Prov. 30
Proverbs 30 is a strange chapter to me. I should study it sometime to see if I can make any sense out of it. For this morning, I will make note of the author’s request to “give me neither poverty nor riches” (Prov 30:8b). He states that having too much fosters self-dependence over God-dependence and having too little opens the temptation to do wrong (to steal) out of desperation and need. He is basically saying that both extremes are more likely to turn one away from God. I can see the truth in that. When we are comfortable in our abundance, we forget that we are needy and reliant on God. Yet when we are too needy, we have a tendency to try to take matters into our own hands rather than waiting patiently on God to provide.
To me, this speaks of the importance of intentional living. I believe that both of these extremes can be a blessing from God, but only if we are intentional about perceiving and receiving them as such. I want to be mindful every day of God’s abundant blessing in my life. If I find that I have excess, I can rejoice in His excessive goodness and I can find opportunity to share His goodness with others. On the other hand, if I find myself in need, I can be grateful for the opportunity to learn to trust in His provision and His timing, knowing that He desires good for me and not harm. God can use either circumstance to build and grow His character in me….but only if I let Him.
Prov. 31
People often focus on the second part of Proverbs 31 – the part about the virtuous woman. But what about the first part that speaks of fitting behavior for kings? So as I look at that part I think, “what does this part have to do with the rest of the chapter?”. Then I see it – verse 2 is the mother, asking her son, with some apparent angst, “What are you doing?”. And verse 3 then says, “Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings.”
Aha! It seems to me that King Lemuel was investing his time into partying with wayward women and wine! So his mother wisely steps in to admonish her son that such ways are not fitting for kings. She then instructs him in the type of woman that he should be seeking after. For good measure, she tosses in a couple of hints as to the kind of man he should be to such a woman (see verses 11, 23, and 28). A wise mother, indeed. And perhaps, since her instruction ended up recorded for all time here in God’s Word, Lemuel, whoever he is, listened to her wise advice and turned his life around.
Acts 5:22-42
So, stepping back into yesterday’s reading for just a few verses, we see that Peter and some (or all) of the other apostles were arrested and thrown in prison for preaching and healing around Jerusalem. “But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out…” (Acts 5:19). Great! They were freed! But what did the angle tell them to do? Flee? Hide? Nope. He told them to, “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life”. Right…go back to what landed you in prison, only do it in the most prominent spot in the city. Fair enough.
So, naturally, they are caught. By God’s providence, they did not end up back in prison. Instead, they were beaten for their very public disobedience, and were told once again to stop speaking in the name of Jesus. How did the apostles respond? The same way I’m sure any of us would (NOT!) – they REJOICED!!! So, if I’ve got this right (and I know I do), the apostles were thrown in prison for preaching Jesus but went right back to preaching Jesus when they were miraculously released, were then beaten because of this, and then rejoiced because they were beaten!!
We saw yesterday how a man’s heart reflects who he really is. I have to say, the apostles are most certainly reflecting the heart of Christ in this passage! We know that Jesus commissioned them before He left to be His witnesses. and to carry on His ministry,. He also told them in Matthew 5, the great Sermon on the Mount, to rejoice when they suffered persecution for His name’s sake. So I see the apostles living a very obedient life in this passage. I also notice how very different God’s responses to circumstances are than what mine are inclined to be. And so our hearts really do reflect who we are living for, in that they direct our responses. I need to take a good, hard look at how I respond to things and people in my life to know who my heart is really serving.