Today I want to share a word about the resourceful leader as I comment on Exodus 4 verses 1 through 5. This passage reads,
Then Moses answered and said, “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’ ” So the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.” And He said, “Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail” (and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand), “that they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”
A church treasurer once told me that it's easy to be a treasurer when there's plenty of money in the bank. The hard part comes when money is scarce and it's easier to be a leader when you have a lot of resources. But the one thing that almost every leader soon learns is that resources are always limited. Even the federal government does not have unlimited resources. Moses learned a lesson about this as we read above in our text for today, Exodus 4:1-5. And the first thing that Moses learned is that God can use you where you are.
God can use you where you are.
So where was Moses? He was on the back side of the desert. It was land that was not good for very much and barely useful for anything. In fact, it is even barely useful for raising sheep. I've learned dealing with my family property in Lee County, Alabama that land connected to the road or with road frontage is worth a lot more than land that has been separated from the road by another parcel of property. But that being said, Moses was in a place that wasn't very resource-rich, and we have to ask the question, what could he do there? He could chase sheep, and he could fight off wolves. I think primarily the thing that Moses did where he was was hide from the Egyptians. But where are we today?
Moses was in the back side of the desert in a place that was isolated from almost isolated from reality in many ways. But where are we today? Are we individually in the desert? Collectively, are we in the desert, in our churches, in our homes, and in our nation? Or maybe we might be in some better place. But the lesson we can learn here is this: it doesn't matter where you are. God can use you.
He might ask us to move, or He might not ask us to move. But only our stubbornness, our fear, and refusal to comply will thwart his plans for us. So God can use us wherever we are. Moses also learned that God could use us, whatever we have.
God can use what we have.
What did Moses have? He had a shepherd's crook. In fact, I'm not even sure it was a crook. It may have just been a stick, but that's beside the point. A shepherd's staff, a shepherd's crook, is very useful for a shepherd. It is not much useful for anything else, especially for liberating a people. You know, there's an old saying, "You don't want to bring a knife to a gunfight." And it seems like that's what God was asking Moses to do.
God was asking Moses to go back into the lion's mouth, go back and confront his adopted uncle or whatever relative of his stepmother was in charge at that time. He was asking him, to bring a people out from a land of the birth, a people who didn't even know him. Or if they knew him, they only knew him as the failed, murdering son of the Pharaoh that was oppressing them. He was sent by God to represent him in Egypt where no one believed in him. No one even understood him. And he was to do all this with a stick.
What do we have? Well, our churches have facilities, and beautiful facilities in many cases. We have many talents and abilities. Churches often have a close-knit fellowship. We have Bibles. We have Bible studies. We have videos. We have a whole publishing house in the Southern Baptist Convention called LifeWay Christian Resources. We've got networks of churches and denominational agencies to help churches do well and do better in their ministry. In short, we have a lot more than Moses had. So, what is God asking us to do?
God is asking us to be witnesses for Him, to preach the gospel, to teach the Bible, to minister to people's needs, to do all these things decently in order so that we can make disciples of all nations for God's glory and for their blessing. And truth be told, it's much easier a task than Moses had. I would hate to go into a place that wanted to murder me or extract judgment upon me, exact judgment upon me, with a stick in my hand. I'd rather do what I'm doing now than what Moses had to do. Moses also learned that God will make the best of any situation.
God will make the best of any situation.
Now we have the ability to look at the whole counsel of the Word of God so we can see a lot more examples of this than Moses did. We see Moses liberating his people. We see Joshua establishing their homeland. We see David saving Israel from Philistines and many other outsiders bent on destroying them. We see Nehemiah rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. We see Jesus beginning his church. We see Paul and the Apostles evangelizing the known world. Now think about each of these men's situations. Humanly they were not very promising and yet God triumphed anyway.
So, what should we do? We should trust in God's judgment and will. We should allow Him to use us in whatever way He wants and allow Him to use what we have in whatever way He wants. And then we need to enjoy what He does with us.
Many years ago, I knew a man by the name of Jack. I won't use his last name because he may still be alive. I don't want to embarrass him or call undue attention upon him, but Jack was a man who was blind. He had been blown out of a tank during World War II and lost his eyesight. He got it back for a time, but then later, over time, it went away. Despite this, Jack continued in ministry. Jack served as a blind headmaster of a Christian school. He retired from that Jack operated an audio ministry for blind people. God can use us where we are with what we have, and He can use us in any situation.
Conclusion.
There is one truth that all these resourceful leaders had in common. They all realized that God was their greatest resource. And this is true today. The abundance of money, the abundance of volunteers, the abundance of buildings and vehicles and other things will never overcome the greatest resource of all. And that is God. That resource is the Holy Spirit. That resource is the salvation we have in Jesus Christ.
Resourceful leaders realize many things about God and God's work with them. But the main thing is the resourceful leader realizes that God is the greatest resource of all.
