:24-26

Give freely and become more wealthy;
be stingy and lose everything.

The generous will prosper;
those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

People curse those who hoard their grain,
but they bless the one who sells in time of need.

Generosity

I wish proverbs were absolutes rather then generalizations! The good always prosper, live long, inherit the land, and enjoy the “good” life. Similarly, the more you give away the wealthier you become. Other proverbs, not to mention life experience confirm that such statements are neither promises or absolute facts.

For forty nine years I’ve given freely. I have tithed from my childhood paper route to my present pastoral assignment. I’ve helped people in need, given to missions, and opened my home and life to many others in my circle of acquaintances. I’ve never been a miser.

I think, however, if I’d been more stingy with my money and possessions, my bank accounts would be much larger, despite the recent stock market plunge. Strictly speaking, giving freely hasn’t produced increased wealth. But then, my life is only just past half way finished. So who knows about future financial prosperity? Maybe some recipient of my generosity will bequeath me lots of money.

But I don’t have to wait for the future or some inheritance to experience the broad strokes of this truism. It is true, the expenses of two young adult children and a decline in income (small churches pay less than larger ones) paint my financial picture more as a landscape of mountainous, even cliffside adventure rather than a dull glassed bank on some city corner. Still, whether fat and lean, each season of my life has included the generosity of family and friends. I have enjoyed more material blessings than I need and have received refreshment from the lives of others.

Jehovah-jireh, God who Provides, in the lean times, when generosity seems less logical, keep me giving, caring, and providing refreshment to those you send across my path, from children to strangers. Forbid stinginess from ever finding a home in my heart. - Mike Leamon

PROVERBS 10:19-21
Too much talk leads to sin.
Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.
The words of the godly are like sterling silver;
the heart of a fool is worthless.
The words of the godly encourage many,
but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense.

Just shut up!
I need to hear these words routinely reverberate in my head and heart. Probably aught to make them into a screensaver for my computer! I make a living by talking. Talking is my calling, a key element in my personality, the defining feature of my primary spiritual gift, and the primary way I fulfill my life passion. While I like solitude with only the sounds of nature filling my ears with their music, the more I come to understand myself the more I realize I need conversation.

My mouth is the most in-shape part of my body! I exercise it daily by giving advice, proclaiming biblical truth, teaching biblical reality, active listening to parishioners (yes, this means talking with the goal of understanding what I hear), reporting, team leadership, problem solving, and more.

Sometimes I overuse my mouth. I’m too hasty to give advice or speak biblical truth into people’s lives who aren’t ready to receive it and into situations I haven’t yet come to fully understand. I fill awkward silences with words, some of which, when I look back at them, would have better been left unspoken. I’m tempted to speak beyond my knowledge or understanding.

Because I’m paid to speak countless hours every week, when it’s all added together, I find it easy to the abundance of words crowd out time needed to nurture my own godliness. I fear that many times my words have been less than “sterling silver” and more “worthless” because the man who spoke them suffered the accumulated affect of neglecting his own spirit.

So today I recommit myself to “be sensible and keep [my] mouth shut” more often; to listen more to God through reading, listening to the counsel of others, and time alone just thinking and saturating myself with life in Christ.

Lord of my mouth, grant me the supernatural gift of controlling my tongue and shutting my mouth. Increase my ability to observe, ask good questions, meditate on you, and spend time simply being. Your talkative child, – Mike Leamon

PROVERBS 10:16
The earnings of the godly enhance their lives,
but evil people squander their money on sin.

Spending that doesn’t squander
Karen and I just returned from a trip to Jamaica. In Jamaica there are plenty of opportunities to spend money on every indulgence and whim the human body can imagine. While many of these “opportunities” are exciting and fun in the moment, they often end with disappointment and shame upon returning home.

On the flip side, there were some awesome opportunities my dad and I took advantage of while we were in Jamaica that truly enhanced our lives. While there I had the chance to go deep sea fishing and golfing. These two excursions may not seem like life enhancing outings, but to my dad and me, they were experiences of a life-time. We bonded together as father and son, as well as gained an increased awe for God’s creation.

