Bragging On Jesus

Proverbs 28:2 When a land transgresses, it has many rulers, but with a man of understanding and knowledge, its stability will long continue. “When a land transgresses” I think this might be paraphrased as: when the people of a land sin… Solomon says they will have many rulers. That does make sense in my mind because though sin makes a lot of promises, it never satisfies the people of the land. So many times I think that the leadership reflected the sinfulness of the people… and Solomon seems to make that connection because he begins talking about the sin of the people being reflected in the number of rulers and he ends the verse speaking of a man of understanding… i suspect that would be a good ruler… he brings long periods of stability so theres a connection there also. Anyway, as for the people… since sin does not bring true satisfaction its typical that they might wind up blaming the leadership for all their discontentment instead of their sin. So in times of monarchs oftentimes there would be assassin

Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion. Here’s a verse that throws in the face of what the wicked person portrays about himself. The wicked man is the one who roars right?. He is the bully at school that picks on the smaller kids. He is the one who pursues others in dark alleys with knives and guns. These may even have admiring followers in school or in gangs or even on the job who back them up and give a sense of credibility… these paint themselves as the king of the jungle, bold and unafraid. But Solomon teaches us that underneath their facade they are not fierce lions at all but scaredy cats. You see, their lifestyle of wickedness carries with it a long list of bullying and taking from and taking advantage of and using others. Yes, in school and daily life including at work. They are deceivers and manipulators who have learned that by building and puffing themselves up... by being aggressive and domineering their pretense becomes a defensive tool as well a

Proverbs 13:18 Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is honored. 19 A desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but to turn away from evil is an abomination to fools. I was just thinking… you know, poverty may come to a person for a number of different reasons… Sickness may be the catalyst that brings it on. ... but not necessarily with disgrace attached to it like todays passage mentions. Poverty may overtake someone because they were taken advantage of by another; right? Sometimes people are born into a poor country with few opportunities or they are born blind or deaf which keeps them lacking… So I suppose there are lots of reasons poverty overtakes someone. Still, I think a case could be made that at least some of these other reasons for poverty are somehow linked with ignoring good instructions around them. Covid-10 might come from ignoring social distancing guidelines… Going broke in business comes quite often to those who ignore good business rules… Even laz

Proverbs 16:21 The wise of heart is called discerning, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness. 22 Good sense is a fountain of life to him who has it, but the instruction of fools is folly. Solomon tells us about two good traits that a wise person might learn or gain in life. The passage begins with these 4 words: “The wise of heart”. Everything we do in life flows from our heart in some sort or fashion. “The wise of heart is called discerning” Discernment is using good tools that help us make good decisions and form trustworthy opinions and beliefs. ... For example we use our 5 senses to make many decisions in life right? These are good tools God has given us. With our eyes we see a fire on the stove and with our hand we feel heat resonating from it so we use discernment and decide not to put our hand into the flames… On the other hand, bad discernment would be… That blue flame is pretty! I wonder what it feels like… ... Good discernment is needed in every area of our life. Every day from the m

Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. 19 It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud. 20 Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord. Alright… well, pride goes before destruction… Maybe you’re like me and have heard this quoted many times. Solomon talks about a proud person in both verses 18 and 19. First verse 18 speaks of pride going before destruction but also how a haughty spirit goes before a fall. To be haughty is defined as being arrogantly superior and disdainful in your ways and I’m pretty sure that sums up what it means to be prideful. Also haughty is listed as a synonym for pride. So… from verse 18 it seems pride is like… a precursor to both disasters through life but also destruction… And then in verse 19 Solomon speaks of this person who is apparently also proud but also a companion with ot

Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 16:16 How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. 17 The highway of the upright turns aside from evil; whoever guards his way preserves his life. The Real Rock Is The Greatest Treasure Today Solomon begins comparing wisdom with gold and understanding with silver. He is not using these as metaphors but as actual comparisons. It’s kind of like comparing fake cookies with real cookies. A few days ago my mother, my two sisters and a friend got together for rock painting. They are quite silly especially when they’re all together. On this day they painted pictures and saying on common rocks and one of my sisters and her friend were going to place them in rural out of the way places in the mountains of Colorado where they are on vacation today. One here, one there… etc. They talked about making a website where people could register the rock they found and the date. My friend Laura found a

