Proverbs 7

So again, proverbs gives more instruction on avoiding adultery in Chapter 7. Clearly this is a heavy topic and of great importance. To be honest I find it hard to apply instructions to avoid adultery because it makes every sense to me that it is a completely wrong thing. In fact, at less than a month from getting married, I honestly can't even imagine being enamored with another woman besides Susan. I honestly hope that the feeling stays with me forever, but I've heard and I think I understand other people when they say that Love is a choice in addition to a feeling. Absolutely, I love Susan; both as a feeling of the heart and as a choice. But I can see that I need to renew that choice every day, or like in yesterday's chapter, "a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands too rest, and poverty will come on you like a bandit." Complacency can bring disaster. That applies here as well. One day at a time might not change much, but cumulatively, many days of forgetting that loving Susan is a choice can start to compromise what I think I feel. My take-away from this reading is that, first as verses 2-5 say "keep my commands...write them on the tablet of your heart...call understanding your kinsman, and they will keep you from the adulteress" and, second, I need to remember that each day I make a choice to love Susan. This way no matter what we fight about or how angry or frustrated I might get with her, my love for her will not hesitate and I will never be compromised by even thinking of making the choice of adultery. I'm glad that I have all of you as Godly men in my life both as examples to me and as witnesses to what I attest here and to what I promise to Susan at our wedding. I understand that I am committing to be faithful to her until the day I die and I take that very seriously. So, coming back to how I started this, Proverbs rightly applies seriousness to the topic of adultery. And it is up to me to choose every day that I love Susan and to honor God and her with my commitment. -Bob

Proverbs 6

Verses 10-11 "A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest- and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man." I think this makes sense both for my daily life as well as for spiritual applications. It's easy to see that becoming lackadaisical in finances, work, repairs, cleaning, etc all will lead to some situation of hopelessness: an overflowing sink, an overgrown yard, a worn out car, or an empty bank account. I think this warning is more importantly a spiritual one. One day at a time, and every choice we make, we can choose to have God included or excluded. Add that dirty dish to either the sink or to the dishwasher. Constantly making the right decision not only develops good habits fir the future, but keeps the kitchen well kept. But then the 2nd and 3rd day comes and prayer is left out, devotions are forgotten, and life is too busy to recognize God, and quickly the days have become like the sink full of dirty dishes. Nothing can be done except to clear away all the clutter and start to re-build the habit once again. It's easy in concept to clear the 1 dish, or remember the 1 daily prayer, but applying it over and over is ever more important. God is there but he wants me to come to him constantly to have relationship with Him. That relationship is destroyed if I put Him off for another day, then again, and again, etc. For Susan and I this means that I have to be diligent to make sure that we pray together every day and to take time to recognize where God has interacted in our lives. He has done so many great things already, why would He abandon us now. We simply need to acknowledge Him each day. -Bob

Proverbs 5

Proverbs 5, in giving direction on adultery, is much different that Chapter 1 which gives direction on avoiding sinners. Proverbs 1:15 ...do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths Proverbs 5:18 Keep to a path far from her, do not go near the door of her house. Proverbs 5 says to take extra caution in dealing with adulterous behavior; to not only stay off of their paths, but in fact to avoid crossing them and to avoid being near to those paths altogether. I think that this is an example of God stepping in to help us where he knows that we can be too weak to help ourselves. So he gives more specific and guided isntruction. "for a man's ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all his paths." We are human and therefore can not be perfect. God know this and so would not want us in a situation that tests our reserve in fending off attacks from the devil. I specifically think that the devil can tell if we are weak in this area and will do everything possible to make us stumble. But the Lord says to go no near the path of an adulterer. In applying this to Susan and I, I think one of the ways which we've started this relationship will help us to stay away from the adulterous path altogether. We started by writing down a set of "ground-rules" to help each other understand our expectations. After the discussion of all the topics, one of the "rules" was that we were not going to be spending time alone with anyone of the opposite sex without discussing it together first. This has been a good start to make sure that even if we don't feel that we are being tempted that we have each other to help check our own thinking to make sure that we aren't blind to any part of the situation. Still I know that this will always require thought and effort. I'll be forced to think ahead to make sure that whatever I do on a day to day basis is not leading me near to a adulterous temptation. I think the best that I can do is to continually be open with Susan about what decisions I make, where I spend time, and who is with me when she is not. That way everything is in the light and no insignificant details can turn into a temptation later. -Bob