My dad’s hard work enabled us to go on this trip together, something I am very thankful for. His earnings enhanced our life with rest, relaxation, fun and learning. The work of others was squandered on relationship damaging flings and binges. Godliness should show up in our entertainment as well as in our activities at church. Are my earnings enhancing my life or being squandered?

God of work and rest, help me to use money in a way that enhances my life and the lives of others in my work and in my recreation. Keep me from squandering your blessings in sin by removing the desire for sin from my life. - Dan Jones

PROVERBS 9:7-9

Anyone who rebukes a mocker will get an insult in return.
Anyone who corrects the wicked will get hurt.
So don’t bother correcting mockers;
they will only hate you.
But correct the wise,
and they will love you.
Instruct the wise,
and they will be even wiser.
Teach the righteous,
and they will learn even more.

Avoiding unnecessary poverty

Sad, but true. “The rich get richer and the poor, poorer.”

Mockers think they know it all. So they forever mock the choices others make since those choices are obviously stupid. Driven by the need to display their vast knowledge by correcting everyone else, these folk only reveal how lacking they are. They possess an impoverished store of knowledge. They ignore the truism, “It’s better to keep silent and keep people guessing how much you know that to open your mouth and erase all doubt.”

Mockers often allow insecurity or arrogance to lock them in mental poverty. Most people, I think, struggle with one or both of these maladies. Those who overcome them, become teachable and slowly fill their mental coffers with wisdom and learning. Those who do not, remain forever unable to receive rebuke or correction, and forever impoverished.

Correction seldom feels good for me. And rebuke never goes down well. My own struggles with insecurity and arrogance guarantee discomfort. But I am determined to wisely listen to disquieting words. I want to “be even wiser” and to “learn even more”. While I don’t have to possess material wealth, I very much want heart and mind wealth.

I know people who strike back when offered even the gentlest and most tactfully offered correction. God forbid that I ever be that kind of impoverished person.

Father, you correct your children because you love them. I will accept your expressions of love. Use wise authors, mentors, leaders, friends to speak truth into my life. Help me to keep an open ear and a wide open heart. May the wisdom you have allowed me to gather during the first half of my life only multiply in the second! - Mike Leamon

(Dan's on vacation to warm weather and beaches! And he didn't take Mike with him. Now that was truly wisdom. Dan will be back blogging in about a week.)

PROVERBS 8:9-11
My words are plain to anyone with understanding,
clear to those with knowledge.
Choose my instruction rather than silver,
and knowledge rather than pure gold.
For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies.
Nothing you desire can compare with it.

Common sense isn’t enough
Knowledge doesn’t automatically produce wisdom. Consider how many of us smoke, overeat, don’t get enough sleep, or say things we know we shouldn’t. We aren’t stupid but we are foolish. Still, I cannot ignore knowledge on my way to acquiring wisdom.

Everyday common sense requires at least some level of education both from the school of hard knocks and academia. However, many daily choices require much more than baseline common sense and so require a greater degree of knowledge. It takes more than common sense to enjoy a healthy marriage, experience spiritually productive relationships in God’s family, and interact productively with one’s culture. These require more learning – book learning.

So God gave us the Book. More than that, he gave us men and women with the gift of unique insight and understanding who wrote that knowledge down in an explosion of books through the centuries. He gave us people with the capacity to make discoveries about nature, financial economy, government, and so on, who share their understanding in even more books.

Problem is, even though I love to read, I have to discipline myself to make reading a priority. This blog is one tool to keep me reading God’s Word for my own growing understanding. Too few Christians read, let alone read books that deepen and broaden our understanding.

When it comes to making important decisions wisely, we fall back to what we consider common sense. Without education, however, common sense becomes simply another expression of our prejudices, misperceptions, unexamined assumptions, and ignorance.