Thanks so much for visiting me today. I'll be back soon with another word from the Bible we share together.
Today, I want to share a word about leadership lessons from Paul as I comment on 1st Thessalonians 2 verses 1 through 20. Let's begin with verses 1 through 6:
For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you is not in vain, but though we had already suffered and been shamelessly treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak not to please men, but to please God who tests our hearts. For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed. God is witness, nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ.
Much of what we learn, we learn by observing others in action. We learn how to talk, how to tie our shoes, and how to act politely by watching others, and sometimes we also learn how to not act politely as we watch others. I remember very clearly as a child watching my father politely open the door for all kinds of people, men and women. It didn't matter if someone was approaching a door, my father would open it because he was a gentleman, and he liked to act politely. I learned that and I incorporated that into my life, but one day I was walking up to a convenience store door, and I saw through the door a lady was coming from the other side. I opened the door for her to exit the convenience store before I went in and as she did, she looked at me with a very strong glare and said, "I believe in equal rights." I didn't say anything, but I learned that day how to not act politely when someone opens a door for you. So, you can learn and learn well and learn strong lessons by observing others in action.
Today we want to learn how to be a good leader by observing Paul. Observing Paul being a leader is a good practice and it as a way that we can really learn some very important leadership lessons, we will do that by looking at 1st Thessalonians chapter 2.
Paul was Genuine.
AS we consider verses 1 through 6, we see that Paul begins by discussing his genuineness. One leadership lesson from Paul is that Paul was genuine.
We know fakes abound today. There are fake Rolex watches, there are fake credit cards, and even are fake iPhones, believe it or not. Fake name brand clothes, fake name brand purses are all produced and sold. People don't often see through material fakes, but they do see through fake people.
I remember when I went to buy my pickup truck that I've had now for many years now, that once the salesman learned I was a minister he asked me to go look at something or go ask somebody else a question about something and then he jumped in the truck and turned on the radio and tuned it to a Christian radio station. That didn't provide me a lot of confidence in him. I did buy the vehicle, but I wanted the vehicle. He didn't sell it to me. The vehicle sold itself to me because there was a fakeness about the salesman. and people don't trust fake people. They don't follow their leadership and so if we're to be effective we must learn like Paul to be real, to be genuine.
When things are not going well we don't need to try to pretend that they are. We need to be positive, but we don't always need to think or to show that that everything is rosy and perfect when it isn't. At the same time when things are going well, we need to thank God for that blessing in our lives.
Paul was genuine and we need to be genuine too as we take up the mantle of leadership. In verses 7 and 8 we also see that Paul was gentle. These verses say,
But we were gentle among you like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So being affectionately desirous of you we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves because you had become very dear to us.
Paul was Gentle.
We know the truth does not change because all truth is from God and God doesn't change. Truth doesn't change, not just God's truth, but all truth comes from God and all truth is permanent and all true truth does not change because God does not change. But the way we tell the truth can vary.
Even in the scriptures we see God's concept of progressive revelation. He showed more of Himself over the eons of the Bible and He showed more of Himself in Jesus than He did previous times to the saints in the Old Testament. And, like God Himself, the way we tell the truth can vary.
Paul became all things to all men, and we can tailor our message to deliver it for the most effectiveness possible to share the gospel. As long as we're telling the truth we're being faithful to God. But, if we're not careful we can often drive people away from God by our style. To be brutally honest with somebody is usually not the best choice. Paul was never known to dodge an issue and yet even, so Paul knew that gentleness was important.
Jesus himself was a model of truth in gentleness telling the truth in love in the Sermon on the Mount and in receiving the children unto himself, and in the way he dealt the woman caught in the midst of adultery and other folks who were caught in their sin. Jesus was gentle. He was truthful but he was gentle. And so, Paul also was not only was truthful and genuine, but Paul also was gentle. And as he led the church there in Thessalonica, as he dealt with other churches, he also gave guidance. That's what verses 9 through 12 say.
For you remember brothers our labor and toil we worked night and day that we might not be a burden to any of you while we proclaim to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses and God also how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. For you know how like a father with his children we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
Paul gave Guidance.
At least two different types of leaders exist in the world. There may be other than two types of leaders but there are at least two types of leaders. The first is the global, visionary, big picture type of leader, and the second is the detail oriented, little picture type of leader. The interesting thing was that Paul was both. Paul saw the big picture, but he also was able to see the details as well.
So how did Paul guide the Thessalonians? He exhorted them, he comforted them, he charged them, and he loved them like his own children. He knew what his goal was, and he knew what his task was but he also loved those people and Thessalonians like his own children and so he encouraged them and exhorted them and charged them and part of that charge was to walk in a manner worthy of God. So Paul was a genuine leader, and he was a gentle leader and he was a leader that guided but he also was a leader that set goals. Verses 11 through 14a say,
For you know how like a father with his children and we also thank God constantly for this that when you received the Word of God which you heard from us you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is the Word of God which is at work in you believers. For you brothers became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea.