Proverbs 4

Verse 14-15, 25-27 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn away from it and go on your way. Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Consider the level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or left; keep your foot from evil. It seems that Proverbs 4 is building on what I read previously in Chapter 3. It said that I should lean not on my own understanding and in my ways acknowledge Him and He will make my paths straight. Now Chapter 4 talks about what paths to specifically avoid (those of the wicked) and to turn away and go in the other direction. But it doesn't Say exactly how to recognize the good paths, other than to fix my gaze ahead, consider the level and the firm paths, and to not go sideways. This ties in with God already having made the path straight for me as long as I go straight ahead. What is more interesting in this scripture to me is that is says to consider the level and firm paths. The word consider is interesting because I can think of many times of going on hikes where the terrain changed quickly from what it was when I first set out. Although I can't see everything ahead, I should be able to take many things into account when choosing a path; how level it is, how firm, how straight. But even though I might not see all of these characteristics, I have other people in my life to help me see what I can not from their experience and judgement. I know that I have a responsibility to be a good husband and that requires considering choices for my family. I know that I won't always know the right one, but that part of the process will be to seek out the people who have gone before me and to request some help. I know that God is not in the business of fooling us by leading us down paths that appear straight and level and then change drastically. More, I think that He wants me to consider my paths and seek Him, and in doing so He'll show me which is the straightest and most level. I want to find these paths since now my life will mean so much more since I now have another person to share each of these journeys with, for better or for worse. -Bob

Proverbs 3

Well, I was hit pretty hard with a weekend bug that kept me in bed most of the last few days. I'm finally starting to feel normal again, but I have this guilt hanging that I've made a promise to myself to stay on top of this devotional commitment. So I'll make an attempt here to "catch-up". Proverbs 3 Versus 5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight. When it has come to Susan and I, there have been many times where I have not understood God's plan using my own ability to think. We've had an amazing relationship since we met at the end of college, but it's been a bit bumpy along the way. From friendship, to deciding that we were interested in something more than friendship, to engagement, and finally to marriage, we've seen our share of tough relational times. But as I look back on each one, I can now see God's hand moving quietly behind the scenes. And I've had times where I've trusted in Him little to completely. But He has been faithful. It is not about my understanding, but about His plan. So as I look ahead for us I know what I have to do; keep my trust secure and try not to figure it out on my own, but walk forward anyway. I'll certainly be challenged in this in the coming months as Susan and I wait to hear about her MIT application, and although much of the situation of moving to Boston and changing our lives completely scares me to death, I pray to the Lord whenever it comes to mind, that His will be done and that I have the strength to do right by Him. I know that my understanding is so small, but I am comforted knowing that in the past, although I never understood a situation, that it always came out OK; and so will all the ones to come. Verse 6 then says that in all your ways acknowledge Him. Two weeks ago in church the pastor discussed how he did this in his daily life. It came down to simple prayers to God as he churned through the minutes of his day: Lord, I'm driving to work, please be with me... Lord, I'm going into a meeting, give me your words... Lord, I'm going to work-out, I give you the glory... etc, etc, etc. I thought about how simple that was. Of course the discipline had to be there, but the spiritual part was so simple...acknowledge that God is a part of every little thing. Then, as verse 6 says, He will make your paths straight. So for Susan and I, I am going to try to acknowledged God in everything... Lord, be a part of our wedding ceremony... Lord, we are sharing a meal together.... Lord, we are in a fight... etc, etc, etc. Like I said before, we've come on a bumpy road, and it still can have some bumps to come, but if I am trusting in God and including Him in the little things, then I do not have to trust on my own understanding, and although bumpy, my paths will be straight. -Bob

Proverbs 2

Proverbs 2- Being a logical thinker, versus 1-5 grabbed my attention. It's a simple if-then statement in it's form, while not necessarily marking any simple tasks. "My son, IF you accept my words AND store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, AND IF you call out for insight, AND IF you look for it as for silver AND search for it as for hidden treasure, THEN you will understand the fear of the Lord AND find the knowledge of God." In my own words, I see this as..... Outcome: 1) Understand what it means to 'fear the Lord' and 2) Find the knowledge of God Requirements: 1) Accept His words 2) Store up His commands 3) Call out for insight 4) Cry aloud for understanding 5) Look for it (insight?) as for silver 6) Search it (insight?) as for treasure ...Like I said, it's all extremely logical. But I'll elaborate more on this list of requirements and what I think the outcome is. Starting with the requirements; I think it starts by training my heart to know when the Lord is speaking to me (large decisions and small) so that I can be comfortable understanding His voice. It is then about being able to recall them. I know that it have a duty to lead my new family (Susan and I) and that I can not do that unless I have an ear that is trained to hear fro God. Sure, I can take us down some different paths in our lives, and I can probably even get us both feeling comfortable with some choices that we may make, but if I am not making the right choices, God's choices, then I am not meeting my duty in my family. Storing up, or remembering His commands is just as important as hearing them in the first place. If God reveals His direction to me and it later becomes the desired path, I'll be the fool for having known and not filed that most important guidance away until the appointed time. Then, being vocal to seek out insight and wisdom then starts to fill in the gaps that are left by the divine wisdom instilled by God. Sure, God will instruct me in certain ways, but then it is also on me to dig deep and find some of the hidden answers. Again, I'd be a fool not to call out for some help and instruction. Which I guess is what I am doing with this blog: I'm asking you all to help me check my own understanding; of my life, my roles, my thoughts regarding marriage, and my thoughts towards Susan. I'm calling out to you all, Help me to be better!!! Finally, when it is not revealed and when it is not instructed (after my own solicitations, perhaps), my last place to find wisdom is in my own prayer and reflection. As I determined yesterday from Proverbs 1, by the time I need wisdom, It's likely too late to call out for it and expect that it should descend on me instantly (although nothing is beyond the divine). So, my recourse is to study myself; to learn from my own past and from others' so that I can see how to do things differently. Learning from what I know has happened in the past takes intense study, probably more than some glancing thoughts here and there and a few minutes a day in prayer. I'm thinking that I need to start writing down the times where I find myself without wisdom, so that as I accumulate some answers (and new questions) I can connect the dots and build a picture of what is right. This makes some sense considering as the verse states to search/look as for silver. If that should be the case, then to start with, I should be spending at least the same amount of time every month planning how to budget finances, pay bills, tithe, and save for the future as I am reflecting and seeking the wisdom from my past experiences. I'll admit right now, that jsut in my thought-life, that I probably spend more time thinking about "silver" than I do about "wisdom" in my marriage. Clearly I have some places to grow in order to be better. So after all of these requirements, my outcome is that I can then understand "fearing the Lord" and "knowledge of God". From what I know today, fearing the lord is about fearing letting Him down, and knowledge of God is the factual part of His existence that comes to light after all other areas of life can be accepted on Faith. It makes sense to me that He reveals himself in this order for the reason of seeing us walk on faith first and then on knowledge of supernatural things. I know my interpretation of these last two things is probably a bit spotty, but I think that is because I have more time to spend on #1-#6. What do you all think? -Bob