Common sense is only a beginning point. Instruction and knowledge are better than silver and gold because they lead to wisdom.

All knowing God, may I never become arrogantly satisfied with the knowledge I currently possess. With your help, I will keep learning and broadening my understanding. I will be teachable. - Mike Leamon

PROVERBS 8:22-31 (abridged)
The LORD formed me from the beginning,
before he created anything else.
I was appointed in ages past,
at the very first, before the earth began.
I was the architect at his side.
I was his constant delight,
rejoicing always in his presence.
And how happy I was with the world he created;
how I rejoiced with the human family!

Only 1 original
I was watching TV when a commercial came on advertising a certain shampoo. This shampoo can eliminate dull hair with dandruff and flakes and replace it with shimmering, moist hair that cascades down over your head. At least that is what the advertisement seemed to be saying. However, the main concern of the advertisement was not what this shampoo can do for my hair; it was that I might be tempted to buy an imitation, knock-off brand instead of the real deal. I was assured; the original product was only available at salons not Wal-Mart.

It is not just with shampoo that I settle for less. Unfortunately, I end up with the generic brand of wisdom when I settle for anything less than God’s wisdom. Wisdom was created first by God. True wisdom, comes only from God. True there are many “venues” offering “wisdom” for sale, but if scrutinized carefully, they are all generic forms, imitations of the real deal.

As wisdom was created first, even before the world itself, there is only one dispenser of true wisdom. There is only one place where I can find 100% pure wisdom and knowledge: Jesus Christ. While generic shampoo will not ruin my hair, generic wisdom will take me away from God’s perfect plan for my life. When it comes to life why settle for anything less than the original? After all, the price on the original is better than the generic brands.

Father of wisdom and knowledge, help me to avoid deception when it comes to pursuing wisdom. I want to follow the best plan for my life and today I acknowledge that plan is yours. Teach me your ways; show me your plan for my life today. - Dan Jones

PROVERBS 7:4-5

Love wisdom like a sister;
make insight a beloved member of your family.
Let them protect you from an affair with an immoral woman,
from listening to the flattery of a promiscuous woman.

(Dan and I have been independently selecting a section of each chapter in Proverbs for reflection. Neither of us knows what the other has selected until after writing our reflection. Today we happened to select the same verses. Here is a great example of how two people can take one set of words and examine it from two very different, yet complementary angles.)

Brothers and sisters

There are few relationships that rival the bond between a brother and sister. While the two of them may fight like cats and dogs, when confronted by an outside challenge they will defend each other to the death. I know it is not like this in every family, but in my family there is a strong bond between brothers and sisters.

My older sister and I are especially close. We can share our struggles and concerns with each other without feeling guilty or judged. We support each other through encouragement and accountability. There is admittedly some friendly rivalry that takes place, but when pressed, we would both stand up for the other to the death.

When my sister speaks, I listen. When she shares a concern I take it to heart. The only trouble is she lives in NC so our conversations are not as frequent as we would like.

My relationship with wisdom is much like my relationship with my sister. I listen, take to heart and respect the opinion of wisdom. Unfortunately, at times our relationship becomes distant. Instead of trying to live independently, the writer of Proverbs calls me today to move wisdom into the spare room. Let wisdom become part of everyday life. Rub shoulders with God multiple times each day.

Holy God, I desire to live in your presence each day rubbing shoulders with holy wisdom and insight. Keep me from selfishness that ignores wisdom’s whisper that I might avoid falling into sin and destruction. - Dan Jones

Good sex advice from a sexist

Okay, enough already! Four out of the last seven chapters have warned against the immoral woman. I get it. And I’m bothered.

I’m bothered because Solomon doesn’t seem to account for the possibility that the immorality lies within his son. Doesn’t it ever occur to him that his son – prince and feared authority figure – just might be the one to pressure innocent women into sex? Probably not.