Paul set Goals.
One characteristic of leaders is they must have goals. They must know where they want to go, they must know how to get there, and they must know when they get there, and they must know how they can take the people that they are supposed to lead with them as they go. Very often these goals are the determining factor in the quality of an organization or family or of a church.
So, what were Paul's goals? One that they would want worthy of God, another was that God's Word would be effective in their lives, a third was that they would imitate the godly brethren in Judea, and fourth, that they would persevere during trials and tribulation. All of those are worthy goals but it is particularly interesting that he said they should imitate the godly brethren in Judea. A modern concept popular today is called “deconstruction” and that is the idea that you don't really build on the past but instead you tear it down and start over from scratch. You throw away all that existed before and do something new and different and bold. Sometimes that's right but Paul said here that the Thessalonians should imitate the godly churches in Judea who were the foundation that he stood upon to reach across to share the gospel in Europe and in Asia Minor.
Paul set goals, and we need to have goals too. We need to have people goals, we need to have physical goals, we need to have program goals, we need to have fiscal goals. We need to be going somewhere as we lead people, as we lead our families, as we lead our churches, as we lead our organizations, as we lead our schools.
God's plan for this world is moving forward. It's not standing still. It's not going in a repeating cycle. So often what we see in churches is they ride the waves: they'll grow and then they'll peek out and then they'll decline, and they'll grow and they'll peek out and they're declined again. It would be so great to see it different that our churches and other factors in our lives, other areas of our lives, which be on a steady growth upwards toward God's glory. And speaking of glory, Paul had a special glory. Verses 14b through 20 say,
For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets and drove us out and displeased God and opposed all mankind by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved. So as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last. But since we were torn away from you brothers for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored them more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face because we wanted to come to you. I, Paul, again and again but Satan entered us. For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and our joy.
Paul had a Special Glory.
Leaders have a great responsibility. Leaders are not just responsible for themselves, they're responsible for other people as well. In fact, in the military there is a bedrock leadership principle that says a leader is responsible for everything that happens or does not happen in their area of responsibility. Everything that happens whether that be good things or bad things. Everything that does not happen good and everything that does not happen that's bad. And leaders are responsible for it all, not just for him or herself but for all the others that they lead, for all the other equipment that those whom they lead use, and all the buildings that they occupy. All of that is under the responsibility of a leader. It's a great responsibility and leaders are even responsible for things that can't be controlled.
A leader may have a wonderful plan, a very well-aid-out plan, but if something happens unexpected like a bad weather event or a loss of power in the church sanctuary, or something else happens, like the truck breaks down or the bus blows a head gasket like the bus in my home church would often do on a trip. The leaders must respond because the leader is responsible for everything.
Leadership is a great responsibility, but successful leaders can bask in great glory also, but it's not glory in what they achieve personally. Instead, it's what has been achieved by those whom they lead. So, the coach teaches the ballplayer and as the ballplayer excels the coach has that reflected glory back on the coach. The teacher instructs the student and as the student passes tests and learns and grows, then teacher can take some reflected glory from the progress of that student. The master works with his disciples and teaches them and as the disciples grow, it is to the credit of the master and the master gets reflected glory from the disciples as they mature and as they are sanctified and as they grow.
So, what was Paul's glory? Well, all of our glory is that God loved us enough to send His Son to die for us, for even while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. We can glory in realizing that God loves us so much that He gave the most precious thing to us and for us and for our salvation. So that's one thing that Paul can glory in, not that that Paul earned it, and not that we can earn it. No one can earn it but that God loves us enough that he did that for us.
Also, Paul's glory were the ones whom he brought to Christ. Paul's glory was the ones whom he helped to grow and mature. Paul's glory was those churches that he planted and which he had seen flourish and grow and become disciple making churches and evangelizing churches. So, Paul's glory was found not in himself but in the ones whom he led and that's the way it is with all leaders.
Conclusion.
In our passage for today, we see some very important lessons from the life of Paul: Paul was genuine. Paul was gentle. Paul was someone who spoke the truth and gave guidance to those who needed it. Paul set goals and Paul worked in the lives of others so that they would come to know Christ and, so that as they grew, they would be a blessing to God and also be a blessing to Paul.
Paul was a great leader. We can learn many things from Paul as we lead our families as we lead our churches as we lead our employees as we lead our schools in all areas of our lives as we lead we can learn these lessons from Paul these leadership lessons and we can benefit from them. God can be glorified through them and those whom we lead can also glorify God as they grow closer to him.
Thanks so much for visiting with me today. I'll be back soon with another word from the Bible we can share together.
Today I want to share a word about being a steppingstone instead of a stumbling block as I comment on Romans 14 verses 10 through 23. This passage reads,
Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.
We often think of Romans as an intensely theological book, and it is. If we assume that Paul did not write Hebrews, as it is not claimed by anyone, then Romans is probably his greatest theological work. We would be mistaken, however, to ignore the very many practical sections in Romans.