Proverbs 1

Proverbs 1 - Verses 20-33 called out to me the most in this chapter. It tells me that wisdom calls out (quite vocally) and that the warning is that the reader does not take the time to hear. Then, calamity comes and there is no longer any rescue available by searching for wisdom that had not been gained already. The time for learning and application has passed and the path of calamity has already been decided, until God intervenes. Alternatively, there is learning that can signal the calamity beforehand and provide the opportunity for a course correction- wisdom. The unfortunate part is that ignorance completely covers our ability to hear the calling from wisdom. We have to consciously and intentionally search to block our own ignorant attitude and try to find our ability to hear the wisdom being called out. It's there all along, but the ability to hear it might not be. It is also interesting to me how God bestows wisdom where He sees the right matter of heart. Once calamity arrives, our search for wisdom is to merely solve our own problem, but it seems that he honors our seeking wisdom more when we have no problem at all, but seek anyway knowing that we need to prepare for a future problem. When it comes to Susan, I guess I know enough to know that I don't know much about what makes her tick. Although I can sense her mood from a phone call, improve that mood in usually close to 5 minutes (although it goes the opposite way just as fast), make her feel tremendously loved with just a smile and a few words, or just sit next to her in silence for an hour and still tell that she is happy; I still know that I'll be baffled beyond my comprehension, that I'll blow it altogether at least once a week, and that I'll surely have to apologize for all amounts of unknown or at least unintended comments. But I guess this is telling me that my cries for wisdom in all of those circumstances may be all too late (for that particular moment) and that my attempts at apologies are likely won by reflection and prayer before the issue ever arises. Which means that as I go through each day, I'll learn something more about how to make this thing called marriage work, and that I'm the fool if I don't keep tabs on those outcomes and learn to improve them. Verse 32 says "the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of the fools will destroy them." I think the first half of this statement is about the hierarchy and inter-relation of God-Family-Self. Foregoing God essentially leaves you dead, and in my case, my marriage could end up dead or dying if my morals (and my responsibility to watch over Susan's) slip to less-than-godly. By not watching out for God's basic instructions in my life, I can end up killing my marriage because I am not maintaining my life in right-standing with God. Furthermore, if my marriage then starts to die, my own life, individually (which is linked then so closely to Susan's) will then wither as well. The second half of this verse tells me how to avoid all of this: do not get complacent. This means to me that I have to be intentional to avoid being lax and guard over my moral life (in large decisions and in small ones) as well as the moral life that Susan and I will soon have (liewise large and small decisions). Verse 32 seems to tell me that if I watch that part of our lives first that our survival as a couple is assured. ________________ Please feel free to tell me any of your opinions on Chapter 1 as well as what you think on my interpretation of the Word. And, you all know me well enough that you can tell me anything that you really think. Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers. -Bob

An Overview...

31 days to go....I found this explanantion of Proverbs that I thought summed up the book pretty well. Feel free to have a look and let me know what you think on Proverbs as a whole. I hope each of you can find something useful in this 31 day discussion as well. http://www.blueletterbible.org/commentaries/comm_view.cfm?AuthorID=9&contentID=46&commInfo=2&topic=Proverbs Also, I'd like to ask all of you to keep me (and Susan) in your prayers as we begin our life together. Please pray especially for me as I study wisdom and life in the book of Proverbs. -Bob