Bragging On Jesus

Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 24:15 Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous; do no violence to his home; 16 for the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity. Responding To A Fall R Aylor It seems a man with wickedness in his heart is a man prone to lash out against those who walk in righteousness. They might be jealous for any number of reasons… They may manufacture and rationalize reasons to dislike godly people in their own mind saying things like their pleasantries are fake or self-righteous… If the godly person is well off and respected in the community, this wicked person may hope for their downfall and they may even rejoice when they sin and their holier than thou image is brought down. But there is a big difference in how a godly and a wicked person deal with failure. First let’s think about the wicked man Solomon speaks of. If he is reprimanded at work for tardiness or some othe

Proverbs in 365 Devotions Proverbs 24:13 My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. 14 Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off. It's Not About The Honey R Aylor ​In today's passage we find Solomon giving a kind of mini parable about honey. The reason I think of it as parable is because a parables purpose is to get across a truth by association of something in the world… in this case honey. But everything in a parable is not necessarily eligible for analyzing as the lesson… We have to discern what truth the writer is focusing on. For example Solomon is not saying we should make honey our diet 24/7. I expect that would give us diabetes. That would not be good. Solomon actually gives us another mini parable about not eating too much honey. Proverbs 25:27 says “It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one’s own glory”. So actually neither of these mini parables are

Proverbs 24:10 If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. 11 Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. 12 If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work? *Some removed... out of room. Now, let’s think about the primary action Solomon is promoting in this passage… I think we can see an exhortation here for good in both the physical and spiritual. For example... We see children aborted in the womb by those who impose their rationalizations about life as though they know what is right and true above Gods word. Sure… all these are experiencing adversity… However, Solomon address his words it seems to us who have taken up the charge of God… his mission… and those of us who are able to rescue those from varying oppressions… This is a daunting task for us. Solomon says if we faint our strength

Proverbs 24:8 Whoever plans to do evil will be called a schemer. 9 The devising of folly is sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to mankind. ... The planning of evil… That might be the person who lays on their bed and thinks about those who they think have offended or hurt them and they imagine ways they can put them in their place. Then Solomon mentions the devising of folly which might be that after you have decided on the details of how you can execute revenge, you now begin putting everything in place for this foolish thing you want to accomplish. Then finally, possibly after the trap is set, this person wears the prideful, smug, arrogant aura of the scoffer. Now in a way our text might catch us a little bit off guard. Usually in Proverbs we are hearing what is an abomination to God. In Proverbs alone we are told many things that are abominations to God: Here's some examples out of Proverbs… A false balance... ETC. Proverbs 11:1, 3:32, 28:9, 16:5, 21:27, 15:9, 12:22, 17:17, 6:16, 17, 18, 19, 15:2

Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 24:3 By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; 4 by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. 5 A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might, 6 for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory. 7 Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the gate he does not open his mouth. Spiritual Wisdom Brings Spiritual Riches R Aylor Solomon here, talks about Wisdom… and being the wisest man on earth he is most qualified to speak on this. Wisdom is a broad and extensive subject. What is the definition? The one I like from the dictionary on my computer is: “the soundness of an action or decision with regard to the application of experience, knowledge, and good judgment”. So I think gaining knowledge in itself is not necessarily wisdom… but Wisdom is our plans to use and then actually putting that knowledge into action… Solomon talks

Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 24:1 Be not envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them, 2 for their hearts devise violence, and their lips talk of trouble. Desire R Aylor I was thinking about why a person might want to be around evil people? There may be a number of reasons. But this verse is clearly not referring to visiting a wicked person in the hopes of showing them the love of God. That would be something totally different… That would not include fellowship… and that would include much caution especially for those who are weak in an area and are trying to minister to a person without Christ. A whole different study. But this is different. Here Solomon mentions envying them and uses the word desire which carries with it a heart that is passionate to some extent to be with an evil person. So why? Acceptance maybe? At least that might be one reason. Wickedness shows acceptance to someone who is agreeable, even tolerant of their views. Someone may also look to an

Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 19:26 He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother is a son who brings shame and reproach. These are some pretty serious and negative offenses a person might do with their life. Committing violence, driving away mother… bringing shame and reproach… Solomon had likely seen this in his own family. Disciplined With Scorpions R Aylor One of Solomons stepbrother’s was Amnon. Another stepbrother was Absalom. Amnon raped Absolems sister Tamar and and so Absolem killed Amnon. Absalom was later killed by Joab after he mounted a rebellion against his aging father David. Another stepbrother of Solomons was Adonijah. He attempted to usurp the throne during the life of David. Solomon would later have him executed. So there you have it. Solomon likely learned much of the wisdom from this proverb from pondering his own life. Even his own son Rehoboam strayed from his fathers teachings. After Solomons death he took the advice of