So I have to practice good principles of biblical interpretation to glean God’s truth for me. First, I have to accept that God only slowly increased revelation about himself and his truth to humanity. Solomon and his “man-after-God’s-heart” father, King David, possessed a harem of wives and mistresses without God’s condemnation. Honoring women with singular loyalty and the reality that sin, including sexual sin, originates in the heart of the individual not the seductiveness of “that” woman would have to wait for Jesus and his radical insights into gender relationships.

So, second, I have to apply Solomon’s proverbs through a New Testament lens. Not only must I refuse to put myself into a situation that opens the door for a woman to tempt me sexually but, more importantly, I must guard my own heart and mind.

It’s this second part that bothers me as much as Solomon’s sexism. Most of us, including myself, need to be hammered about sexual temptation. My culture is saturated with sexual energy in which at least 25% of marriage partners give into adultery, say the polls. Newsweek reported that about 30% of male protestant pastors give in to sexual relationships with women who aren’t their spouses! (see http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/adultery.html)

I dare not fall into an arrogant mentality that concludes I don’t need four out of seven chapters warning me about sexual unfaithfulness! (Still, I’m looking forward to broadening the subject matter as I work my way through Proverbs!).

Lord God, thank you for the partial revelation you gave to Solomon and for guiding the compilers of Proverbs to include so much material warning against sexual sin. As a follower of your fullest revelation, Jesus Christ, I will use these proverbs to increase he guard of my own heart. Grant the needed wisdom that will make the second half of my marriage and career as faithful as the first half. - Mike Leamon

PROVERBS 6:1-5
My child, if you have put up security for a friend’s debt
or agreed to guarantee the debt of a stranger—
if you have trapped yourself by your agreement
and are caught by what you said—
follow my advice and save yourself,
for you have placed yourself at your friend’s mercy.
Now swallow your pride; go and beg to have your name erased.
Don’t put it off; do it now! Don’t rest until you do.
Save yourself like a gazelle escaping from a hunter,
like a bird fleeing from a net.

Wise generosity
Sounds like Solomon wrote from experience! Me too. While this is a proverb and, as such, not a hard and fast rule, it’s true enough times to expect pain if it’s neglected.

Loaning money to friends and family or agreeing to cosign on a loan places me on the path to strained or broken relationships. Sure there may be a happy side trail we two may walk, but beware. Even when loan payments are regularly made, the dynamic of the relationship changes.

When my heart feels the pain of a friend in a financial bind, we are both better off if I just give money rather than loan it. As important, I must consider whether or not a bail out is best for my friend. If financial binds are common and result from repeated poor decisions, my gift may be the last thing my friend needs! There’s something about hitting rock bottom that offers more hope to an unwise person than the perpetual bail out.

This proverb doesn’t discourage me from generosity. It pushes me to make hard choices that will most likely benefit friendships and family harmony in the long run. These words move me beyond feeling bad to acting wisely.

Father, continue to teach me how to be generous with wisdom. - Mike Leamon

PROVERBS 6:16-19
There are six things the LORD hates—
no, seven things he detests:
haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that kill the innocent,
a heart that plots evil,
feet that race to do wrong,
a false witness who pours out lies,
a person who sows discord in a family.

Defiant attitudes
Raising children requires dealing with bad attitudes. Every child is defiant at some point and often it is at the worst possible moment for you, the adult in charge. It is not hard to tell when a child is pushing against the boundaries trying to see exactly where the line is going to be. Their eyes, mouth, posture, and general behavior all cry out, “I can do what I want and you can’t stop me.”

As parents, we are charged with helping our children learn good boundaries and relational skills. We are responsible to address this attitude of defiance, discord, and destruction with firmness and love.

God, our Heavenly Father, does no tolerate bad attitudes any more than a good parent does. He hates arrogance, pride, destructive behavior and deceitfulness. The seven things God hates are the same things every child has to be corrected in. As a child of God, I too must learn to put off these bad attitudes and actions in exchange for the fruit of the Spirit.

It is no wonder we find ourselves in “time out” so much spiritually when we so often sport attitudes and actions that God hates. God does not reward bad behavior any more than good parents reward bad behavior in children. Instead of being mad at God, a good self-examination followed by confession and repentance is in order.

