Strive Against the Wicked

“Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,but those who keep the law strive against them.” Prov 28:4

Once again, the righteous do not simply mind their own business carrying out righteousness in their own lives. Righteousness includes striving against the wicked around us. But what exactly does this mean? Stopping them from harming others? Not allowing it to spread by exposing its wickedness? Trying to get them to stop? On what basis does a righteous person do this? Does he use law and government? Personal persuasion? Community pressure? Prayer? Does he attempt to convert the wicked? I suppose a righteous person would strive against wickedness by any righteous means available. I am reminded of Gao Zhisheng, the lawyer in China who was working against the oppressive Chinese government and is now in prison, probably being tortured (because he already has been several times). The bottom line is that the righteous do not stand by while the wicked work their evil unchecked.

Bold as a Lion!

“The wicked flee when no one pursues,but the righteous are bold as a lion.” Prov 28:1

Evil people are often paranoid. Unfortunately, many Christians are as well. Fear is quite unbecoming in a believer because it is contradictory to his identity. Fear is the basic sin of unbelief.

The righteous are bold! What is it about righteousness that requires an absence of fear? A righteous person understands what is important. He understands that pleasing God and doing right is much more important than pleasing others or self. He also has a deep confidence that righteousness is ultimately best for himself and others anyway. That is what it takes to be righteous. That is also what it takes to be bold, to do what is right in the face of hatred and self denial.

Friction Makes Us Sharp

“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” Prov 27:17

Sharpening implies friction. To sharpen something, one must scrape the edge. Sliding the flat sides of pieces of iron together do not sharpen them. Talking with someone who always agrees with you does not sharpen you. But engaging with others about things we do not know, or about issues upon which we disagree, is challenging and forces us to grow and change. When we wrestle with others in this way, we become sharper, and therefore more effective. So it is important to resist the human tendency to avoid such friction because of pride and laziness.

Cyber-"Fellowship"?

“Better is a neighbor who is nearthan a brother who is far away.” Proverbs 27:10b

Communicating long distance is ever becoming easier: long distance calls, online chatting, cell phones, video calls, e-mail, long distance travel, blogging, Facebook, internet communities, etc. We must not be fooled by soaking in cyber-“fellowship.” Nothing replaces consistent, flesh-and-blood, face to face fellowship. Nothing replaces the local body of Christ. And I mean local. We even stretch the limits of this kind of fellowship when we have to drive an hour to gather with God’s people on Sundays and therefore rarely have contact throughout the week.

"You Have Cake on Your Face"

I was at a wedding once talking with an old “friend” I had not seen in a long time. We caught up for 10 to 15 minutes. As that conversation ended, I immediately ran into a close friend of mine. He took one look at me and said, “You’ve got cake on your face.” So I had been standing there talking for all that time with cake on my face and my “friend” never told me. I recently read these Proverbs:

“Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; Profuse are the kisses of an enemy. . . . Oil and perfume make the heart glad, And the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.” Proverbs 27:5-6, 9

How refreshing and comforting it is to have friends in your life who love you enough to tell you the truth. That is the kind of community we have been building in our church. Although one has to be humble enough to accept the truth, I have a sense of security knowing that my church family will not let me wander off to my own destruction.

Praying My Way Out of a Hectic Life

I hit the ground running when this Fall semester started at ASU. I'm not sure I've been able to really get my feet under me since. Its that busy, frantic, one-step-behind feeling, when everything you do is because you "have to." I have determined, though, that I refuse to live this way. Jesus said,

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for yoursouls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matt 11:28-30

I will live with a restful soul because my yoke is that which I carry with Christ himself. I had such a refreshing time of prayer this morning. I realized that although I have been consistently having my time with God each day, I have failed to really take the time to pray, interceding for others and discussing with God all the issues of life. I have been busy working for God, but heavy laden because I have not been allowing Christ to carry, lead, and empower me. This is rest for my soul. And this rest, at least partially, comes through time with God in prayer.

The Sin of Standing By

Eli was not being judged for sin that he committed, but “for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them” (1 Sam 3:13). This is sin of omission, the failure to do what is right. In this case it is the sin of seeing evil  and doing nothing about it. There are times that we are not able to do anything. Eli was in a position to do something. And we are also often in a position to respond, even if it is simply to speak truth or protest the evil. We are judged with the evil when we know it and do not do what we could do to respond in righteousness. I just finished watching the movie Valkyrie. It is the story of Germans in WWII who attempted to stop Adolph Hitler. They took great risk, and eventually gave their lives; when they failed, they were executed. Knowing they would likely fail, they said, “We have to show the world that not all of us are like him. Otherwise, this will always be Hitler's Germany.” Although they failed to stop Hitler, they succeeded in righteousness. They did something. They did not stand by and watch evil.

"Speak, for Your Servant Hears"

“And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant hears.’” 1 Sam 3:10

Do I hear? Am I listening? I think not as I should. I think that I do not expect him to speak. I think that at times he may be doing so, or it appears that he is, and I am not sure or do not like it, so I suppress the sense I am getting. I want to be in communication with him. I want him to be able to speak to me about what to say, do, think, or pray. May I be attentive and watchful. May I be surrendered and ready to obey. May I be wise and informed by the Word to discern the word of the Lord.

[It is important to clarify that the perfect and highest revelation of God to men is the Bible. This is how God speaks and reveals himself. All thoughts and actions are to be tested by the truth principles in his Word. This does not restrict, however, but empowers and establishes, the active personal leading of the Lord in the believers life by the indwelling Holy Spirit.]