Proverbs 25

"It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings." (verse 2) God speaks in "that still small voice". It's hard to find where God has spoken to me by shouting or other boisterous means. It is this little treasure hunt game that He plays: He tries to give me something which requires me to stop, be still, and carefully listen and think about the clues. This is God's way of things and I think it comes back to what we see in other places; God is interested in out heart. Anyone can follow instructions when they are preceded with thunder, lightning and loud voices, but it is greatly more difficult to find a whisper amongst the other noises, to understand it, and to follow. I know that the hardest part of that equation for me is to turn down the other volumes of life and put a few things on pause so that I can distinguish the voice of the Lord. This is extremely difficult to do. my personality is to wake up early, get a running start on my day, go full-throttle all day long, and squeeze a few more things in between dinner and sleeping to top off the day. Naturally if I don't choose differently than this, my own personality will push God out from my days. After not too long the days won't be good anymore. So the challenge for me is to bring God back with the volumes turned down and the pace controlled so that when that small voice starts to speak, I can recognize it from the other noises and change my course to focus on that for the time-being. -Bob

Proverbs 24

"Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready; after that, build your house." (verse 27) This verse puzzles me still after thinking about it, so I choose to put it out here to see if anyone else has any different thoughts. So, I'm puzzled and I start by eliminating what this is NOT saying... that work comes before family and home. It couldn't be this because it would contradict interpretations of other places in scripture. So then it must be that as we are also told elsewhere, that we are given a job to do each day. That job is ordained by the Lord and given only to us. Even though we may not know the divine plan for that job, we are still to obey. Also, it seems that God is trying to make us aware of certain time-orders of things. In a farming community, if you were late and missed the season, you had to wait until next year. So clearly time can create priorities. Then, finally we come to working on our own homes. I don't think that this means to always put home and family last. In fact, in verse 3 it says that "by wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established." So as I start a family with Susan, the challenge for me will be to understand the work that God has for me to do, to understand the critical timings that are present in work, and then have enough wisdom to know when work had gone beyond God, or timing is no longer as He had intendid, and to set work aside and elevate the home to priority #1. This way when I understand all of these things, family will always be rightfully first. If this then is the true order of things (as given by God) since Susan is prayerful in her own respects, I should not fear the times when I must choose work over family so long as I am completely confident that I am either doing a work for the Lord or a work that is critical in time for Him. She will understand these things from God as well and know that my heart is with family and home but to truly execute God's will for any given day of my life, that I have to do work. I pray for the Lord to give me the ability to see work as He does and not to be overcome with my own desire for completing objectives and makeing achievements. -Bob

Proverbs 23

The parts in Proverbs 23 that spoke to me were all about keeping modest wealth. "Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint. Cast but a glance at riches and they are surely gone. Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless." (verses 4, 5, 10) I think this is all talking about priorities in life, what really comes first, and how we go about getting those things. I can make two mistakes in this regard, I can have the wrong order to my priorities and/or I can work toward the priorities in the wrong ways. In clear statements, I am told not to work harder and harder just to get rich. There may be a day where the Lord desires that I give extra effort, but that will be His calling and not my decision just to gain more wealth. Should I choose to work harder and harder for money would mean that I am not trusting in God for His provisions over my life. The scripture then says to seek wisdom in order to show restraint. This implies to me that there will be some times where it is necessary to work harder and then it is up to me to develop judgement to know when to say stop. Secondly, then, I think verse 10 is talking about how I am supposed to go about achievements in life. So, assuming that my purposes are ordaind and that I am showing proper restraint, there are reasonable boudaries that are already established for proper behavior. It is not honorable to expand my realm at the expense of someone else. Again, expansion comes from God and if that is His desire, then He will provide that in His own ways. I read the scripture and time and again hear the same theme, although said many ways..."Play by the rules". I interpret this first to be God's rules, and then to be the rules of this world. It is not my place to judge the rules set by those in authority over me and so I must abide. In this case, but more and more in all things, I start to use that phrase as a guiding light. Am I playing by the rules? First His, and then the worlds. I'm guided by morality, of course, but I think I can fear and honor God the best when I really seek to "play by the rules". -Bob