Heavenly Father, forgive me for sporting a bad attitude when things do not go my way. My desire is not to be self-centered but Christ-centered. Help me to let go of every selfish attitude and action and replace it with the fruit of the Spirit. - Dan Jones

PROVERBS 5:21-23

For the Lord sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes. An evil man is held captive by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him. He will die for lack of self-control; he will be lost because of his great foolishness.

That Elusive Quality

This chapter can be summed up in a single modern proverb. “Think with your head and not your pants!” The sexual drive is all about choosing self-control. But then so is every physical drive that defines living in human skin.

Physical desire for food and water, touch and sex, warmth and air is as elemental and good (see Dan’s reflection below!) as the use of sight and hearing. One cannot be human and avoid the defining influence of such things. Unfortunately, the way I choose to interact with these influences often produces less human wholeness than more.

With a growing (pun intended) number of Americans I eat too much of some things – gimme more carbs! – and drink too much sugar and caffeine. I know this. And I continue. Solomon’s right. As long as I continue down this path I will “die for lack of self-control,” if by death we mean a shorter life span.

Self-control. Thou art an elusive and slippery quality. The moment I think I have you, you slip from my grasp.

Interestingly, the New Testament (Ephesians 5:22f) teaches that self-control is finally possessed as a result of giving up self control (note the lack of a hyphen!) to the Holy Spirit. The more he is in control the more I am able to control my physical drives and use them in ways that truly bring life.

I have been committed to a life of Holy Spirit filling and control. However, I need to invest more of my energy and time to the Holy Spirit’s influence if I am to possess this final and, perhaps, most precious gift.

Spirit of God, lead me to create more and better uninterruptible times each day, week, and month where I focus myself consciously on who you are and what you are all about. – Mike Leamon

PROVERBS 5:18-20

Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you.
Rejoice in the wife of your youth.
She is a loving deer, a graceful doe.
Let her breasts satisfy you always.
May you always be captivated by her love.
Why be captivated, my son, by an immoral woman,
or fondle the breasts of a promiscuous woman?

Naked and unashamed

In Genesis we read the story of the Adam’s and Eve’s sins and the resulting shame that came when they realized they were naked. Prior to the apple debacle they were unashamedly comfortable with their nudity, but afterwards there was a conscious effort to shield their bodies from each other and God.

God’s plan for a man and wife is demonstrated in the pre-fall interactions of Adam and Eve. Naked and unashamed they enjoyed looking and touching each other’s bodies. There was enjoyment in the blessing of physical intimacy. God has created both men and women with a desire for the other. Physical beauty is appealing because made us to appreciate the body of the opposite sex.

Desire run wild reaches for satisfaction and pleasure wherever it is available. Controlled desire finds a greater blessing in being captivated by the shared body of one’s spouse. When Adam and Eve sought satisfaction in the fruit of the forbidden tree they experienced pain and shame. Seeking sexual satisfaction in anyone other than my spouse leads to shame and pain in my life.

God who created sex and beauty help me to always find my satisfaction in my wife. Help me to create an open atmosphere of comfort and joy with my wife that enables us to be captivated by the body of the other and find sexual fulfillment in our union together. Thank you for the beauty of my wife. - Dan Jones

PROVERBS 4:10-13

My child, listen to me and do as I say,
and you will have a long, good life.
I will teach you wisdom’s ways
and lead you in straight paths.
When you walk, you won’t be held back;
when you run, you won’t stumble.
Take hold of my instructions; don’t let them go.
Guard them, for they are the key to life.

Shoes

This time of year in New York requires certain shoes for safe maneuvering outside. I have a pair of wingtip dress shoes that are more like bowling shoes than anything else. They look fancy and are fun to wear at times, but when walking down our snow covered driveway, they become hazards to my health.