Indeed, in chapter 15, Paul told the church at Rome that he was writing to them so that they could help him go to Spain on missions, which is certainly a very practical ministry activity. We also know in Romans 8 that Paul dealt with suffering. In Romans 12, Paul discussed our service to God. In Romans 13, Paul outlined true patriotism and what it meant to be a good neighbor. In Romans 15, he outlined the tasks of missions, evangelism, and church planting. In Romans 16, he recognized faithful co-laborers in the cause of Christ. You can see, then, that Romans is a very practical book. It is a very theological book, and it is a very practical book, and it can be both at the same time.
Our focal passage for today is not only very theological, but it is also very practical, and it teaches us something very practical. This passage reminds me of the garden walkways, which are often made up of large stones or paving slabs. I often find that these stones are awkwardly placed for me, and I have often tripped over them when I have tried to walk on garden stones that have been spaced for someone else. Instead of becoming a steppingstone, those things for me became stumbling blocks. Paul reminds us that as we exercise our individual faith, which we do, we can be either a steppingstone for someone or we can become a stumbling block. Which should we be?
The first thing we see in verse 13 is that we affect each other.
Verse 13 says, "Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother."
We affect one another. We are being witnesses for Christ all the time, and so we are being watched. There was a young boy who was being driven to school by his mom one day, and normally he was driven to school by his father. When he got to school, and as he was getting out of the car, he turned and looked at his mom and said, "Mom, where were all the idiots today?" His mom said, "What are you talking about?" "Well, when dad drives me to school, he points out all the other idiots that are driving around us, and that didn't happen today." We need to be very careful, by the way, of having Christian-oriented stickers on our cars because we often don't drive as that would indicate.
There was a quote from Davy Crockett in the movie The Alamo, the most recent one. This is a quote after Alamo was surrounded by the Mexicans, and things got tense. This is when Davy Crockett said, "If it was just me, simple old David from Tennessee, I might drop over that wall some night and take my chances. But that Davy Crockett fella, they're all watching him" And they're all watching us too.
Because we are being watched, because we are being witnesses for Christ in the church and outside the church, in our families and outside our families, in our communities and outside our communities, because we are being watched, we must not judge each other, but we must judge how we might be hurting someone by what we do. We must learn to avoid even the appearance of evil.
I knew a man had to go to parties and social events for work where alcohol was being served. He would not drink Sprite because he didn't want anyone to assume that he was drinking alcohol instead of Sprite. He would not drink Diet Coke or Coke because he didn't want anybody to think that he was drinking a rum and Coke. You all probably know about the red solo cup where they become a symbol of raucous parties, redneck parties to be honest. Well, I don't buy red solo cups for use at home or use in my ministry either because I don't want anyone to think of that kind of issue. We need to remember as we live our life that we affect one another.
Next, we also need to remember that we may have different convictions.
Verses 14 and 15 say, "I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it is unclean. For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat do not destroy the one for whom Christ died."
The church at Rome, like a number of churches in the New Testament era, had two different groups of people in it. They had Gentile background believers and Jewish background believers. Jewish law was very specific and these Jewish background believers had been taught this law. They were taught that some foods were good to eat, and some were not good to eat. Some were okay to eat, and some were not. There were some ways to prepare food to eat it that was okay and some ways to prepare food that to eat it was not okay. For example, you could not boil the meat of a baby animal in its mother's milk. That was something that God prohibited, so even today, Jewish people separate meat from dairy products if they are staying kosher.
Most Jewish Christians, because of their heritage, were still following these rules when Paul wrote and there were a lot of Gentile believers in the church at Rome that did not follow those rules because they had never been taught them.
Paul had received a revelation from God, just like Peter had by the way. Both of these were die hard Jews when they were growing up and in their early years of serving Christ, they were die hard Jewish background people. But both of them had learned that all things are lawful in Christ, but not all things are efficacious. In Rome there were some believers that did not agree with that and so they stayed kosher, and they avoided meat in the marketplace that could have been sacrificed to idols. Both of these things were not necessary in Christ, but they had convictions that they were, and it was causing conflict in the church at Rome.
We, also, have issues that cause us to have conflict today too amongst Christians. The use of alcohol, participation in military service, different kinds of business practices, the role of women in ministry, the whole idea of environmental changes or the global warming or whether we can affect that or not. All of these things are issues amongst Christians today. Conflict certainly is an issue as is racism and how we address those issues. These are all things that we can have different convictions about.
So, what do we do when we have these different convictions? Well Paul tells us that we must encourage one another.
In addition, we should encourage one another.
Beginning in verse 16 what we read is, "So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Do not for the sake of food destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats."
We must encourage one another. To do this we must get our priorities straight. You know the old saying of rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic as it is sinking. That's a foolish thing and truth be told, arguing peripherals while the world is dying without God is also a useless thing. So, what should our priorities be?