Proverbs 22

"Rich and poor have this in common, the Lord is maker of them all... Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court, for the Lord will take up their case and will plunder those who plunder them... A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor." (verses 2, 22, 23, 8) As with the last chapter I see an emphasis on how God wants us to treat the poor. The commands here are that no matter our financial position, we are equals with everyone else, and that we must remember this in our dealings so that we do not exploit another's need. He backs this up by saying that He will defend the poor. And finally, it is good to share with those that have less because as with everything, God is watching. I believe that when we share with others to help give them their basic needs, that we are fulfilling the intents of God and that He is pleased with these kinds of works. For Susan and I, we are just now going to start what I estimate as a fairly comfortable life (Praise God!). We have a house and two stable jobs, and as we start living together, our expenses will actually drop as we no longer have to pay 2 cable, electric, water, etc. bills. Susan and I have already discussed at length the roles that each one of us is planning to take as we are married. One of my main roles is the home finances. So I know that as we find a few extra dollars every month, that it also gives me extra responsibility to listen to God when He might be asking me to do something for His purposes with that money. I'm praying for the Lord to open my heart and eyes to the things that He wants me to see. This way, I don't fail in fiscal responsibility to Him because of my own blindness.

Proverbs 21

"If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered." (verse 13) This one is really deep and I think it is getting at a point that is deeper than just helping the poor. Yesterday in bible study we talked about how we traditionally help the poor; many times this is giving them handouts of food, money, or other goods. We examined this and it seems that it is really God's intention that in addition to helping them attain their basic needs, we also need to provide for their purpose in life by giving them something to work for. So this was the mindset that I had started with when I read this verse. Verse 13 does not give instruction on what to give to the poor or how to give it. For that matter, it doesn't say much about any exchange of food, money, job, etc. What it does talk about is if my "ears" or in this case I think it means "heart or spirit" is open to seeing and empathizing with their suffering. I think the nature of God is that He wants us to feel (by being led by the Spirit) and then have our feelings lead our actions rather than simply tell us what specifically to do. God holds the poor close, the scripture tells us this. It's easy to look past the poor and suffering, but it clearly says that if we look past, if we close our world to theirs, then God will close His to us. A bit scary!! So what does this mean to Susan and I? We both believe strongly in our giving of first fruits to the Lord. But it seems that just the check or the canned food is not as important as what he desires in both of our hearts. Susan and I need to be aware and diligent to take time to benefit the poor; to exercise what our "ears" are telling us. We get exposed to these opportunities often and probably don't act on them much to go out and serve the poor. As the song says, I pray for God to "break my (and our) heart for what breaks [His]". In this then, the spirit will convict me to go where He needs me. -Bob

Proverbs 20

"Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who can find...It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider his vows." (verses 6,25)


Anyone who knows Susan and I well know that we've had a bumpy road as we considered our relationship and if and how there was a future for us. It seemed that for a long time we were on "different pages" in life and always just grazed a serious path to marriage rather than actually traverse it. I can't count how many long conversations and difficult days we had as we tried to figure out the right things to do. Nevertheless, that is all behind us and here we are, but as I consider those times, I can most certainly see God working in all of those things to help keep me from making the wring choice. His timing is truly perfect. Sometimes that wrong choice would have been to push forward with marriage too soon, and at other times that wrong choice would have been to walk away entirely. The Lord never closed these doors completely. I'm thankful for these times that the Lord brought us through because it feels now that Susan and I have had so much opportunity to consider everything regarding our love and our relationship. I feel now that we are going forward with marriage on the Lord's path and on His timing. But even more so, I feel that this is a choice that both she and I are making after literally years of consideration. It could have worked the other way, as verse 25 says, and we could have married and then later considered our actions. But as I said, I am extremely happy for the timing that this all has happened on because this decision, and commitment to Susan, are not rushed. For this I know that I won't be that person who wakes up years into my marriage and decides that I made the wrong choice. Finally, although verse 6 paints a pretty bleak picture that no man can have unfailing love, I believe that the path that Susan and I have traveled to get here (by the way... here is now only 10 days away) gives us an intense love for one another that can stand up to strong trials. I only pray that we are never tested in that regard. Once again, I thank God for His timing and for mysteriously bringing all the critical pieces together in a time that truly shows His power and working in my life.
-Bob

