Integrity

The godly walk with integrity;
    blessed are their children who follow them.
      (Psalm 20:7) (NLT)

Who are you?
Do your words match your actions?
Is your life a consistent whole?
Or are there parts of you that you hide away,
     concealing them from others?
Integrity brings its own happiness,
     and blesses those around you.

Father, help me to be honest with You, 
     with myself, and with others.  

Timing is Everything

A sluggard does not plow in season;
    so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing.
        (Proverbs 20:4)

Timing is everything.
The wise person considers 
the consequences of action versus inaction.
Plow at the appropriate time.
Plant at the appropriate time.
Then you can harvest in the fullness of time.

Father, give me insight to act and speak at the right moment. 

Quarrel or Hold My Tongue?

It is to a man’s honor to avoid strife,
    but every fool is quick to quarrel.
       Proverbs 20:3

The wise person knows that there is a time to speak up,
     defending a person or a principle.
There are many more times
     when speaking up is unnecessary and counterproductive.
Don't feel like you have to set everybody straight.  
     That's one distinguishing mark of a fool. 

Wisdom, Father! In Your mercy give me wisdom!

Hasty Pudding

It is not good to have zeal without knowledge,
    nor to be hasty and miss the way.
      (Proverbs 19:2)

Haste makes waste.
Several times I've pulled my car too quickly from a parking place,
     with expensive consequences.
I don't want to dilly-dally,
     but it's also FOOL-hardy to rush forward in a course of action 
          without taking a moment to consider the consequences.

Father, give me wisdom and sensitivity to what You're doing,
     so that I can move ahead in step with You --
          not too slow, not too fast. Amen.

Forgive and Forget

    

Smart people know how to hold their tongue;

   their grandeur is to forgive and forget.

      (Proverbs 19:11 - The Message) 

There are many foolish people in the world.

     They are often known by their many words.

The wise woman has learned when to speak

     and when to be silent.

The bigger man has experienced enough

     of God’s “forgive-and-forget” grace

          that he wants to extend that grace to others.

Father, help me to extend Your grace to others today.

     Show me how to forgive and forget. Amen.  

An Offended Brother

An offended brother 
     is more unyielding than a fortified city, 
        and disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.
           (Proverbs 18:19)

When we argue and disagree, 
     some of us close ourselves off from our friends.
We want to protect ourselves, 
     so we build relational walls.
Our pride is hurt, and we are unwilling 
     to do the counter-intuitive thing --
          to reach through our hurt 
               and draw the other person close again.

But the bigger person will act in love
     even if the feelings are not there.
The person of good character will actively seek restoration.
The godly person will pray and act 
     on the principle of grace -- extending undeserved favor.

Father, cleanse my heart today. 
Fill me with Your Spirit once again.
Help me to follow You in grace and forgiveness
     actively seek to restore a friendship. Amen.

Poison or Fruit?

Words kill, words give life;
    they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.

      (Proverbs 18:21 - The Message)

We don't think much about the words we speak,
     or the manner in which we speak them.

It is within your power to communicate harshly, 
     using sarcasm and bitterness.
          cutting others down, 
               and even destroying ourselves 
                    by false or discouraging conversation.
  
Or you can choose to encourage, to build others up,
     speaking in faith, with hope and optimism.

So today: Will it be poison or fruit?

Holy Spirit, 
     fill me and control my heart and tongue today.
Grant that I may think and speak the truth 
     with grace and faith and love.  

Broken But Useful

Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud,
    but humility comes before honor.

      (Proverbs 18:12)

Most of us must be broken

     before we are of much use to the Lord.

A loaf of bread is broken

     to release its nourishment.

A horse is broken 

     to learn submission to its master. 

We must encounter life's hardships 

     and endure a defeat or two.

We must see our weaknesses, 

     and understand our limitations 

Then we are ready to be used!

Father, thank You for the trials of life!