We must have a good reputation because people talk, and they misunderstand. I once was teaching a group of youth, and the discussion turned to someone's eternal fate after suicide. I explained to them that I believe the Scriptures teach that once you are saved and in Christ, all of your sins, past, present and future are forgiven. Thus, even though I believe that committing suicide is a sin, if you are in Christ, you can be forgiven of that sin and be joined with Christ in heaven. However, some parents got angry with me because they misunderstood my discussion. They thought I was saying it was okay to commit suicide and I do not believe that is the case. But I do believe that all our sins, past, present and future are forgiven in Christ once we receive Him as our Savior. I still stand by my conviction, and I tried to explain to them what I was saying. I don't know that it worked in all cases.
But we need to concentrate on our relationship to Christ, not rules and regulations. We need to serve Christ, not ourselves. We need to be peacemakers, and we need to edify one another.
Sometimes that means we must do like those soldiers did in those movies about World War II where they were attacking some fortified position and there was barbed wire, and a soldier would throw himself down on the barbed wire so other people could run over the top of them to get into the enemy position. I don't want to be that soldier, but sometimes you have to take one for the team to keep peace. So how do we do that? We need to judge ourselves. We need to love each other, and we need to guard ourselves. We must learn to not offend others, and we must learn instead to encourage one another. And sometimes we need to deny ourselves something we know is good so that someone else may not stumble. At the same time that one who has a conviction needs to also understand that they may not be absolutely correct, and they must give you the benefit of the doubt as a person of good will.
Finally, we also must respect one another.
Verse 21 says this, "It is good not to eat meat or drink or wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. The faith that you have keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats because eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin."
We must be sensitive to another, and we must not be a bull in a china shop. We must listen more than we talk. We must hear feelings not just facts. We must learn to have mutual respect for one another over worship styles, over methods of ministry, over personal habits, over spiritual peripherals. All of these things are important to us, but they also are not central always to the gospel.
We must be careful to avoid anything that detracts from our witness to Christ so that we do not offend other, and we need in the church, in our families, in our schools, in our communities to respect one another and assume that each one in Christ is a person of good will and of faith and we need to act out of faith. Because we affect one another, and we have different convictions we must encourage and respect each other. We must learn to be steppingstones to a closer walk with God and not stumbling blocks as we live out our faith.
Thanks so much for visiting with me today. I'll be back soon with another word from the Bible we can share together.
Today, I want to share a word about the blessings of wisdom as I comment on passages from Proverbs 9:1-6. This passage reads:
Wisdom has built her house, she has hewn out her seven pillars; she has slaughtered her meat, she has mixed her wine, she has also furnished her table. She has sent out her maidens, she cries out from the highest places of the city, “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” As for him who lacks understanding, she says to him, “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Forsake foolishness and live, and go in the way of understanding.”
Wisdom is seeing things from God’s point of view, and it is righteous and just because God is righteous and just. What we often overlook, however, is that when we exercise wisdom, it benefits us also.
Solomon personifies wisdom in the passage as a literary device, but wisdom is not a person, but it does originate in the person of God, and we know God is all benevolent. Since God is good and benevolent, then wisdom is also good and benevolent.
In the first verse, we can see that wisdom gives perfect shelter.
One resource all people need is shelter. Shelter is vital for a safe and pleasant life. Shelter is also encouraging. If one has been trudging through a cold rainstorm, or a snowstorm with a biting wind, nothing is more uplifting than to arrive at a warm, snug, and dry home.
Wisdom’s shelter is more than physical, however. Wisdom shelters us from the attacks of the evil one. It also shelters us from the sinful world around us and even from our own failures.
In the first verse, we also see that wisdom gives perfect stability.
People need shelter, but we also need stability. When our shelter is unstable it can fall and expose us to the very dangers and discomforts that it was designed to protect us from.
Instability is dangerous also. Unstable buildings can fall down, unstable ships can capsize, and unstable people have unstable lives. They may join cults, they may drift from job to job, and they may fall in and out of love. James wrote that double-minded people are unstable in all their ways.
In contrast, wisdom provides stability. Notice that wisdom has seven pillars hewn from solid rock. Seven is the number that represents perfection in the Bible, and of course, our God is our solid rock. Wisdom prevents our emotions from leading us astray, and it helps us focus our minds on Christ.
The way you walk a straight line or plow a straight furrow, or fly a straight course is by picking a point directly in front of you and focusing on it. You will walk, or plow, or fly straight to it. This is the same with our spiritual life. Wisdom stabilizes us by directing our attention to God, and as we focus on Him, we spiritually walk toward Him.
In verse two, we can see that wisdom provides a perfect sacrifice.
Under the sacrificial system in the Old Testament, when people sinned, their relationship with God had to be restored by repentance and a blood sacrifice.
God would graciously accept human repentance and the blood sacrifice they offered up, and He would forgive their sin. But, like washing dirty dishes or dirty clothes, human hearts would soon be soiled again, and the process would start all over again.
