On Proverbs 6

V 6-11 Go to the ant, O sluggard,
Observe her ways and be wise,
Which, having no chief,
Officer or ruler,
Prepares her food in the summer
And gathers her provision in the harvest.
How long will you lie down, O sluggard?
When will you arise from your sleep?
“A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest”—
Your poverty will come in like a vagabond
And your need like an armed man.

This is what I think of every time I try to nap on Sunday afternoon. It's kind of a bummer to try to take a nap with this scripture rolling around in your head.

On Proverbs 5

V 18 Let your fountain be blessed,
And rejoice in the wife of your youth.

 I really love to see couples like Calvin and Shirley who just celebrated 50 years of marriage last week. It is evident that they rejoice in each other's company. I know that any couple who stays married their whole lives goes through thick and thin and all kinds of pressure from the evil one to make a ruin of their marriage. I want to enjoy the blessing described in this passage!

On Proverbs 4

v1 Hear, O sons, the instruction of a father
v10 Hear, my son, and accept my sayings
v20 My son, give attention to my words

What is so striking is Solomon's desire that his son hear and follow his advice. All of the wisdom of Proverbs is useless if not heeded. God wants me to benefit from all this wisdom as well. What a loving Father!

On Proverbs 3

Lots of famous proverbs in this chapter. One of the best is 11-12.

My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline,
    and do not resent his rebuke,
because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
    as a father the son he delights in.

This one is so much easier to understand once you have been a parent. I am so blessed to have children that responded well to discipline. I remember my Mom telling me that my spanking hurt her worse than it hurt me, but I didn't believe it until I had to spank my kids. Seeing how Tim and Julie responded to getting in trouble used to remind me of this proverb. Discipline is yet another way that God shows how much He loves me.

On Proverbs 2:6-8

For the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
He holds success in store for the upright,
    he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
for he guards the course of the just
    and protects the way of his faithful ones.

I think it is important to understand what "success" means in v7. God's definition is often quite different than our society's definition. While wisdom may bring fine homes and fast cars, the verses following v7 more accurately show the success that wisdom will bring. And those successes are so much better than the material comforts and pleasures that seem to be so valued these days.

On Proverbs 1

Key verse - 7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

As a professor, I see students who are hungry for knowledge and I see those who are more interested in getting by with minimal effort. I really like being around those students who want to learn and share my interest in technology. For me, it's the same way in my spiritual life. I really especially enjoy being with fellow believers who are seeking to better understand scripture and how to live the Christian life. 

Entertaining Angels Heb 13

Entertaining Angels

Today we are going to look at some of the ways angels are described in their interaction with man in the new testament. The writer of Hebrews drops a reference to angels in as a side note, in the middle of a list of do’s and don’ts.

As we read this passage look for the 6 or 7 things he is saying about how we should live and about the reference to angels.

Hebrews 13:1-6 ”

Love of the brethren

Hospitality to strangers

Remember the Prisoners

Hold Marriage in honor

Don’t love money / be content

-I will never leave you/The Lord is my helper

If we weren’t studying angels, we could spend the morning on this passage, picking one another’s brains about how we could be better at loving one another, showing hospitality etc. But today we are looking at the “Angels” part of the passage.

Has anyone here ever shown hospitality to someone, and later wondered if it could have been an angel? Why would God send an angel to us in need of hospitality?

Ephesians 2:10 

What good are good works? For us, for others, for God’s kingdom?

The writer of Hebrews talks about some areas where we should strive for holiness, and mentions that angels have a part in helping us achieve what we need to be, but just like the angels, the writer ultimately points us to the Lord (v6) – The Lord is my helper.

God can use angels to help us in ways such as developing our faith by helping someone else.

Let’s look at another way that God uses angels. We get a substantial portion of what we understand about death and heaven from a parable that Jesus told in Luke 16.

Luke 16:19-22 

According to this parable, what happened to Lazarus when he died?

What does this say about Angels?

Do you think they might be sitting around the hospital room or at the intersection of an eminent car crash just waiting to transport a saint’s soul into God’s presence?

We have another hint that angels may be all around us, unseen, in 1 Timothy 5:21. Paul is writing concerning elders and says:

1 Timothy 5:21

Challenge

In looking at all the verses in the Bible it is amazing how many times angels are mentioned, and we just pass them by. But angels are important beings and their existence, presence, and mission is highlighted all through scripture.

I wonder if we might be overlooking them in the same way that we overlook other spiritual things. It is easy to get involved in this world and miss the spiritual things going on because we are focused on what we can see, touch, and smell.

I want to challenge you to let angels serve as a reminder of the spiritual nature of everything that God orchestrates and allows. Think of your workplace and imagine two or three angels are hanging out there. They might be waiting to help you by kicking something out of the way so you don’t trip, or figuring out a way to put you into the middle of an opportunity to do a good work. They might also be on standby to carry you into God’s presence. In any case, that mental image can be a reminder that what is going on around you has a spiritual context and impact.