Proverbs 16:13 Righteous lips are the delight of a king, and he loves him who speaks what is right. 14 A king’s wrath is a messenger of death, and a wise man will appease it. 15 In the light of a king’s face there is life, and his favor is like the clouds that bring the spring rain. Solomon has been talking a lot lately about the connection between our heart and our actions and has been honing in on our words. Today he tells us what a king loves and what a king hates. He says a king loves righteous lips… but he reserves wrath for others, right? … that is apparently those with a wicked heart and words who do not delight in his ways and ignore his words. This is a truth Solomon has known personally. It likely does not apply to every king on earth. Some leaders back then and still today want people close to them who hide truths from the people and so are allies with him in deceit. So in the context of what Solomon is saying about how a king loves him who speaks what is right. He says how a wise person keep

Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 16:8 Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice. 9 The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. 10 An oracle is on the lips of a king; his mouth does not sin in judgment. 11 A just balance and scales are the Lord’s; all the weights in the bag are his work. When Injustice Receives Justice R Aylor Verse 8 is interesting to me… It starts out: Better is a little with righteousness than… and then I would expect it to say something like… great riches with wickedness… but instead Solomon says: Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice. And so he highlights one of the attributes of wickedness which he seems to want us to focus in on… that is injustice. Injustice takes advantage of and uses others… many times its those who cannot stand up or defend themselves. Its those who don’t have a legal course of action to pursue through the courts… The laws are stacked a

Proverbs in 365 Devotions For a transcript and more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 16:5 Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished. 6 By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil. 7 When a man’s ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. Ok, lets touch on each proverbs here and see how they compliment one another. Proverbs 16:5 Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished. Alright well, this verse reminds me of the last four words in chapter 15: “humility comes before honor”. As we talked about in that devotion, humility is needed to gain wisdom… If we are going to have an ear for this kind of reproof from the Lord which is given with great love and if we will acknowledge when we are in the wrong it’s going to take humility on our part for sure. Solomon speaks of the arrogant in heart as

Proverbs 15:31 The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise. 32 Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence. 33 The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor. What Type Of Ears Do You Have? You know there’s different kinds of ears right? In the fantasy world there are elf and dwarf and human ears and what… fairy and troll ears... In the real world our ears may be very similar physically but they can be dissimilar in other ways. Some people have an ear for music… they can sit down at a piano for the first time and pick out a beautiful melody. I would say that the amazing guitarist Jimi Hendrex had an ear for music… it has been said that the guitar was like an extension of who he was. it was as though he could hear it in his mind, and then it just happened… He had a heart and an ear for music and somehow this passion was connected to the tips of his fingers. In chapter 15 Solomon has been showing u

Proverbs 15:28 The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. 29 The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. 30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and good news refreshes the bones. In chapter 15 Solomon has been giving us some great insight into the connection between our mouth and our heart. It’s true, the mouth bone is connected to the heart bone. And we talked about how God is the heart changer… not us. A wicked person will not change his wicked heart. His wickedness prevents him from doing so. But when God opens our eyes to see Jesus as the greatest treasure worth leaving all for… we realize there is something better than all the options the world has shown us all our life and we when turn from sin and delight in Jesus with faith, he gives us a new heart… and since our mouth bone is still connected to our heart bone the words we speak begin to change as God does a work in us practically. Now Solomon is diving de

Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 15:24 The path of life leads upward for the prudent, that he may turn away from Sheol beneath. 25 The Lord tears down the house of the proud but maintains the widow’s boundaries. 26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, but gracious words are pure. 27 Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, but he who hates bribes will live. Todays passage begins with a promise of life for the prudent... that is, one who is thoughtful about the future and follows the path of wisdom. Solomon then points out some attributes of the person on the other path that leads to death. It is pretty clear that these three fit that category; the proud, the wicked and the one who is greedy for unjust gain. Clearly we all die, right? But for these who do not turn away from this path… a death awaits at which point there will be no turning back… no rescue… no resurrection to a spiritual incorruptible body as did Jesus and all w

Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 15:23 To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is! You know, that's something I truly long for. To have a fitting response and be a better communicator… a better relationship type person. Sometimes I say the right thing but it is in the wrong season. Do you know what I mean? Like, “I feel sorry for you in this difficulty you’re going through… and here’s what you need to do”. Or if I try to cheer someone up in too chipper of a way when they really need to morn… maybe after the loss of a loved one. Or how about Proverbs 27:14 Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, will be counted as cursing. My mother used to wake us kids up in the morning with singing or something like “hurry kids and get up… it’s snowing outside” or “hurry or you’ll miss it… there’s a jackalope in the back yard”. Oh, for me, I would have preferred to be awakened from sleep in a more apt manner… I

Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him. 9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but he loves him who pursues righteousness. 10 There is severe discipline for him who forsakes the way; whoever hates reproof will die. 11 Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord; how much more the hearts of the children of man! Acceptable Sacrifice R Aylor Today Solomon names some things that the Lord detests and some things the Lord loves. He just told us in verse 5 how we should heed our fathers instructions and now Solomon tells us what awaits those who hate reproof. Today's passage concludes by saying how the abode of the dead as well as Hell itself cannot hide itself from the Lord… therefore why should any man think they might hide the intentions or the true desires of their heart from him? So what is it that is an abomination the the Lord? Verse 8 says it is

Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 15:5 A fool despises his father’s instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is prudent. 6 In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but trouble befalls the income of the wicked. 7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools. So Solomon cares about his own sons… much of Proverbs is addressed to them. He seems to be telling them “Don’t despise my words… Don’t be a fool! Be discerning with the things you hear in the world… where you go, who you hang out with… what you are drawn to… He shows them the outcome of the two paths they have to discern between… One results in much treasure and the other speaks of income as well but with much trouble. Then finally verse 7… let me read that one again. 7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools. Did you notice that Solomon speaks of the wise spreading knowledge with their lips but when talking about the fools he emphasizes not the lips but say

Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. 2 The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly. 3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. 4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. The Truth About Truth R Aylor Today Solomon is talking about the way we speak to one another and how God knows about every good and bad thing we say. He mentions a soft answer and a gentle tongue…This comes out from a person of wisdom. Solomon says the tongue of the wise commends knowledge. To commend is to praise something or recommend something for approval. So truth is to be held up high in our own life and to others. You know… truth cannot be toyed with or manipulated to our own liking… it cannot be juggled about to give us a false sense of justifucation on a particular day. Somehow… somewhere truth is set, unmovable fo

Don't Be A Dolt Blake Farley This is part one of a 5 part series on Proverbs chapter 17. For a full transcript go to braggingonjesus.com. Click on PROVERBS and you will see it there.

Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 14:33 Wisdom rests in the heart of a man of understanding, but it makes itself known even in the midst of fools. 34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. 35 A servant who deals wisely has the king’s favor, but his wrath falls on one who acts shamefully. Solomon gives us three situations to examine. Let’s take a look at them briefly and then consider their similarities and application. In the first Solomon says Wisdom rests in the heart of a man of understanding… that makes sense right? But the question that comes to my mind is how did it get there in the first place? At some point this person was not a man of understanding... So then... wisdom must have been somewhere close enough for him to have found her. Wisdom has a way of getting her point across even in the midst of fools. I think we see over and over when we act foolishly and don’t listen to her words… and our foolish choices causes much misery to u

Proverbs 14:31 Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him. 32 The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing, but the righteous finds refuge in his death. What if you crafted a unique magnificat guitar. You spent a lot of thought into it before you ever began making it. And then you crafted it with great precision and supreme workmanship and there was never ever another quite like this guitar. Being a one of a kind and different than all the others, it was stolen. Over a period of time it was sold to many and given away to others… Because it was different than other guitars people began making fun of it… they strummed it harshly… they never put it back into its case… Once it spent a summer in a traveling carnival act where a clown juggled it along with 3 balls and strummed the guitar every time he caught it. It made its way to others… it was the guitar one took with them on the canoe ride down the river and another in their backpack to the mountains while

Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 14:26 In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge. 27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death. 28 In a multitude of people is the glory of a king, but without people a prince is ruined. Good Fear Brings Confidence R Aylor What is the context that surrounds this kind of fear we should have toward the Lord? Should we fear him like people fear a ruthless dictator? No. God is not like that. Like an abused child fears their father? No. What about the child who has a good loving father? Do they fear their father in any way? Sure they do. As a child grows and their character changes there is potential for them to mature and take on attributes of their good loving father. Throughout that journey they are going to have times of disobedience, right? But when they are thinking about doing wrong, the fear a spanking from their father sometimes motivate