Friday... It will be such a waste of time. It really will.

The writer of Proverbs 9:7-8b (NLT) says, "Anyone who rebukes a mocker will get an insult in return. Any one who corrects the wicked will get hurt. So don't bother correcting mockers; they will only hate you." And that is so true isn't it? But we keep at it. Trying, trying to change their minds.

Do you have that person in your life that it seems is your challenge to convince them or correct them? The writer here says, "Don't bother", and that is very good advice. But it seems we love the challenge.

But the writer goes on. Verses 8b-9 says, "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." Now that is not a waste of time.

So which one are we? Are we a know-it-all who is always putting others down, rejecting their opinion, laughing or correcting or mocking them? But the wise are quick to listen and learn and see where they may be wrong. The wise and righteous are not a waste of time.

Verses 1-8 (MSG) says, "Lady Wisdom has built and furnished her home; it's supported by seven hewn timbers. The banquet meal is ready to be served: lamb roasted, wine poured out, table set with silver and flowers. Having dismissed her servant maids, Lady Wisdom goes to town, stands up in a prominent place, and invites everyone within sound of her voice: 'Are you confused about life. don't know what's going on? Come with me, oh come, have dinner with me! I've prepared a wonderful spread- fresh-baked bread, roast lamb, carefully selected wines. Leave your impoverished confusion and live! Walk up the street to a life with meaning.'"

The NLT says, (vs. 6) "Leave your simple ways behind, and begin to live; learn to use good judgement." And then The Amplified Bible says, "Leave [behind] your foolishness [and the foolish] and live, and walk in the way of insight and understanding."

And then verse 4 says, "Whoever is naive or inexperienced, let him turn in here." And in so many things, even at my age, that is true of me and I don't want to waste my time, I want to learn and to walk in "the way of insight and understanding." And that is not a waste of time.

And a great place to start is Proverbs. Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

Comments

Tuesday... It is so worth it. It really is!

Tuesday... It is so worth it. It really is! Look at this, Proverbs 5:21-23 (CEV) says, "The Lord sees everything, and he watches us closely. Sinners are trapped and caught by their own evil deeds. They get lost and die because of their foolishness and lack of self-control." That is true of so many. Now look at this, Luke 15:1-7 says, "Tax collectors and sinners were all crowding around to listen to Jesus. So the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses started grumbling, 'This man is friendly with sinners. He even eats with them.' Then Jesus told them this story: If any of you has 100 sheep, and one of them gets lost, what will you do? Won't you leave the 99 in the field and go look for the lost sheep until you find it? And when you find it, you will put it on your shoulder and carry it home. Then you will call in your friends and neighbors and say, 'Let's celebrate! I've found my lost sheep.' Jesus said, 'In the same way there is mo...

Friday... Yes, we need them. We really do

Psalm 8:3-4 (NLT), "When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers - the moon and the stars you set in place - what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?" Friday... Yes, we need them. We really do. No, not the fact that I can go out my front door and look out at night at the marvels of the sky. I can do that and it is amazing and it takes my breath away each time I see it. Yes, that is a fact but the reality of who did that and the wisdom and the faith that I have to believe that and to marvel that the one who did that cares about me makes such a difference in how I live my life. Yes, God really does. That is so wonderful for us to believe. And that is why faith and wisdom are so important. Now whatever belief you have at how that marvel happened must also be believed through faith. And the sad thing to me is that more and more people have been taught that there is no God and therefore he did not have a h...

Monday... Three ifs and two thens. They go together!

Monday... Three ifs and two thens. They go together! They really do. And this is what caught my attention this morning as I was reading Proverbs 2. Verse 1 (NRSVUE) says, "My child, if you accept my words and treasure my commands within you." Verse 3 (NIV), "Indeed i f you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, Verse 4, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, Verse 5, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." And verses 9-11, " Then you will understand what is right and just and fair - every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you." There will always be some effort we must do, some ifs for the thens to be realized in our lives. So many of us want to understand without the ifs. But the thens are so worth, so very worth the effort. Verses 5-6 in the Ampli...

Todays Beginning

Search This Blog