Picking out the right pair of shoes is a basic requirement for all of us. You don’t wear your work boots while dancing and you don’t wear your dress shoes when shoveling snow. The right footwear enables us to complete our responsibilities with safety and confidence.

Wisdom is like a pair of shoes. We can choose to put on wisdom or not, the choice is ours. However, neglecting wisdom is like putting on the wrong shoes. Your footing will be unstable and you will not be able to run or walk without falling. Isaiah describes the life of those that embrace wisdom in Isaiah 40:31. “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Jesus the path before me is full of different responsibilities and dangers. Help me today to embrace wisdom in all my decisions so that I will always have the right footwear to accomplish every task with humility and success through your power and guidance. - Dan Jones

PROVERBS 4:23

Guard your heart above all else,
for it determines the course of your life.

My Green Zone
Protecting the “Green Zone” in Baghdad has been critical to winning the war and the peace in Iraq. It’s the heart of the country, the one secure place were stable government was able to begin its long road to resurrection. What happens here has determined the direction that country takes.

The innermost part of myself, my deepest desires and loves, my sense of right and wrong, my beliefs and overarching understanding of life – this is my “Green Zone”. Solomon is correct. Everything about my life as I push the 50 year mark is defined by what I have done in this zone.

In the last couple of years a disturbing realization has hit me with force. I have watched and interacted with people closing in quickly on death’s portal. I’ve meet people who model for me how I want to arrive at that point and people who represent just the opposite of my hopes. I no longer have a lifetime ahead of me to make sure I arrive there with my hopes fulfilled. Truth is, I have a good bit less time ahead of me than behind me.

It’s time to evaluate what’s in the “Green Zone”. It’s time to make some changes. And it’s time to strengthen the guard at some checkpoints.

Lord of my life, grant me clarity as I evaluate what lies at the core of my being. Help me to see through your eyes. Help me to know what changes must take place. What battles must be fought. And the wisdom to go about all this in a way the honors you. - Mike Leamon

Beginning today, we'll select a proverb from one chapter of Proverbs each day for reflection. The selections each of us makes may or may not overlap, but they will be from the same chapter.

PROVERBS 3:17-18

Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.
Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

Then you will have healing for your body
and strength for your bones.

Genius

From time to time I do something that really works. To me it can even appear brilliant, and in a somewhat self-sarcastic/self-congratulatory way I will pump my arms in the air and shout, “Genius!” Karen is normally present when I do this and quickly pulls the plug on my inflated ego allowing the hot air to escape as she welcomes me back to reality.

I don’t think it is bad to accept appreciation or a pat on the back when we do something well, it is good to be affirmed. Too many people in my tradition of faith are all about demeaning themselves in a way that reeks of arrogant humility and attention grabbing pity. Accepting affirmation without becoming prideful is harder than pretending nothing you do is good. Saying “thank you” and then praising God for working through you is a better response.

It seems to me the writer of Proverbs pushes us to a healthy sense of self-esteem with a better understanding, everything we do right pales in comparison to God’s righteousness. Not being impressed with my own wisdom means not thinking I am the epiphany of wisdom. Instead, I am to recognize even my best falls short of God.

I praise God for granting me wisdom in making decisions. I also recognize the wisdom of God is what creation springs forth out of. The wisdom of God is my inspiration and source of wisdom. Instead of being impressed with the runoff, I will take inspiration from the stream of wisdom itself: Almighty God.

God of wisdom who gives healing and strength to all who tap into your stream of grace, grant that I may always be looking to you for my inspiration. Help me today to maintain a positive self-image in appreciation of your wisdom at work in me.

PROVERBS 3:11-12
My child, don’t reject the LORD’s discipline,
and don’t be upset when he corrects you.
For the LORD corrects those he loves,
just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.

Receiving Correction
I’m good at correcting others. After all, I’m a preacher. I teach the Bible and help people sort out truth from error. People come to me for counsel during which I often correct misperceptions and unhealthy relational ideas and practices. I feel pangs of frustration when people are so blind to wise counsel or biblical truth that they reject it.

