Tag: Devotional

To Smart to Work? (Proverbs 26)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

Pro 26:12-19 NKJV Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? [There is] more hope for a fool than for him. (13) The lazy [man] says, “[There is] a lion in the road! A fierce lion [is] in the streets!” (14) [As] a door turns on its hinges, So [does] the lazy [man] on his bed. (15) The lazy [man] buries his hand in the bowl; It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth. (16) The lazy [man is] wiser in his own eyes Than seven men who can answer sensibly. (17) He who passes by [and] meddles in a quarrel not his own [Is like] one who takes a dog by the ears. (18) Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death, (19) [Is] the man [who] deceives his neighbor, And says, “I was only joking!”

Dear Daughter, I’ll never forget an article I read several years ago about a man who died in India trying to take a selfie. He stood on a ledge to get the perfect social media post and fell off to his demise. The article sited that a staggering number of folks died each year taking a selfie. Selfies in and of themselves aren’t lethal, it’s when the person taking them begins to imagine that the laws of physics or laws of the jungle don’t apply to them. They are “wiser in their own eyes” than the warning sign. They think they have it handled and under control… until they don’t.

There is no reasoning with someone who is wise in their own eyes. They will come up with reasons not to work, “that job is too dangerous, there is a lion in the road so I can’t get to work today.” They think they are the smartest person in the room and they will help you feel it too. They’ll even try to solve someone else’s problem by inserting themselves into a situation that doesn’t belong to them. They’ll criticize harshly and then say they were just joking… all these are the luxuries of a man who is always right in his own eyes. These narcistic lazy men are always right and can’t be corrected. If you find one, run! Don’t go on a date with one and don’t bring one home. He won’t be content to destroy his own life! He’ll destroy yours too if you let him! Men Boys like this aren’t to be given the time of day. Life has enough drama without them.

Father, thank you for the blessing of raising my children. I pray you watch over them today. I pray that you keep them from becoming lazy and that you would keep them from people who are always right in their own eyes. Lord, I know this culture seems to be shifting. I pray though that you would turn the tide. I pray that there would be enough folks who recognize the insanity of the current philosophies being absorbed into our culture to turn the tide. I pray that we would once again be an industrious nation filled with producers. In Jesus Amen.

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Self Control (Proverbs 25)

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Pro 25:6-7, 14, 16, 27-28 NKJV Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king, And do not stand in the place of the great; (7) For [it is] better that he say to you, “Come up here,” Than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, Whom your eyes have seen. … (14) Whoever falsely boasts of giving [Is like] clouds and wind without rain. … (16) Have you found honey? Eat only as much as you need, Lest you be filled with it and vomit. … (27) [It is] not good to eat much honey; So to seek one’s own glory [is not] glory. (28) Whoever [has] no rule over his own spirit [Is like] a city broken down, without walls.

Dear Son, I heard a story about a man who was supposed to be the rightful king of a nation but his brother held him prisoner and ruled in his stead. The brother was a clever man. To keep the rightful king imprisoned all he did was place him in a room with narrow doors that a regular man could fit through. Each day he ordered a large array of delicious food, sweets, and pastries sent up to the kings room and each day the king showed no self control and ate everything. The result was that he was too fat to leave the room. Certainly his wicked brother made sure the food was available, but the king had become a prisoner of his own appetite.

So it is with a man who has no self-control. He could be free to live in the world, yet he is held captive by his tastes and impulses. He hasn’t leaned to say, “That’s enough.” It’s healthy to practice self control and place limits on your consumption. In my life there are times where I have fasted every Thursday for an extended period of weeks. There have also been times when I’ve given up sweets or coffee for 40 days. I wish I had learned these disciplines earlier in my life. The reason I do them now is that I don’t want my appetite for these things to rule me. It’s also true that I’ve limited my freedoms by my lack of self-control in the past.