Teach me and strengthen me today

     as I submit to Your will.

Strong Tower

The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
    the righteous run to it and are safe.
      (Proverbs 18:10)

Run to Him in your confusion!
Flee to Him in Your lonely hour!
Come into the safety of His mercy
     and rest in His love.

Turn from the busyness of life
     and walk awhile with Him.
Tell Him what you think you need
     and He'll remind you of what you really need.

Eat from Him. Drink from Him.
Be strengthened and satisfied.
He is your Home.

Thank You, Lord, for being accessible
     and available at every hour.
Thank You for Your rich storehouse
     of mercy and grace.

The Opinionated Fool

A fool finds no pleasure in understanding
    but delights in airing his own opinions.
         (Proverbs 18:2)

Civil discourse is a godly virtue.
God says, "Come now, let us reason together."
We gain understanding when sincere people 
     discuss complicated issues in good faith. 
By contrast,  
     Facebook has increasingly became 
          an angry cyber-battlefield
               where fools of the left and right 
                    fire verbal missiles 
                         across a barren wasteland.

God have mercy on us! 
Teach us first to shut up and listen, then to speak.
Grant us wisdom 
     to understand our neighbor's point of view. 
Lead us in Your way of love and wisdom.

Good Medicine

A cheerful heart is good medicine,
    but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
       (Proverbs 17:22)

What makes you laugh?
What brings you joy?
What cheers your heart?
Cultivate your sense of humour,
     and you'll be taking a giant step 
          toward health and well-being.

Father, grant me to grow in Your grace, 
   to be full of good cheer 
      and to cheer those around me 
         weighed down with the cares of life.

Faithful Friends

A friend loves at all times,
    and a brother is born for adversity.
      (Proverbs 17:17)

Note the people who "double down" with you in your hour of trial.      Be aware of the friends who become even better friends 
          in your time of desperation or deep need. 
These are your brothers and sisters "born for adversity". 
They may or may not be the ones you prefer to spend time with. 
But their character is revealed when the chips are down.

Father, help me to be a "brother born for adversity."

Crucible and Furnace

The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,
    but the Lord tests the heart. (Proverbs 17:3)

God is looking at our character. 

What do we love? 

What things preoccupy us? 

What do we think about, again and again? 

How is our time spent? 

Our behavior reflects and reveals our priorities.

Lord, have mercy on me! 

Forgive my sins. 

Cleanse my heart as gold is purified by the fire. 

Set my heart right. 

Help me, more than anything else, 

    to desire walking in Your way.

Self-Discipline

Better a patient man than a warrior,
   a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.
(Proverbs 16:32)

Self-control (self-discipline) is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:23). Paired with patience, it a powerful moral force, a character trait that we can cultivate by daily reliance on God and by attention to the details of our daily lives.

Lord, continue Your refining work in me! Lead me in the way of patience, able to see Your long view of things. You are my wisdom! Empower me to be silent when my first impulse is to blurt out nonsense. Empower me to speak and act boldly in Your time.

God's Omniscience

I'm reading through the book of Proverbs. This morning Proverbs 15:11 stood out to me:

Death and Destruction lie open before the Lord - 
    how much more the hearts of men!

As The Message puts it:

Even hell holds no secrets from God—
    do you think he can’t read human hearts?

Lord, You see my every thought, and even inner motivations that are hidden from me. Have mercy! Forgive every sin, and wash me clean today. Tear away from me every excuse for disobedience to Your will. Show me how to walk with You in love and obedience. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Kindness

I'm reading through the book of Proverbs. This morning these verses stood out from chapter 14.

(Proverbs 14:21) ...blessed is he who is kind to the needy.

(Proverbs 14:31) ...whoever is kind to the needy honors God.

Lord, give me an opportunity today to be kind to the needy. I want to honor You in this way. Help me to walk before You with a kind spirit today. Overwhelm my self-centeredness and help me see the needs of those I encounter today.