The Simple Life

Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it. Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life. Whoever despises the word brings destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded. The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death. Proverbs  13:11-14  (ESV)   Focusing on the little things can lead to big successes. Intentionality is the key to living a responsible and productive life.   Saving a little money each month will give you a lot when you are older. Fulfilling promises today, when you can, instead of tomorrow, will provide you with purpose in life and satisfaction in death. Listening to those who speak to you, and, most importantly, listening to God, will allow you to avoid many of life's mistakes. Intentionality in earning, saving, giving, and listening is the ingredient to a healthy life and fearless death.   ...

An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, but the righteous escapes from trouble. From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good, and the work of a man's hand comes back to him. The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice. The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult. Proverbs  12:13-16  (ESV)   The first thing that comes to our minds is often troublesome at best. I have learned that if I need to respond to something and start with my second thought, I fare much better than starting with my first thought.   My first thought is often a defensive posture, where digging in is the strategy of the day, which often fuels the fires of discord. My second thought is often quickly prayed about, thought about, and appropriate for resolving the matter.   As God has said, I have found that it is wise to ignore a fool, for the fool, as I also, will one day give an account to God for every...

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid. A good man obtains favor from the Lord, but a man of evil devices he condemns. No one is established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous will never be moved. Proverbs 12:1-3 (ESV)   We do not learn by accident. We learn when we position ourselves to learn. Some may think they learned by accident, yet God has never been random, and He will never be random in His dealings with man. One who understands life embraces that we are limited in our understanding and encourages those from the "outside" to be a part of our lives.   Second Timothy, chapter 4 discusses effective teaching, which includes reproving, rebuking, and exhorting. Those who want to learn are thankful for those who reprove, rebuke, and exhort them. Those who hate when that happens to them hate knowledge.   This seems to go against our normal thought process, but that is because our normal thought process excludes the idea tha...

Be assured, an evil person will not go unpunished, but the offspring of the righteous will be delivered. Proverbs 11:21 (ESV)   God consistently tells us throughout the Scriptures that those who live lives apart from Him are evil, and they will not go unpunished. It may look like those who are ignoring God are getting away with it, but we are told that evil will be punished, and indeed, it will be.   As one who has been in an administrative position most of my life, I understand the misunderstanding that can come to those who are not in my position. Let's say an employee has done something wrong, and I know about it. I meet with that person, talk it through, and even create a plan for correcting what was wrong. Those who look at the situation from the outside were not part of our inner dealings, and may think that we are doing nothing, when doing something.   If I could talk to the "outsider," I would assure them we are dealing with it. God tells us to be assured. He will...

Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety. Proverbs 11:14 (ESV)   We all have guidance systems in place whether we realize it or not. Our guidance system could be as simple as our feelings, our money, our friends, family,  job, and so on. Whatever it is, it has authority over us, and if it is anything or anyone other than God, we will one day be disappointed that we gave “it” such authority.   Healthy people live healthy lives, and part of being healthy is to have someone from the outside evaluating both the whys and the whats of our life. Healthy people are not afraid of a challenge. They embrace diversity, while never being tolerant, and enjoy opportunities to see things from various vantage points.   Healthy people discover more than they create and seek often more than they find. These actions place many counselors in their lives, and in this abundance of counselors there is safety.   In our world, we often...

The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them. Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight, but the wicked falls by his own wickedness. The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the treacherous are taken captive by their lust. When the wicked dies, his hope will perish, and the expectation of wealth perishes too. Proverbs 11:3-7 (ESV)   Those who have much in this life often use the much they have for advantage. Many times, they get used to the idea of having some sort of advantage because they have money. Really, those who have much will have much required of them. When we stand before God, money will not buy us anything. The power we amassed on earth will be meaningless, other than us being accountable to having used it well to bring others to Christ.   Those who are wealthy in this life need to be extremely careful that th...

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. For by me your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life. If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if you scoff, you alone will bear it. Proverbs  9:10-12  (ESV)   Knowing that God is God and I am not is the beginning of all good things. God is the creator; I am the created. God is the sustainer; I need sustaining. God is the healer; I am the sick. God is the convicter; I am the convicted. God is the master; I am the slave. God is the King; I am the vessel. God gives mercy; I need mercy. God is gracious; I live and learn by grace. God is infinite; I am finite. God wants me; I need Him.   There is a beginning to all good things, and the beginning to a good life is the recognition that God is God. This sounds simple, and it is, simply profound.   A world that has no fear of God, fears everything else, whereas those who fear God live a faith rest li...

Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. Proverbs 9:7-9 (ESV)   Sometimes we are told to be quiet because speaking would be a waste of time. Throughout the years, I have learned that anyone who is in the seat of authority of any kind will be ridiculed by those who are under their authority. They will be ridiculed directly or behind their backs, but they will be ridiculed. Not everybody treats those in authority this way, but you can count on it happening.   Christians who walk with and obey God are submissive to Him and the authorities they are under. It is a “characteristic of the Godly.”   In reality, there is no authority other than God. Leaders on earth will answer to Him, and are entrusted with leadership, not e...

”I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion. The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.” Proverbs  8:12-13  (ESV)   “Many men are prudent who are not wise—that is to say, they are superficially cautious, sagacious, calculating; but they are never wise. True wisdom is the metaphysic of prudence. It is the innermost life and reality, and it expresses itself in the large prudence which sees more points than can be seen by mere cleverness. He that seeketh his life shall lose it; he that will throw away his life for Christ’s sake shall find it, and shall thus prove himself in the long run to be the truly prudent man. Beware of the prudence that is as a skeleton. The true prudence is the living body, inhabited by a living soul—the soul is wisdom. Sometimes wisdom will drive a man to do apparently foolish things—at least, things that cannot be understood by those who live in rectangles, tw...