Self control isn’t just about overeating. It is also about controlling your tongue and knowing when to speak and when to hold your peace. It’s about knowing the thoughts you have and being able to filter them to express yourself in a way that is appropriate for the moment. It’s about not spending the money that’s in your pocket and holding on to it to pay your bills or save up for a big expense. It’s about knowing who is coming behind you and making sure that there is room for them as well. My prayer for you is that you will be known as a man with self control.

Father, thank you for the grace of being a dad. I pray for my children to know how to control themselves. There is so much I wish I had leaned earlier about self control. I pray they all learn in now while they are young and practice selfcontrol for your glory and their freedom. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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The House of A Lazy Man (Proverbs 24)

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Pro 24:12, 30-34 NKJV (12) If you say, “Surely we did not know this,” Does not He who weighs the hearts consider [it]? He who keeps your soul, does He [not] know [it]? And will He [not] render to [each] man according to his deeds? … (30) I went by the field of the lazy [man], And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding; (31) And there it was, all overgrown with thorns; Its surface was covered with nettles; Its stone wall was broken down. (32) When I saw [it], I considered [it] well; I looked on [it and] received instruction: (33) A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest; (34) So shall your poverty come [like] a prowler, And your need like an armed man.

Dear Daughter, It can be difficult to know when you are being lazy. Inside of our heads we all have different thoughts and ideas about things. One of the lies we are most tempted to tell ourselves is, “I’m tired, I deserve a break, I’ll get to that tomorrow.” If we aren’t careful our tomorrows will add up and we’ll end up in a mess or worse things will fall into disrepair. Better to do today the work that is in front of you. It’s amazing how little effort is actually needed to do a job that needs doing right away and how much effort it takes to comeback to a task that has been waiting for a few days.

Don’t put off your future. Do what needs to be done today. There is only one day of the week where you need to say, “That can wait until tomorrow.” That day is the Lord’s day where we honor Him by our rest and reflection, but all other days we are to honor Him by our work and productivity.

Father, thank you for the grace of being a dad. I pray that my children are all diligent to use the time and abilities you have given them to work in your world. I pray that they wouldn’t be lazy, but that they would be diligent to put their hands to whatever task you put in front of them. I pray they would seek after you in all things and not load their future with intentions, but live powerfully present lives. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Alcohol (Proverbs 23)

On By pastorjonathanIn Devotional1 Comment

[Pro 23:29-35 NKJV] (29) Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? (30) Those who linger long at the wine, Those who go in search of mixed wine. (31) Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, [When] it swirls around smoothly; (32) At the last it bites like a serpent, And stings like a viper. (33) Your eyes will see strange things, And your heart will utter perverse things. (34) Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, Or like one who lies at the top of the mast, [saying]: (35) “They have struck me, [but] I was not hurt; They have beaten me, but I did not feel [it]. When shall I awake, that I may seek another [drink]?”

Dear Son, You have alcoholic’s on both sides of your family tree so you have seen everything illustrated here already in your life. Just in case you have forgotten alcohol takes more than it gives. It’s taken our family members. As a pastor I’ve seen families torn apart by alcohol. I’ve seen it put men in an early grave. I often wonder what type of grandfather I would have if it weren’t for alcohol and I often wonder if you wouldn’t still have yours if it weren’t for alcohol. I have tears in my eyes as I remembering these men reduced to slobbering drunks falling down, laughing, needing help, crying, saying stupid stupid things. Alcohol will quite literally make you a fool!

I probably ought not post too much here because I don’t want to say anything more than the scriptures on this point. It should be apparent that alcohol is not the way to wisdom. It will not help you make your best life decisions. It will not help you to be ready in an emergency situation. It will not enable you to put your best foot forward.

Father thank you for the gift of being a dad. I pray that my children are not lead astray by alcohol. I pray that whatever hurts they experience in life that they are able to process them through trusting in you and the counsel of many great friends. I pray that you would guard them from alcohol and its abuse. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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TRAIN UP A CHILD (Proverbs 22)

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Pro 22:6, 15 NKJV Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. … (15) Foolishness [is] bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him.

