Be real

DEVOTION

PROVERBS

BE REAL

Prov 26:24-26

24 A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but in his heart he harbors deceit.  25 Though his speech is charming, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart. 26 His malice may be concealed by deception, but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.

NIV

Here is somebody we do not want anything to do with. As the captain of the Red October said when he encountered the captain of the Dallas, “Let’s give this American a wide birth”, which meant, let’s keep our distant. We need to give this silver tongued charmer a wide birth. If we want to see one of these types we need only turn on the television to some evangelistic programming. Not all of them are like this, but when they spend so much time asking for the watchers to send them money so they can keep their important “Ministry” going, we have to know the charmer is playing his tune. This person has traveled the countryside with some of those charmers in the past, when we did publicity photography for them. We have seen firsthand some of the deceptive ways they would fleece their audience of funds. Their words are so smooth, so charming, but in reality their deal is to enhance their own lifestyle. We are being warned by God to steer clear of them. Yet, it seems too many believers are being sucked in by their charming words that God is obligated to bless us, if we will only give them our money. It is not hard to see the deception. If we give, God will bless us; God will provide us with all we ever need, but we have to give them our money, then why wouldn’t God provide all they need? They don’t need our money, they only need to trust God, but no, they trust us. Now on the other hand, we have to make sure we are not anything like them in any way. We cannot put on that façade, that deceptive front, saying all the right words to make people think we are holy and upright in all our ways. We cannot disguise ourselves as being that perfectly “Good Christian” while we harbor any falsehoods in our heart. No, we have to be who we are. What you see is what you get type of person. The reality is we all have some sins in our lives and we all are not that perfect Christian, so let us not present that idea with our lips, or our behavior will surely be seen in the assembly. Although it is true in the eyes of God we are already spotless, holy and blameless, but in this life, we are still dealing with the reality of the flesh. Yes, we are supposed to put to death the flesh and allow Christ to live in us, as us and then we will be holy. But we still live in this flesh too. We still have to put up with the human desires. We cannot ignore them, they are not just going to go away. So let us not pretend to be who we are not. Let us not deceive anyone, least of all ourselves. Although we can keep away from those silver tongued charmers, we cannot escape ourselves. So let what is real be real. 

No cover up

DEVOTION

PROVERBS

NO COVER UP

Prov 26:23

23 Like a coating of glaze over earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart.

NIV

The original text and some other translations make it more like a vessel of pottery covered over with silver dross. That is it might look like a silver vessel but inside it is still just a piece of common pottery. This is same old story of putting on a façade to look better that we are. Certainly we could apply this to someone else who pretends to be our friend but only has their own interests at heart. We could also apply this to the silver tongued preachers who speak those smooth words to woe followers only for the purpose of their offerings so they can live the good life. Jesus spoke this type of truth about the Pharisees when he called them whitewashed tombs.

Matt 23:25-28

25 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. 27 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

NIV

We should be careful not to appear more on the outside then we are on the inside. But that seems to be the rule of thumb for many believers today. We go to church and say, “I am fine, you are fine, we all are fine”. We smile, shake hands or even hug and all the while we have that ugly sin inside and we keep it covered up with our pretending to be just fine. But then Jesus died for our sin, so we are just fine. But where is the real us inside that silver plated vessel? The worse case scenario would be when we look in the mirror and see the façade we have put over ourselves. When we look into our own heart do we see a silver plated “Good Christian” or do we see the real us, living a life that has problems with certain areas of our  life and need the die to that self, and allow the Spirit to take over? In theory that all sounds good, but in reality we are still ourselves and we wrestle with sin, as we do live in a corruptible body, with a mind and heart that seeks after its own desires. Yes, we die to self on a daily basis, but the problem is we keep raising back up from the dead. Yet let us not cover up the real us. In a way it is a lot like some of these very beautiful people, but when they remove all that makeup, wow, the real them is not so good looking. Let us not cover up who we are. Let us not pretend we are fine, when we are not fine. Let us be real. Let us not just clean up the outside. Yet, on the other hand, being saved, being born again, knowing Jesus as our Lord and Savior has indeed cleaned the inside. He has made us holy. He made us righteous and blameless in the eyes of God. Jesus has cleansed the inside and so it would be right to be simply a very clean pot made of clay, made exactly just as the potter made us. Still there is no need for silver plating. 