I wonder if God ever feels frustrated with me? I know Jesus (God!) become frustrated with the dullness of the 12 Disciples. “How long do I have to be with you before you get it!” he barked one day (my paraphrase of Mark 9:19).

Discipline involves shaping a life like a sculptor shapes a piece of wood or rock. Chop, carve, chip, and cut! Ouch. But that’s what God does with me, only with more emotional pain involved. Not only is my life in a shape he doesn’t want, it’s in the wrong shape – a sinful shape. So discipline doesn’t result in change from one legitimate shape to another (as in a rock) but in correcting a bad shape.

So is this guy whom God has called to be an instrument of correction in others’ lives open to correction himself? I hope so. I intend so. I am committed to be so. But when push comes to shove, am I?

It’s all too common for people to become arrested in that know-it-all stage of adolescence. By God’s grace I didn’t. But it’s also easy to get ensnared by the acquisition of knowledge that one only sees the inconsistencies and exceptions in all corrective counsel, and so misses the wisdom in correction. This is my danger.

Father, I want you to shape my life and correct all that is wrong. This is my commitment. So this year grant me the ability to embrace correction, through whatever channel you use, with discernment but not sophistry and with humility but not gullibility. - Mike Leamon

PROVERBS 2:20-22

Follow the steps of good men instead,
and stay on the paths of the righteous.
For only the godly will live in the land,

and those with integrity will remain in it.
But the wicked will be removed from the land,
and the treacherous will be uprooted.

Beating the Odds

AIDS related deaths in Zambia has produced an epidemic of orphaned children and a plummeting life expectancy. Men who will not keep their pants zipped and a culture of male dominance has removed families from the land and re-rooted parents six feet into the earth in epic proportions. And all this in a nation that has officially proclaimed itself a “Christian” nation.

In another self-styled “Christian” nation, west and north, across the Atlantic, men and women unmarried to each other refuse to keep their pants zipped in similar percentages. Because of the accident of several cultural conditions, STD’s rather than AIDS runs amuck. So those who don’t follow Solomon’s sexual counsel in the previous verses remain in the land, only with some unpleasant realities added to their experience.

Does this mean Solomon’s observation in these verses only applies sometimes and in some places? Well, almost. A proverb, by definition, generalizes a basic rule of life. A less proverbial way of expressing the thought of these verses might be, “Taking into account broad human experience, multiple sexual partners increased the

likelihood of dying younger” contra the catchy proverb, “Only the good die young.”

I live in a culture that thinks it can beat the odds if it could just get every sexually active male, from puberty through the Viagra generation, to wear the magic prophylactic with every partner, every time. Good luck. I think Solomon’s counsel stands a better and broader chance of leading to long and satisfying life, “stay on the paths of the righteous.”

Wise God, grant me the discipline to reject ideas that would attempt to rewrite any aspect of your creation or flaunt both the specific and general ways you have designed life to be experienced. With your help, I will follow the steps of good men instead. - Mike Leamon

The path of the Righteous

The writer of Proverbs encourages his son to stay on the path of the righteous instead of following the path of the promiscuous woman, fool, or wicked. The only problem is the path of the righteous is hidden. The way of the wicked is obvious and easy to see, but the path of the godly is invisible. It is only revealed by faith. Paul tells us the righteous will live by faith (Romans 1:17). Hebrews 11 lists numerous people who lived by faith and were considered righteous.

So what are we to do? How do we follow that which can only be seen through eyes of faith? Psalm 119 helps me out. “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105) The righteous live according to the revealed will of God. The Bible seems archaic and superstitious to some, but through the eyes of faith, life and wisdom are easily found in its pages. Instead of disregarding God’s standard for the latest craze, live according to the ancient but reliable and true word of God. Good advice for us today too.

Revealer of the path of life and blessing, I ask that you would open my eyes to see your path for my life. Help me to avoid the pitfalls of deception that lie around me. Make my life an example to others of the way of the righteous. - Dan Jones