Dear Son, when the Corona Virus hit we were blessed with a bumper crop of blackberries and we set out to make a pie. I dumped a bunch of cumin onto the berries thinking it was cinnamon. Fortunately I smelled my mistake before it went too far. We took a ton of time to wash all the cumin off the berried and replaced it with cinnamon.

Raising children can be like that. A lot of what we put in them comes out later. We always tried to sow good habits into your life. We taught you to read your bible, be present with God’s people in church, love others sacrificially, and so on. As you grow I hope that stuff continues to show up in your life and pray that it gets passed down to your children for generations.

However, there were somethings we didn’t want to come out of your life later that we addressed while you were young. We tried to wash you of your bad habits. Hopefully you can face life with a good attitude, you don’t chew your fingernails, pick your nose, or pass gas in public. There are other foolishness’s we’ve addressed while you were young.

I pray one day you look back with gratitude for where we trained you up right and where we drove foolishness away. I pray that as you raise your own children one day that you prepare them for life by challenging the foolish behaviors and showing them the way to go.

Father, thank you for the privilege of raising my children. I pray that we lay a solid foundation of dependence and trust on Jesus Christ that my children will follow after. I pray that you will guard them from foolishness. Give me wisdom to know how to honor you in parenting them. Thank you for your immense grace. In Jesus’ Name amen.

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Better To Be In A Deer Stand In A Blizzard Than At Home With An Angry Woman By The Fire (Proverbs 21)

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Pro 21:9, 19 NKJV Better to dwell in a corner of a housetop, Than in a house shared with a contentious woman. … (19) Better to dwell in the wilderness, Than with a contentious and angry woman.

Dear Son and Daughters, I knew a man who married a woman who had a lot of problems. He thought he was her knight in shinning armor and he’d fix all her problems. He thought if he married her he’d take care of all her problems. But marriage doesn’t work that way. After they were married she still had all her problems. Finally he was so exhausted of trying to be everything for her that he simply quit trying. He just bore her nagging and complaining. To this day he is a bitter old man who is married to a nagging wife who still expects him to do everything for her. There is no peace in their house, even when company is over. He’d rather be outside, in the elements than be home with a woman who is angry all the time.

I suppose both the man and the woman could have gone about things differently. This woman wasn’t likely to change, her husband would always be picking up the pieces, and one day he never envisioned the day that he’d get tired of picking up the pieces. He didn’t see it then, but he sees it now. Marriage doesn’t fix or change people it amplifies the character traits and flaws we already have. The only one who can change how they behave is you.

I also know of a man who worshipped his job. He felt valued and appreciated there and so he worked all the overtime he could. He left his young wife at home with their young children. She rarely ever had any other adult conversations and it seemed like he was never home. When he was home she was bitter all the time. He had done an excellent job providing for his family, but he had done a poor job caring for his wife and children. He didn’t realize the contention at home was something he created. Rather than home being a haven, home became hostile because he forgot to nurture the most important relationships in his life.

The home should be a haven for both husband and wife. It should shelter and nurture both partners. You should seek to make the environment of your home a place where you want to be with your spouse. Too often one partner chases the other out of the house by creating a hostile environment of nagging, nitpicking, and rage. There is something wrong with both husband and wife when a man would rather be outside in the bitter elements than at home with his wife. The way out of that situation is to avoid it to begin with. Before you get married make sure you can navigate difficult issues together and once you are married seek to nurture your relationship with one another.

Look up and agree to Ephesians 5 as being a baseline for your marriage.

Father, Thankyou for the gift of raising my children. I pray that they live in households filled with love built on the solid rock of Jesus Christ. Give them grace to find the right sort of spouse and grace to live in peace and harmony with one another. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Any Fool Can Start a Quarrel (Proverbs 20)

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Pro 20:3-5 NKJV [It is] honorable for a man to stop striving, Since any fool can start a quarrel. (4) The lazy [man] will not plow because of winter; He will beg during harvest and [have] nothing. (5) Counsel in the heart of man [is like] deep water, But a man of understanding will draw it out.