No Morsel here

DEVOTION

PROVERBS

NO MORSEL

Prov 26:22

22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts.

NIV

Nothing new here, we have visited with the gossip several times before. But it seems we were always thinking about the gossip himself and the danger of being one. Here it seems the idea is about those who love to hear his words. There is so much enjoyment in that choice morsel. Of course it depends on the type of morsel. We would consider a perfectly cooked filet mignon as the choicest of morsels. Our face is aglow, our eyes have a sparkle, and our tongue savories each bite. It might be a great piece of chocolate or a piece of double fudge chocolate cake, but the idea is how much we savior the taste and the experience of having that choice morsel. This is how much we enjoy hearing those words of the gossip. Oh to find out some juicy tidbit of information about someone we know. It is especially fine when we hear those gossiping words about how that person who always makes us think that are so holy and upright, are having trouble, or are involved in some sort of sinful behavior.  What a delight to know they are not all that holy. Our eyes get wide, our face begins to turn into a smirk, and we start to think of who we can share this tidbit with.  Isn’t that the most horrible idea? We cannot listen to the gossip. Listening to them simply gives credence to their gossip, it fans the flame, and they want to tell everyone. Let us shut down the gossip. Let us keep any gossip from spreading. There is no morsel here. 

Hardening the heart

DEVOTION

PROVERBS

HARDENING THE HEART

Prov 26:21

21 As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.

NIV

The Hebrew says that the charcoal and wood are like a contentious man who kindles a contest. Strife does mean that in this context. The idea is that somehow this person creates a contest or strife between two others. Now there may have already been a small amount of distant between these two people in their thinking such as an ember beneath the surface, not a full fledge flaming argument, but this person comes along and fans those embers until it becomes an all-out brawl. Now we should not allow friends to have or carry hard feelings toward each other, but we also are not to get involved in their dispute by taking sides with one or the other. We certainly are not supposed to encourage any strife that exists between them. At the same time not wanting them to have this strife we cannot, unless asked, to act as that arbitrator. So then how do we deal with the knowledge of a strife between two of our friends? The most effective means of dealing with it would be to pray for them. When people are in that manner of conflict the world might say counseling is the solution. However the underlying feelings which has caused the strife in the first place may never be resolved through some arbitrator or counselor. The heart can only be changed by God and then the person has to allow him to do that work within. Nothing will change the heart of man without the consent or willingness of the man. Strife is a result of the heart wanting what the heart wants and is unwilling to bend. Instead of trying to change the heart of another, which may even be in some sense fanning the flames which are within, we should seek the Lord for the Holy Spirit to convict, which he already is in the midst of doing. But again only the heart of those in strife can change their heart, or allow God to change it. If we know of the strife, if might not be a good idea to keep reminding one of them about the strife, that may be fanning the flame. Bringing up their strife only brings it to the forefront of their mind and stirs the pot, so to speak. So let us just keep them before the Lord, allowing the Spirit to make the effort to break though that hardened heart. Let us not be the one to harden their heart. 

Shut up

DEVOTION

PROVERBS

SHUT UP

Prov 26:20

20 Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.

NIV

And so gossip fans the flame of a quarrel. Once again, if we are not part of the problem and we are not part of the solution, keep the heck out of the situation. However this also means keeping our mouth shut as well. It is one thing not to get involved in the quarrel by taking sides with one of the quarrelers or for that matter trying to get involved as an arbitrator without being asked. But it is entirely different being the one who spreads the news about this quarrel. The quarrel might well be overcome by the two people having it, if left alone and they are allowed to process their feelings and work through their differences, seeking a resolution between them. However is everyone around is now aware of their quarrel, it is a sure thing some of the new informants of this quarrel are going to take sides and make sure one of the two is told they are in the right and the other is wrong and needs to apologize first. So now we have a gathering of supporters on each side of the quarrel and it would seem the two who began cannot do anything but keep going because of the groupies on each side. Then of course each of their supporters tell more to garner more support for their friend. Gossip has become rampant throughout the local community of believers. It seems we cannot help but want to tell someone about something they are not aware of. So if we are not part of the problem and we are not part of the solution and we are not one of the two who have a quarrel, stay out of it and keep our mouth shut.  