Jesus told this parable in Matthew 13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Paul said it like this: Philippians 3:8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ "You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3) Mark 10:21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Do you think this young mans wealth bought him great joy and satisfaction. No, verse 22 says: 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Jesus is infinitely greater than all the treasures of the earth combined. And look, we don’t get to have two great treasures in

Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 19:27 Cease to hear instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge. 28 A worthless witness mocks at justice, and the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity. 29 Condemnation is ready for scoffers, and beating for the backs of fools. Mock Justice Or Delight In Jesus Alright, so today we take a look at this individual who refuses to hear words of knowledge and instead believes the so called knowledge from the darkness of the world… Solomon says they devour iniquity… Selfishness, lust, sinful obsessions… This is his daily food… this is where he gets his nourishment… this fuels his life. Sin is quite the motivator isn’t it. It’s so easy to become obsessed with it. It can easily become the last thing we think about at night and the thing that gets us out of bed in the morning… So this person Solomon speaks of has set their heart fast after sin and nothing will stop them… What if trouble comes their way? Will it cause them to

Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Dealing With The Scoffer R Aylor Proverbs 19:25 Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence; reprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge. This verse has been a puzzle for me to some extent… not so much standing alone but in parallel with other verses in Proverbs. Well let’s take a closer look. For starters the word scoff carries with it the idea of mocking someone with ridicule. There are some people who just enjoy putting others down… In public they try to make them look foolish and ignorant and thereby hoping to look superior to them. In this verse striking a scoffer is put in parallel and contrast to reproving a man of understanding. Doing both can be beneficial. It does not indicate that the scoffer will gain instruction… I assume this is a hardened habitual scoffer and in him being stricken is instruction for those who have been watching him belittle some other person publicly. There are surly times we should stand u

Proverbs 12:25 Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. 26 One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray. Everyone surly agrees there is anxiety in the world… all the time no doubt but today as the corona virus tops 315,000 infected it’s clear as day. People are worried about getting sick… and for loved ones… and what will be the impact on their job and paycheck… if you have stocks… Do I have enough food, water, toilet paper? We are tempted to dwell on all the possible outcomes of the coronavirus. But in truth it’s just another day in the life of a broken world. People all over the world live our their lives in different kinds of suffering. Many live in unsanitary areas that are slums. For example you might google photos of the slums in India. There is just so much brokenness in this world. So many are diseased with things from leprosy to cancer to the coronavirus. Probably millions suffer with depression that is biological in na

Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 12:27 Whoever is slothful will not roast his game, but the diligent man will get precious wealth. Slothful is not defined as slow It does not mean one doesn’t know It’s not another word for fun Slothfulness never hit a home run Like the man who doesn’t roast his game Or fix his roof that leaks in rain Its like he just does not care When wet he’ll simply move the chair This lazy dude will hardly move Grumbling he microwaves his food With a “what’s it to you” attitude He lives his life in such a dreadful mood But the diligent man will get precious wealth He cooks what he hunts, he paints both sides of the shelf He exercises, eats right and takes care of his health He loves his neighbor as his self So herein my friend, take the slothfulness test: Have you lost your zest? Except to rest? Have you lost the desire to do your best? Does your house stay a mess? Do you think: why should I dress? Are your mind and body both in digress? How man

Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise. We Are All Fruit Trees R Aylor We are all fruit trees…. or like them… Did you know that? Today let’s think about what kind of fruit our life produces. Hmmm… why don’t we start by going through our daily routines and see if there are any opportunities for fruit built in to our routines. Your basic day might begin with an alarm clock dinging or singing some silly song… or you may usually get up without an alarm… Even when I set an alarm many times I get up before it goes off. Question: Do you begin your day with a prayer before you rise from your bed? If so then the first fruits of your day is to rejoice in Gods mercy, ask him for help in his mission… The fruit of him brings you life in the morning… thats what our text says right? “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life”. And the fruit shines out with worship, praise and joy even before you ri

Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 12:12 Whoever is wicked covets the spoil of evildoers, but the root of the righteous bears fruit. 13 An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, but the righteous escapes from trouble. 14 From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good, and the work of a man’s hand comes back to him. Satisfied Or Snared R Aylor Verse 12 mentions the root of the righteous and how it will bear fruit… and that is contrasted in the same verse with the wicked person coveting the spoils or fruit of those who do evil. Then in verse 13 we see how fruit begins bearing on the tree of the wicked man… that is… the fruit of his lips…which form traps. Solomon says he is ensnared so we find his words bring him into bondage. And then in verse 13 we find that the righteous is not snared by his own words but escapes from trouble… Finally in verse 14 Solomon continues referring to the fruit of a righteous persons lips and how this fruit which bears f

Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs:19:24 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish and will not even bring it back to his mouth. When Your Head Splashes Down Into Your Oatmeal Today Solomon is talking about a man who is just too lazy to even finish eating. Oh, it doesn’t begin that way does it? Maybe he struggled getting out of bed with faith to face the day… He lacked joy for life… Even the simple things of life… the beauty of Creation… a simple flower adorned in glory that surpassed King Solomon. How long had it been since a morning sunrise brought a smile to his heart? How long had it been since he had even been up early enough to see a sunrise? Or if he was… even if he unhappily drug himself out of bed with a feeble “woe is me”… though he may have seen the sunrise he didn’t really see it. This is the man who finds his selfish desires not in getting rich or holding great power over a people… for he has likely tried those paths… In his eyes working for a living was no

Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. 22 What is desired in a man is steadfast love, and a poor man is better than a liar. 23 The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm. Ok, there are a number of truths here… Let’s look at each one… at least what I see here briefly, and see how it fits together. 1 - 21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man, We make many plans in life… even daily and though it didn’t say; our plans are often motivated by our own selfish purposes. 2 - but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. What does it mean to stand? The Lords purpose remains in place… We might even say his purpose is sure to come to pass. Isaiah 46:8 …for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 …‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ 3 - 22 What is desired in a man is steadfast love, A man wants others to show him kindnes

Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Love To Dicipline R Aylor Proverbs 19:18 Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death. 19 A man of great wrath will pay the penalty, for if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again. 20 Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. What Is The Commandment? R Aylor We see Solomon possibly speaking to his sons concerning their own sons; but clearly applicable to all. It’s interesting to me Solomon says not to set your heart on putting your son to death. I suspect most parents… even when their children break a precious item dear to you or if they almost burn down the house… (did you note the passion in my tone? I have done those things.)… Even in dire disobedience we do not want to put them to death. But if we do not give them discipline… then that is exactly what we are doing. When they disobey… If we say… no problem with no other instruction… that is not love... the

Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 19:16 Whoever keeps the commandment keeps his life; he who despises his ways will die. 17 Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed. What Is The Commandment? R Aylor Alright, today we find Solomon speaking of the commandment in the singular… which is quite interesting i thin… and he doesn’t say whether he’s speaking of the kings command or Gods. So… whats this about? As far as whether this refers to the kings commandment or Gods command…. we have seen over and over in Proverbs so far how the physical things Solomon speaks of points to the spiritual things of God. So there is that aspect and it should not surprise us if that is the case here. As for the commandment being in the singular. I would suppose that this implies there is an underlying commandment that supports the others… A foundational commandment on which all the others hang… For the king it might be something related to how the int

Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 19:15 Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger. Deep Sleep & Extreme Diet R Aylor What is this verse saying to us? Lets start with the first half: “Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep”. Sounds like a skit or commercial might be made out of this one: Are you tired of taking pills to in order to have a good nights rest? Why not try slothfulness or laziness as a good alternative to sleeping pills... we can train you how to be a lazy bum and attain that good deep sleep we all want. Is that the message of the text? I think not! Solomon does not mention the word good. In fact the Bible says that good sleep comes not from laziness but honest work. Eccleasties 5:12, which is likely Solomon speaking again says: Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much,... another is Proverbs 3:24 for those who walk in wisdom and discretion… it says: If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie

Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 19:13 A foolish son is ruin to his father, and a wife’s quarreling is a continual dripping of rain. 14 House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord. Good Comes From The Lord R Aylor First let’s look at verse 13, then tie it in to verse 14. How does a foolish son become a ruin to his father? Well, it proclaims to the world that his was a bad father whether he was or not. He did not bring up his son right… He did not teach him to be a man who would do good and walk in wisdom. He brings ruin to his father by polluting his family name… We may think we will be known by our own deeds in life but people also form an opinion about us by who is in our family and even those in our close circle whom we fellowship with… These things, sometimes rightfully and other times wrongfully… still they mark us as one to make judgements about by the world. So a foolish son can be ruin to his father…. But Solomon also says