Dear Son, It’s easier to start a fight than it is to walk away. I know because I started too many and walked away from too few growing up. The middle knuckle on my right hand hold a scar left by the tooth of one of my friends. A fool told me that my friend had pushed me into my locker on purpose. I chased him down the hall to ask why he pushed me and another fool said the word, “Fight!” By the time I caught my friend it seems like the whole school crowded around and chanted that word, “Fight! Fight! Fight!”... I should have walked away at that moment because there was no real reason to fight. That would have been the honorable thing to do, or perhaps not even walk down that hallway. But I didn’t do the honorable thing that day. I struck my friend in the mouth, cut my knuckle, was sent home, got suspended, and still carry the scar to this day.

Fights aren’t just physical. Some folks can create tension in regular work environments by what they say. They offer verbal jousts trying to get a rise out of others. They pick at you and pick at you and should you give into your baser instincts you’d punch them back, but you may have enough resolve to want to keep your job that you don’t physically retaliate, but you offer your own verbal jousts in return. Any fool can enter into such a war of words or picking, but it takes a man with character to walk away when he is being verbally assaulted.

Sometimes you’ll be the one who in your heart of hearts wants to start a quarrel over a minor issue. Maybe someone else left a project incomplete or has made your job harder. You’ll be tempted to curse their name loudly, to gossip about their irresponsibility, or malign their character with your words. You’d do well to remember that any fool can start a fight, but it takes a man to walk away from one. These fights are best avoided when they are never started.

Sometimes its actually harder for fight for peace by walking away than it is to punch someone or say something. The ultimate model we have of a man of peace like this is Jesus who even though he was reviled and mocked willingly went to the cross for our sins. My prayer is that you grow to be more like Jesus every day.

Father, thank you for the grace of speaking to my children. I pray that you will cause them to be a men and women of peace. Let them be so filled with character that when I fight comes to their doorstep they are able to pursue peace. I pray that you give them cooler head and a greater perspective. I ask for a character of godliness to be developed in each child. May your grace ever be present in their lives. In Jesus name, Amen.

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Finish What You Start (Proverbs 19)

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Pro 19:16, 24 NKJV He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, [But] he who is careless of his ways will die. … (24) A lazy [man] buries his hand in the bowl, And will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.

Dear Son, follow through. The world if filled with people who start something but never finish. The word we use for that today procrastination. Some people even take pride in the fact that they are procrastinators. Don’t be a procrastinator. Procrastinators use the excuse, “I’ll get to that later.”

Procrastinators begin a project with gusto ready to conquer the world. Their heads are full of ideas ready to be worked out. Yet when they choose one and start to work on it, they feel bored and boxed in. They don’t want to actually do the work to bring their dream to a reality. You see procrastinators are actually lazy.

You never get “the best” from a procrastinator because they wait until the last minute to meet a deadline. They actually then turn that around and use it as an excuse for why something is broken, missing, etc. They imagine that the world is full of sympathy because they had this issue, or something came up, etc. Certainly the ills of life do happen, but they happen to a procrastinator on every project, every time.

Be someone who has follow through. If you commit to do something, do it with all of your might, even when it get’s boring in the middle. Be someone who delights in a finished product (not just ideas). Be one who holds yourself to a higher standard (not one who thinks everyone should empathize because after all you just threw this together 30 minutes ago). Don’t be Lazy.

The reason I guess I’m so hard on procrastinators is that I’ve been one. I almost didn’t graduate college because I procrastinated on delivering my thesis for nearly a year! I always found something more interesting, urgent, fun to do and put off writing my paper until it could be put off no longer. I wonder how much quicker things would have happened if I had the discipline to sit down and work when it wasn’t fun. The irony is that I’ve actually come to enjoy the writing process. It just took work to get me there.