Blessedly for us, God has provided the perfect sacrifice for us. Christ offered Himself and became our sacrifice, our perfect and permanent sacrifice. He was a sacrifice that never needs to be repeated, and it satisfies all of God’s requirements. It was a costly sacrifice that God made for us, but it was the only one suitable for our needs.
Wisdom leads us to accept God’s provision for us. Wisdom leads us to take Christ’s work for us and to accept His perfect sacrifice.
In verses 2-6 we can see that wisdom provides a perfect supply.
Wisdom provides all of our needs. Here we see that it set an abundant table. This is not a table of food and drink, but this bounty is of wise advice and guidance
We can also see that wisdom found abundant guests. Wisdom sent out messengers to the most advantageous points to announce loudly and publicly the blessings and gifts of wisdom.
Finally, we see that wisdom gives abundant guidance.
We all have tried to use an item of equipment or put together a piece of furniture with inadequate instructions. A good, clear set of instructions can make the hardest job much easier. Wisdom makes clear the most obscure and difficult issues, because we see life from God’s point of view through exercising wisdom.
Conclusion.
Exercising wisdom is not just the right thing to do, though it definitely is that. Exercising wisdom brings blessings to our lives. We only have to participate with God in His wisdom to see those benefits!
Thanks so much for visiting with me today! I'll be back soon with another word from the Bible that we can share together.
Today, I want to share a word about the folly of pride as I comment on Proverbs 16:1-19. This passage reads,
The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit. Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble. Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished. By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil. When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice. The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. An oracle is on the lips of a king; his mouth does not sin in judgment. A just balance and scales are the Lord's; all the weights in the bag are his work. It is an abomination to kings to do evil, for the throne is established by righteousness. Righteous lips are the delight of a king, and he loves him who speaks what is right. A king's wrath is a messenger of death, and a wise man will appease it. In the light of a king's face there is life, and his favor is like the clouds that bring the spring rain. How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. The highway of the upright turns aside from evil; whoever guards his way preserves his life. Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. t is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud.
In human terms, pride is often seen as a good thing. For example, new workers are often told to have pride in their work. Even people who reject pride can be prideful with an attitude of, “I’m so proud that I’m humble,” or “I am proud to be poor.”
Wisdom is seeing life from God’s point of view, and we must consider God’s viewpoint on pride. It we do so, it will change ours.
First, pride reject’s God’s standards.
In many areas of life, having an established standard is very helpful:
Interchangeable parts for machinery.
Purity standards for water.
Educational standards.
Standard procedures for airliners and other public transportation.
Of course, these standards must be correct, because we have learned from past mistakes that the wrong standard, like in the case of exposure to lead or nuclear materials can be very harmful. Indeed, the ones who set standards must have the best intentions to help and not to harm, people.
So, whose standards are always correct? Humanity’s standards or God’s? The first three verses in Proverbs 16 assert that human standards are sinful and limited, but God’s standards are perfect and righteous.
We reject God’s standards at our own risk and to our own detriment!
Next, pride rejects God’s salvation.
Humans tend to be self-centered. We are convinced that our ways are right, our abilities are the best, our plans are the greatest, and our righteousness is the highest. People tend to think that we are the masters of our own destiny and that we can pick ourselves up by our own bootstraps. God, disagrees, however.
God proclaims that His ways are right. He created everything, and despite the scourge of human sin, creation still generally works the way He designed it to work. God’s ideas are better than ours, and they take into account that all of us have sinned, and that all our righteousness is like filthy rags.
It is good for us, that Proverbs 16:4-6 tells us that when we turn to God, and when we accept the salvation that He offers, that He will give us clemency and pardon. It is only our pride that keeps us from God’s offer of salvation and its resulting blessings.
In addition, pride rejects God’s sovereignty.
God is in control of our world. He allows the sun to rise and set, and He allows the rain to fall on the just and the unjust alike. God was in control when Jesus was on the Cross and in the grave and He is in control in Heaven today.
One of the most ironic situations in history is that Satan, the Jews, and the Romans all thought that they had Jesus beat when He was on the cross. The truth was that He had them right where He wanted them.
Finally, pride rejects God’s love for our souls.
God wants the best for us. He wants to keep us from destruction and from evil. In John 10:10, Jesus said, “The thief comes not but to kill, to steal, and to destroy; I am come that they may have life, and that more abundantly.”
On the other hand, if we are prideful and reject God’s way, we will foster our own demise. As Proverbs 16:18 tells us, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
When we are prideful, we reject God’s love and we follow our own way, our own path. The result of that is that we will fall, and we will be destroyed.
However, if we humbly submit to God we will live, we will be preserved, and we will be joyous.
Conclusion.
As the saying goes, a word to the wise is sufficient. Are we wise? If we are we will reject pride, and we will humbly accept God’s way, and all the blessings that come along with it!