Proverbs 19

"Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord." (verse 14) In other places in Proverbs, it compares worldly gains to spiritual gains and makes the point that no amount of stuff can substitute for spiritual riches. My parents have blessed me in many ways, but I know that the material things that have come as blessings are not what will shape me and remain with me. Likewise in Susan, her parents have planted in her, a different deposit of spiritual blessings. This is all the Lord's work. All the things that have made me who I am and all the things that have made Susan who she is, contribute to her spiritual make-up at this juncture in life. I believe that the Lord has worked divinely in me and in Susan, before we ever met each other, to prepare us for each other. My parents have fed, clothed, and educated me, and although they were the Lord's instruments, it was He who retained the plan for how I will be a husband for Susan. Again, Likewise, the lord has worked in Susan's life to bring her to this stage in life, a person who will be a wife fitting for me. God watches out for us in so many small ways. I find myself thanking God, when there is a near traffic miss, when I just barely make the bus, or when a random act of grace comes my way. Now, I gt to thank the Lord for His divine plan of bringing Susan and I together. It is not by chance or fortunate timing. All of this is exactly as He intended it to be; in circumstance and in time. Praise God for His perfect plan. -Bob

Proverbs 18

"He who finds a wife finds what is good, and receives favor from the Lord." (verse 22). I think that it is God's plan that we marry. I trust that God knows more about my needs than I do, and so I trust Him knowing that He says that it is good to find a wife. Although there are still some things that I'm still apprehensive about, I know that I'm on the path that God has planned for me. I think deep down we all need companionship and to find purpose in a family. I think this is part of how we are wired. I could have chosen to stay single for much longer, but I think back to the time when I had felt that way and I can certainly recall feeling that the paths I were on were very much singular. Everything I did was solo. I used to think that solo was the best way to be, but I've changed my mind. I realize that there is more to gain in life when I'm sharing it with another person. I'm looking forward to spending my life with Susan. I know that God has brought her to me in a divine way and that the two of us getting married will fulfill His purpose. And because of that, I know that my life will feel good because it is in line with His. -Bob

Proverbs 17

"Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife. Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out." (Verses 1,14) I'd be an idiot to think that Susan and I won't fight. In fact, we've had our share already; some big one's too, and I'm wondering if there are even bigger ones to come. I'm thankful that I can't recall a time when we have stayed mad at each other for more than a few hours. Sometimes we may not have reached an agreement, but anger and dissent have subsided. It seems that Proverbs is encouraging me to seek peace with Susan (the person who I will live with, spend nearly all of my time with, share the most intimate things with, etc) before nearly all else in life. That peace in our home is more rewarding than the best meal. I can honestly believe this because when I look back on the fights that Susan and I have had (many times over seemingly trivial things), when they are not resolved, I genuinely feel a lacking in my body and my soul. This is a lacking I feel until we reach a resolution. I know that I have to continue to listen to this repeatedly, and that it is my role to initiate the origins of peace after a fight, regardless of whose fault it may be. I'm the one who is responsible to God for our family and I have to then be the one to bring us both back into right standing with Him. I know what it feels like when peace is not here and I have to maintain diligence to see that I react appropriately to bring Susan and I back to a peaceful place. -Bob

Proverbs 16

"All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord...There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death...Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed." (Proverbs 16:2,25,3) I can take these few verses and apply them to almost anything. It's tempting to focus on some other life aspects, but I'll maintain my goal of examining what Proverbs has to say as it applies to marriage. I think these verses are talking about the choices that I will have to make. I don't know what those will be, but I'm told here that just by my ways alone, the choice may appear right, but I'll not be sure of a right choice unless God is involved in making that choice. I'll know I'm proceeding in the right direction if I know that my choice has been instructed or confirmed by the Lord. Verse 3 then says that with plans committed to Him, they will succeed. I don't think that He is trying to define success, but perhaps the absence of calamity. And finally, God is really looking at our heart motives when we make choices: is my heart in it for God, or is God a secondary factor? I know I'll be faced with making some tough decisions regarding Susan and I. I'm sure they will things like, where to live, how to discipline children, jobs to take or not to take, etc. but my challenge here is to remain in the presence of the Lord and not to let my ways and plans be above His. He already knows the desires of my heart and when I choose His ways, I trust that He will be rewarding in His own time. And until then, I have to commit all that I do to glorifying His purposes. -Bob