Father, thank you for the grace of speaking truth into the lives of my children. I pray that they wouldn’t be lazy. I pray that they finish what they start. I pray that whatever they put their hand to has purpose and meaning and they feel the pride and joy of hearing “job well done!” when they have completed a task. I ask for your grace to move in their lives to cause them to be productive not just with tasks, but for the kingdom of God. Let them be those who aren’t afraid to attempt the great things that you are calling them too. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Prayer

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How Will You Use Your Words? (Proverbs 18)

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Pro 18:2, 4, 6-8, 23-24 NKJV A fool has no delight in understanding, But in expressing his own heart. … (4) The words of a man’s mouth [are] deep waters; The wellspring of wisdom [is] a flowing brook. … (6) A fool’s lips enter into contention, And his mouth calls for blows. (7) A fool’s mouth [is] his destruction, And his lips [are] the snare of his soul. (8) The words of a talebearer [are] like tasty trifles, And they go down into the inmost body. … (23) The poor [man] uses entreaties, But the rich answers roughly. (24) A man [who has] friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend [who] sticks closer than a brother.

Dear Daughter, most people just want to be heard. I’ve listened to thousands of people over the years and most are experts at getting to the topic that is most on their heart at that moment. Sometimes it’s about how proud they are as parents. Some times its about heartache and loss. Sometimes its a story about what they just experienced. Sometimes it’s a lie they want you to believe. Most of the time they just want you to hear them.

But we are people too and too often we are striving so hard to be heard that we don’t listen well. Someone once said, “you have two ears and one mouth, use them in proportion.” Not bad advice if you really want to make friends and influence people. Indeed you will make more friends by being a good active listener than by just trying to say what’s on your mind.

We all need to share what is on our minds sometimes but a fool is one who wants to speak their mind without hearing from others. More than making you a good friend, listening will give you insight into others. It will allow you to help people. But even here you need to be careful about who you listen to and the sort of things they say. You don’t need to listen to gossip. You don’t need to listen to liars. You don’t need to listen to scoffers.

The question before you is how will you use your words? I pray that you will be one who knows when to speak and when to be silent. I pray that you listen and prove yourself to be a good friend to those who need one and that others would be a good friend to you. I pray that you will know when to walk away from a conversation and when to stick around and learn something.

Father, Thank you for the gift of being a dad. I pray for my children to know you and walk with you in integrity. I pray that they will know the value of their words. I pray that they will speak and offer validation and affirmation when it is needed. I pray that they will listen well to their friends and that their friends will listen to them. I pray that you guard them from listening to lies, gossip, or even just idle scoffing. Let their words be a refreshment to those around them and always point others to your graciousness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Hold Your Peace (Proverbs 17)

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Pro 17:14, 27-28 NKJV (14) The beginning of strife [is like] releasing water; Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts. … (27) He who has knowledge spares his words, [And] a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. (28) Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; [When] he shuts his lips, [he is considered] perceptive.

Dear Son, there are some things that once you start it’s hard to stop until everything if finished. One of those things is urinating (that is what is intended by ‘releasing water’ in verse 14). To try and stop this task before it’s over may leave you with a greater urgency for release than when you started. So it is with quarrelling. You think you might just say a word about someone and stop, but then they say something back, and so you feel you have to set the record straight and so on. Then it’s not long before other people start picking sides in the quarrel saying things over and over about one another until it seems like there is nothing but hatred and rage.

The best way to stop an unnecessary fight is to make sure you never start one. The best way to avoid starting a fight is to hold your tongue. The world is full of fools who speak to a matter or about a person without understanding. We just lived through the covid-19 pandemic and one of the greatest threats we faced wasn’t the virus itself but people picking sides over issues they didn’t even fully understand. Fools took to social media to spout their opinion about everything.

It can be difficult to hold your peace when you are provoked. There will be times when you feel that you need say something, but it’s better to let it go without comment. It’s wise to learn when something is just not your fight or not worth fighting over. Peace is often won not by appeasing someone else’s wrath, but by holding back your own from ever starting. Win the battle within and you’ll be considered wise. Learn to hold your peace.

Father, thank you for the grace of watching my children grow. I pray that you would build your character in each one of them. I pray that they would all learn to hold their peace. That when they feel the urge to say a word to start a quarrel or gossip about someone that they would have sense to hold off and hold the peace. Give them gracious tongues that build up and don’t tear down. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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