No Joke

DEVOTION

PROVERBS

NO JOKE

Prov 26:18-19

18 Like a madman shooting firebrands or deadly arrows 19 is a man who deceives his neighbor and says, "I was only joking!"

NIV

Who would play around with deadly weapons? A madman. It is sort of like taking a loaded shotgun and looking down the barrel to see if you can watch the buckshot coming up the barrel when you pull the trigger, or maybe more like taking a grenade and pulling the pin watching to see if the explosion will happen as fast it is says it does, while holding it in your hand. Madmen have no sense of right and wrong, no sense of the danger anything will cause them or others. We should include all of 2 Peter chapter 2 in order to get a real sense of these types of madman, but all that is compared to the person who deceives his neighbor than says he was just joking. Lies seem to better fit the word deceives. Yet the Hebrew word carries the meaning of delude or betray, which is basically lies. Playing a joke on someone and after seeing the pain it has caused then saying, “I was only joking” is not the way a believer would act. But it is this deception, this deluding, this betraying, and this lying which is far more than playing a joke on someone. This might be liken to living a life which is not the truth. Presenting an image of oneself that is not who we truly are is a form of deception. Sometimes that might not be hurtful to others, but if it were regarding something important and the truth came out, it might cause them some pain or suffering and then we simply push it if as just joking around. No, honesty as to who we are is always the way to go. That includes in our job applications, our business dealings and in our relationships both with those in the world and those in the church.

Eph 5:3-7

3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person — such a man is an idolater — has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.   6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them.

NIV

This lists sometimes get shorten by some, but the list reads:

Sexual immorality

Any kind of impurity

Greed

Obscenity

Foolish talk

Course joking

All these are out of place for a believer. So then let us not be like that, as well as not become partners with those who are like that. In addition we should not allow them to deceive us with their empty words. It comes down to being who we say we are all the time in every place or situation. Our life is not a joke.

Leave the Pit Bull alone

DEVOTION

PROVERBS

LEAVE THE PIT BULL ALONE

Prov 26:17

17 Like one who seizes a dog by the ears is a passer-by who meddles in a quarrel not his own.

NIV

If we are not part of the problem and we are not part of the solution we do not need to know anything about it. That is a phrase we have stated before and am not sure where we heard it or if we were simply inspired to write it at one time. But that is the truth of this proverb. There is no reason for us to involve ourselves in the affairs of others who are quarreling or have a dispute with one another. It seems right to try to fix things we think are not right. When we are aware of a couple of our friends that are having some conflict it seems right to try to help them resolve it. The scripture tells us when someone sins against us we are to go to him in private and if he listens we have own him over, but if not then take someone with us and confront him again.  

Matt 18:15

15 "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.

NIV

But notice this is if he has sinned against us, we are one of the two people involved in the problem and it is right then for us to make every effort to resolve it. But if we are not part of this situation it is not our problem unless one of them comes to us and asks if we well be a witness

Matt 18:16

6 But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.'

NIV.

Then and only then are we to be involved in this quarrel or dispute between two others. Now there is another scripture which speaks about someone who is found to be at fault or in sin.

Gal 6:1-2

6:1 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.

NIV

But again this is not a quarrel between two individuals which we have no business in. We could see this in the sense that this sin is an obvious sin, open and known as like when a brother or sister in Christ openly confesses they will never ever forgive someone for their behavior. This is a blatant conflict, or quarrel which has been made known to others. It is an ongoing conflict and yet even if we tell the one that it is not right, that forgiveness is the right answer, we best do that gently and only but once. We cannot get involved in the situation, becoming as it were a go between in an effort to resolve the crisis between this two people. We are to watch ourselves so that we do not take sides and become part of the conflict which would be our being tempted. Now on the other hand we also should not gossip about this conflict, as again it is not our conflict and we have no business in it. True we should at least make an effort to show our brother or sister their error in not forgiving, or whatever the conflict is about, but we cannot become part of it. Why would we grab hold of the ears of a pit bull, especially when it is engaged in a battle for its life with another pit bull?