Proverbs 30.7-9

O God, I beg two favors from you;

let me have them before I die.

First, help me never to tell a lie.

Second, give me neither poverty nor riches!

Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.

For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?”

And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.

Just right

Having the right amount of something is critical. Too much salt in a recipe will ruin it, but not enough and the taste is bland. Too much rain causes floods and destruction, not enough produces drought and famine. We constantly live within a critical window of “just right”. From minute details to the distance the earth is from the sun, having it “just right” is essential to our survival.

Living in the “just right” is not only important in the areas of life outside of our control, it is imperative for our choices and attitudes. The writer of Proverbs foresaw the danger of too much wealth and pleasure in life; it took him away from God. He also saw the danger in not having enough; it caused him to steal. Having just the right amount kept life in balance.

Paul urges us to go even further than the writer of Proverbs. In Philippians 4:12 he notes he has learned to be content in every situation whether he had much or little. Paul had shifted paradigms. Instead of life defining Paul’s attitude, Paul defined life through his faith in God. Little or much, God was going to be enough. The niceties of life, or lack of them, lost their power over Paul because he found meaning through something greater. In these days of economic turmoil it is a great comfort to know that our situation, station, or circumstances do not need to define us, we can define them through Christ.

Thank you Jesus for freeing me from the grip of circumstances. I confess my immediate reaction is often more a reaction to my situation than your faithfulness, but in your grace, you show me how to move past that initial feeling into a right perspective on life. I pray that you would help me to react according to your faithfulness primarily instead of secondarily. - Dan Jones

Proverbs 29:19

Words alone will not discipline a servant;

the words may be understood,

but they are not heeded.

Action required

The old adage “Do what I say not what I do” falls short in its expectations of instilling good principles in others. People tend to watch us much closer than they listen to us. This has only increased in this age of everything visual. Communication has become increasingly visual from TV to YouTube, to personal videos and pictures transmitted by cell phones. People are reading less (just ask the newspaper publishers) and watching more.

Our cultural reality presents a challenge to the transmission of godly morals and principles. It is so much easier to try and tell our children how they should live than to constantly model this behavior ourselves. Speaking only goes so far. Modeling godliness and holiness for others is the most effective method of teaching. We cannot rely on our words, sermons, classes or newsletters to convince people God loves them, has a plan for their lives and can empower them to live godly lives. We must show others through our own lives this is possible.

Of course we fail to model godliness all the time, but in our failures we are afforded the opportunity to model humility, repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation.

Jesus, I want to thank you for not only telling me about your love, but modeling love for me through the incarnation, cross and resurrection. Help me to authentically teach others by modeling what I preach, teach and share with others. - Dan Jones

Proverbs 28.9
God detests the prayersof a person who ignores the law.

Ignoring the Rules

Children do not seem to understand the implications of disobedience. There have been several times when one of my grandkids was disobedient and they still kept asking for treats or special privileges. It goes without saying, I think, when you are in timeout or realizing a particular restriction you are not going to be given some other special treat. Asking for candy when you are disobedient is not acceptable. When the child obeys the rules then their pleas for a treat are much more palatable.

The principle seems so simple when I am the adult in charge of the children. Follow the rules and I will listen to your requests: ignore the rules and I will most likely ignore your request.

As I think about the simplicity of this concept I marvel at my own ineptness at following the same principle with God. Follow God’s rules and my prayers are heard. Certainly, this is not to say that unanswered prayers are always a result of sin in my life. However, my first response to unanswered prayer should not be to accuse God of not caring, but to search my own life for any disobedience. Thankfully, these searches are accomplished quickly through the voice of the Holy Spirit who is eager to point out any areas where I have ignored God’s law. Confession and repentance restores a healthy relationship.

Holy God of grace and mercy, I confess that I tend to ignore certain parts of your law more than others. I ask for your mercy and grace where I have fallen and strength to avoid falling again. Help me to walk wholly with you today. – Dan Jones

Proverbs 27:3
A stone is heavy and sand is weighty,

but the resentment caused by a fool is even heavier.

Buckets of Rocks

We purchased a new home recently with a cistern in the basement. The wall of the cistern was approximately 12 inches thick and 48 inches tall. Behind the wall was 6 feet of good storage that was inaccessible except by a stepladder. One of the first projects I started was the demolition of the cistern wall. Breaking apart the concrete with a sledgehammer was tough work. Carrying the rocks and debris out of the basement in 5 gallon pails was heavy.

It took two days of exhaustive work to complete the demolition. I was tired both days. Weariness from hard work feels good; weariness from carrying emotional debris feels terrible. Emotional pain caused by resentment is just as heavy as the rocks in the cistern wall, but at the end of the day, you have accomplished nothing positive.

If I asked someone to hold a pail of rocks for a day, they would laugh at the ridiculous notion. If I ask someone to set down the rocks of the resentment they are holding, I get the same response. We seem to think holding onto resentment will make us feel better in the future. Some day we will have the chance to get even, so we hold onto our grudges and resentment until that day comes. In the meantime we ruin many a good day, only to realize when we do have the chance to get even; we do not feel any better inside. The pain is still there.

Proverbs points out the absurdity of holding rocks all day, be they literal or emotional. Setting our rocks down brings release and freedom from a heavy burden. What are you holding today? What am I holding?

God who liberated those in oppression and bondage, I pray you would help me to set down the emotional rocks I am carrying and experience the freedom that comes in Jesus Christ. – Dan Jones

Proverbs 26:18-19
Just as damaging as a madman shooting a deadly weapon

is someone who lies to a friend

and then says, “I was only joking.”

Talking too fast

Justifying our bad attitudes and actions with “jokes” is more harmful than we realize. “I was only joking,” implies the other person should just “get over it” or not have been offended in the first place. Trying to excuse sassiness, lies, and deceitfulness with jokes is not only poor taste, it is wrong. In doing so, we illustrate a lack of respect for others and a refusal to be accountable for our own words.

We live in such a frantic and hurried society words fly off our lips with little to no filtering. Technology has only increased the ease with which we can communicate to others. You can instantly text, talk, and even send video messages to thousands of people “in the moment.” This last week we learned NBA players are increasingly updating their profiles electronically during games.

With immediate communication, we are less likely to think things through or consider the implications of our words before spewing them into the world. To cover up our blunders we increasingly refer to our words as “jokes”.

There is no quick remedy, except being willing to stop and think before speaking. In the same way, I am forced to think about how I respond to God. How do I talk to Him? Do I think about my prayers or just spew out my frustrations without taking time to think about His promises. Certainly God invites us to pray at all times and in a myriad of ways, yet how often do I try to cover up disrespect and ungratefulness with “jokes” and rationalizations about “stuffy prayer language” and formalities. Perhaps even in prayer a little more thought would produce a better conversation with God.

Father of grace and compassion, I am sorry for not taking time to think as I pray. I confess too many times I simply demand what I want instead of seeking out your thoughts on the situation. Help me to pray your will not mine, with sincerity, reverence and respect for who you are. Make my prayer times refreshing both emotionally and intellectually as you teach me your ways. – Dan Jones