Thanks so much for visiting with me today! I'll be back soon with another word from the Bible that we can share together.
Today I want to share a word about how to stand before kings as I comment on passages from Proverbs 14, 16, and 22. Let’s begin by reading Proverbs 14:33-35:
Wisdom rests in the heart of a man of understanding, but it makes itself known even in the midst of fools. Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. A servant who deals wisely has the king's favor, but his wrath falls on one who acts shamefully.
Most people I know are ordinary, everyday folks. From time to time, however, any of us may encounter a person of power, or celebrity. Also, we might work for such a person, directly or indirectly. So, how do we handle those encounters? How do we relate to those who exercise much greater authority or influence?
I once met a pilot of Marine One, which is the radio call sign of a helicopter with the President of the United States on board. He was an ordinary looking man who had an extraordinary job. When I asked how he handled such a position he shrugged, and said, “I learned how to fly the helicopter, and I learned how to act around powerful people. And I had good teachers along the way.”
We, too, can learn how to stand before powerful and influential people. We, too, have a teacher, a teacher who is the wisest and most knowledgeable of all, the one who is the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. His Word tells us how His people in the Bible stood before kings, and how we can do so today as well, so to speak.
First, to stand before kings requires wisdom.
How do important men and women get that way? I heard a joke that claims, “Behind every big man there is a big behind!” Truthfully, leaders in significant positions usually got there because they surrounded themselves with assistants who had knowledge and wisdom.
For example, George Washington took advantage of the skills and knowledge of Von Steuben and La Fayette during the American Revolutionary War.
The key to usefulness is wisdom. The world is only concerned with success, and wisdom is a key to being successful. But what is the best source of wisdom? The Word of God, of course, as confirmed in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
The Old Testament has many stories of how God’s people provided wisdom to kings: In Genesis we see Joseph counseling Pharoah. Later, Darius confided in Daniel. Nehemiah had the ear of King Artaxerxes. Esther persuaded King Ahasuerus to protect the Jews from the scheme of Haman. Each of these employed the wisdom of God in their efforts.
Next, to stand before kings requires the use of the right words.
Proverbs 16:13 teaches us, “Righteous lips are the delight of a king, and he loves him who speaks what is right.”
And Proverbs 22:11-12 also says, “He who loves purity of heart, and whose speech is gracious, will have the king as his friend. The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge, but he overthrows the words of the traitor.”
Words are important because they represent facts and truth, and our feelings, desires, and actions. People want to trust the words others say to them, especially people of influence and power.
It was a common practice for a Roman general, on his return from conquering an enemy, or from extending Roman hegemony over another land, to enjoy a victory parade held in his honor. However, as the onlookers cheered him and proclaimed his greatness, a servant rode behind him in his chariot, whispering in his ear and reminding him of his humanity.
As much as important people respect honesty, they also expect graciousness also. “Brutal” honesty is rarely appreciated, and we can say the right thing in the wrong way. To be most effective we must tell the truth in love.
We also note that to stand before kings requires purity of heart as well.
Proverbs 2:11 teaches us, “He who loves purity of heart, and whose speech is gracious, will have the king as his friend.”
Purity is a prized quality. Ivory soap promotes itself to be 99 & 44/100% pure. Automobile engines will not run properly on gasoline that has water in it. Surgeons go to extraordinary lengths to establish and maintain a sterile field during surgery. Food that is spoiled can sicken or even kill those who eat it.
Purity of heart implies a lack of a moral stain, a lack of a social stain, and a lack of a spiritual stain. It is a tough standard, but one that generates respect. Purity of heart allows people to trust our motives and it legitimizes our words and actions because they are unadulterated by evil and selfishness.
Finally, to stand before kings requires diligence.
Proverbs 22:29 reminds us, “Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.”
Diligence is not an exciting word for the culture of the 21st Century, but it should be. Do you want to get noticed? Do you want to be influential? If so, be good at what you do.
People who are diligent and work hard achieve much. Diligent salespeople sell more than those who aren’t. Diligent builders build more than those who aren’t. Diligent writers write more than those who aren’t.
Diligent people may not achieve fame, but they do achieve influence. Joseph, Daniel, and Nehemiah were good at their jobs, and they could stand before kings unashamed. Christians are laborers together with God. How do we stand before Him today?
Conclusion.
In conclusion, none of us may ever stand before a leader of great power, but who knows? Joseph never expected to stand before a king, and neither did Daniel, Nehemiah, nor did Esther. They succeeded just like the pilot of Marine One did. They developed the necessary qualities before being summoned to the throne.
Whether or not we ever stand before an earthly king, we all stand before the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. Therefore, to serve Him as best as we can, we need to seek God’s wisdom. We need to learn to speak the truth in love. We need to be pure of heart and we need to be diligent.
When we learn to do things God’s way, we can stand before anyone without fear, but especially Him!
Thanks so much for visiting with me today! I'll be back soon with another word from the Bible that we can share together.