There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers. Proverbs  6:16-19  (ESV)   The Lord hates things that destroy those He loves. We would be wise to do likewise.   Those who love are patient, not tolerant. Tolerance is not love. To tolerate means to wave the white flag, to give up any hope of abiding in truth, and to allow those we say we love to be much less than they should be.   God is love, and the only hatred in Him is for the things that destroy those He loves. God’s patience is way beyond our comprehension, and because His love is great, His hate is great. You cannot love deeply and not hate things that destroy your loved ones. It is impossible.   Therefore, when I see people enjoying the very things that de...

Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man. Proverbs 6:6-11 (ESV)   Man was cursed to work the ground, so work the ground we must. The motivation for working the ground is the pleasure that comes from working it. We enjoy the fruit of the garden, the dairy products from the cows, and the warm homes that come from the fireplaces.   However, in order to enjoy these things, one must hoe the garden, care for the cattle, and cut, chop, and stack the wood.   Sick, self-absorbed people live life expecting others to work hard on their behalf. They are constantly thinking about pleasure, and they will use others to gain more of it for t...

For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his paths. The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin. He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray. Proverbs  5:21-23  (ESV)   We never have a private moment. W have no private thoughts and no personal time. God not only sees every activity in which we are involved. He knows every thought that precedes and follows our actions. I often struggle with seeing my motives clearly, since, in my mind, I always do things for a good reason, at least according to me.   One day God, who sees all and understands all, will judge me, and He is the only one capable of doing so because He is the only one who sees and understands me completely and honestly.   Man cannot judge. We see what someone does, and if they disobey Scripture, we know what they did was wrong. That is not judging. That is just stating a fact.   Live today in...

My son, be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding, that you may keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge. For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol; she does not ponder the path of life; her ways wander, and she does not know it. Proverbs 5:1-6 (ESV)   There are people who would use people for their personal gain no matter the effect on the person they are using. In a way, it is the ultimate expression of self.   Jesus, on the other hand, describes the ultimate love as one who is willing to lay down his life for his friend.   There is a difference in the sacrificing of someone else for my pleasure versus the sacrificing myself what is best for others. We were made for the latter and will never find satisfaction in this life if we focus on ourselves, and use, rather than ...

My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil. Proverbs 4:20-27 (ESV)   The beginning of the end of a worthless life is to start listening to the one who made, sustains, and gives life.   It seems as if Satan has worked to make things the opposite of what they are. To some, God’s Word limits life, when, in reality, it gives life. Some think rules destroy freedom, when, in fact, they allow freedom to rule.   Satan turns things upside down and inside out, and we need Go...

Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil. Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on. For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong; they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble. Proverbs  4:14-16  (ESV)   It is the path of the wicked that leads to wickedness. So often we want to avoid some terrible action in our lives, but we do nothing to avoid traveling the road that leads to disaster.   In the book of Matthew, Jesus told us that the path to wickedness is just as evil as the wicked deed itself. In other words, lust is as bad as adultery, hate is as bad as murder, and so on.   It is as if we are living our lives on the wrong side of a guardrail, hoping we do not experience the tragedies that come with going over the edge.     Hoping we do not go over the edge while ignoring the safety devices that were put in place to prevent us from getting too close to it is foolish. https://www...

Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight, for I give you good precepts; do not forsake my teaching. When I was a son with my father, tender, the only one in the sight of my mother, he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live. Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.” Proverbs 4:1-5 (ESV)   A father plays a vital role in a child’s life. Fathers need to live in a way that leads their children. This means that dads need to be around children and include them in their activities. They need to be examples, not lecturers. They need to be companions, not just providers. They need to be present, not just give presents.   Moms generally seem to have a special connection with children that is tied to the birthing process, whereas dads need to establish that connection by investing time with their children.   God knows what is best and created ...

The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens; by his knowledge the deeps broke open, and the clouds drop down the dew. Proverbs  3:19-20  (ESV)   The Lord founded the earth by His understanding, not ours. He established the earth and the universe with His knowledge. When man tries to understand the universe and how it came to be based on his or her own understanding, he will fall short, for his understanding is limited.   We can position ourselves to discover truth, but we always get into trouble when we begin to create it, and creating truth usually happens when we base it on our understanding.   No one wants to admit their understanding and knowledge are limited, yet this is vital to grasp any absolute sense.   Knowing how or why the universe was created is unimportant compared to knowing Who created it. We often get lost in the quagmire of thought and ideas that elevate our limited understanding and diminish God’s unl...

Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Proverbs  3:13-15  (ESV)   Seeking wisdom and understanding is more valuable than seeking a good-paying job. However, it seems that seeking a good-paying job and performing at that job is most important to most Americans.   Perhaps this happens because our priorities are messed up. We often pay for what is unimportant and want what is most important for free. We pay a predetermined fee to watch a football game, but give an “offering” at church. We pay to watch a concert, but want free education for our children.   I wonder what a church would charge for admission on a  Sunday morning  if it calculated the expenses and divided them among the people?   When someone cares deeply about something and would do their jo...

Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine. Proverbs 3:9-10 (ESV)   How does one honor God with one’s wealth? We all have wealth, to different degrees. We have resources that are ours to manage, not our own. If we think we own things, we act like owners. If we manage things, we act like managers.   Owners have little accountability, while managers have much. Owners make decisions based on what suits them best, while managers make decisions based on what benefits the owner’s best interest.   When we talk about someone taking ownership, we mean that they act in accordance with ownership, not like the actual owner, for if they did, they would not last long.   All positions of authority on earth are stewardship positions, not ownership positions. Even if you own a business, you do not own it--God does--and one day you will give an account of how you use...