Today, I want to share a word about the blessing as I comment on Genesis 27:26-29. This passage reads:
Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near and kiss me, my son.” So he came near and kissed him. And Isaac smelled the smell of his garments and blessed him and said, “See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed! May God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and wine. Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers and may your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!”
We all seek approval in our lives. In particular, we seek the approval of our spouses, and before them, the approval of our parents. The actor Burt Reynolds said, “In the south you’re not a man until your father tells you that you are a man.” We seek affirmation from those whom we love and respect.
The Jewish concept of blessing speaks to this need for affirmation, and it also challenges us to bless our children and other loved ones. It also reminds us from where we should seek our own blessing as well.
First, a blessing includes a meaningful touch.
In the 21st Century, we must be careful with touching others. An unwanted touch is a battery, which is a crime. In this case, however, we are considering family and close friends, among whom an appropriate touch communicates acceptance.
A handshake, or a hug, or a hand on a shoulder is an intimate gesture which demonstrates warmth and love. This can be especially comforting to those who are hurting or have suffered a loss.
To avoid touching someone is to distance yourself from them. Sometimes we decide to do that, and other times people, like the lepers of the Bible who cried, “Unclean, unclean,” distance themselves from us.
In truth, people need an intimate touch. A church that I know has a ministry which sews quilts for patients undergoing chemotherapy, whose immune systems are compromised. The ladies who sew those quilts can’t hug those folks being treated for cancer, but they can provide them with the warmth of a quilt in the place of a physical human touch.
Next, a blessing includes a spoken message.
The spoken word is a powerful form of communication. James 3:2-12 tells us,
For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.
Words can be used to create deep and lasting wounds if they are intemperate and harsh. They are like bullets; once they are fired, they can’t be recalled, and they can cause massive damage. On the other hand, when we share positive words with our loved ones, we will edify them and encourage them.
In many ways, our words become a self-fulfilling prophecy, like what happened one day when a teacher asked a young student what he wanted to be when he grew-up. He said, “I want to be possible when I grow up.” The teacher was confused and asked him to explain, and he said, “My parents always tell me I am an impossible child. So, when I grow up, I want to be possible.”
We can’t ignore bad behavior, but we must also compliment good behavior.
In addition, a blessing includes attaching high value.
Low esteem is epidemic in humanity. People often feel bad about themselves, and they get plenty of help in person and by way of social media from people who criticize them. One appalling case of this was a school girl whose classmate wrote on her desk, “We all wish you were dead!”
In contrast to this, the Hebrew word that we translate as “bless,” literally means to bow before or to kneel before. It is evidence of the high value one has placed on the one being honored. How do we do that today?
Believe in our hearts and develop an attitude of cherishing the ones we love.
Communicate that attitude by our words and actions.
Spend as much time as possible with that person. Love is often best spelled as T.I.M.E.
One thing we must avoid is the myth of “quality time.” In terms of relationships, quantity has a quality all its own.
Also, a blessing includes picturing a special future.
A significant part of a blessing is the casting of a vision for the future. Children grow up, and spouses and friends continue to mature. Moving forward in life is a key to fulfilling God’s plan for each of us. A running stream has sweet water, while a stagnant pool is distasteful, to say the least.
We need to ask God for a vision for our loved ones. We need to seek His face to see what those we love could become, what they could achieve, and how they can become the best servant of God that they can be.
The greatest US Army recruiting slogan of all times was, “Be all that you can be!” This is what we should want for our loved ones and also for ourselves. God will give us this vision if we ask Him! And then He will help us achieve it!
Finally, a blessing includes an active commitment.
Endurance is a vital characteristic for success in many aspects of life. Nothing that is good and lasting is easy, simple, or quick. This is especially true in the area of relationships.
Many young men today think it is a sign of manliness to conceive a baby, but nothing could be further from the truth. Seeing that child grow-up to be an upstanding citizen is more the case.
In fact, providing for those we love until they become mature is the human equivalent to the “chesed,” or stubborn love of God we see in the Hebrew Scriptures. Even when God saw Israel abandoning His teachings and His Way, He sent His Uniquely Begotten Son, Jesus, to save them.
As Paul reminds us, “Even while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us!” That is truly an enduring love!
Conclusion.
The Hebrew concept of blessing included: A meaningful touch, a spoken message, attaching high value, picturing a special future, and making an active commitment to the one being blessed. When we do those things for the ones we love, they are encouraged, enriched, and edified.
God does these same things for us, also. The concept of blessing was not created by the Hebrews; it is a part of God’s own being, and it emanates from His personality.
As wonderful as a human blessing is, just think how much greater and how much more wonderful the blessing of the Almighty God of the Universe is. And the most exciting and encouraging thought of all is that He offers that wonderful blessing to us, His people!
To reach our potential is Christ, seek the blessing of God! He will not deny it to His children!
Thanks so much for visiting with me today! I'll be back soon with another word from the Bible that we can share together.
