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>Laziness, Proverbs 10:3-4

In family, Proverbs, Spiritual on July 5, 2010 by mstevensrev

>4 A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.
5 He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.

Appropriate rest is a big part of the Bible’s story, we are called to enter into God’s rest which is also known as Sabbath. The other side of sabbath is our calling to be diligent, which is a word I really like. This means regular attending to these things which need care. We are not entitled to things, which is a mistake many people make. As a Christian I believe everything we have, every good and perfect gift, is by God’s grace and here are some of he implications of that on our work:

Grace is a free gift…
You can’t earn it through your work.
You are not entitled to it because of your belief, birth, or knowledge.
You are now free to use what you have been given to it’s fullness, however much or little that might be, no hedging.
You can seek out work to be done without the pressure or weight of it all being dependent on you.
You can find blessings where they are expected (harvest) and where they are unexpected (summer).

One of my favorite Gospel illustrations is related to the myth of Sisyphus We live like Sisyphus cursed to push our rock up the hill never to satisfaction day after day. Through the cross of Christ Jesus takes our rock for us, therefore we are free! Able to assist pushing the rock, dance, run and play. We are complete free to risk and be diligent in all that we have been called to do.

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Articles

>Proverbs 10:1-3

In Bible, devotional, faith, family, Proverbs, Translation Services, work on July 4, 2010 by mstevensrev

>1 The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.

Families are connected. Even when I was younger I could tell that my actions as a son had deep effects upon my parents. Now that I am a parent I see the hopes I have for my kids and how their good and bad decisions effect me.

Proverbs was written to young business men, used to help train them in how to be successful in the way God would want. Perhaps it is because I am in my thirties or even because I’m not earning my living through working at the church, regardless I am amazed at how many men live for the approval and acknowledgement of their father. This drive is at the core of most men. They either receive it and know they are okay or are continually driven frantic in the pursuit of it.

That is not the same for men and boys with their mom. Mom will say “he was a nice boy” even while he sits on death row, approval is not the issue. Deep sadness and sorrow is though. Men and fathers will mask or remove themselves from the heartache, mom’s will never escape it.

To me both these pictures are found in the Gospel. In Jesus we have the full acceptance of the Father. So whether your dad is dead or alive, whether you have his approval or not, you can still know that you are fully accepted by your heavenly Father. Second he finds joymor delight in you. There are no step children with God, he chose you and you a his. You can completely blow in and his heart does not lose joy for you. He is on your side and with you.

2 Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death.

When I started in my first sales job there were many lessons. On important one was that the ends justified the means. When it was at the end of the month you forced through everything you could in order to get that larger check and keep your numbers up. At the end of the day everyone was looking at profit. God’s accounting does not work that way. He wipes that line clean. Sadly it took years for me to see that my work and how I do it matters, not just what position I am in at the end of the quarter.

There is a death that comes along with seeking profit at all cost. We see this all the time in our economy with these business that go down this road. Most recently the real-estate collapse, where tons of folks who could affording mortagages we sold them, now many are jobless and have lost their home. There is allittle bit of death we all experience with these events. Can we create, support, and work within business models that deliver from death raher then create it. These can be profitable world changing business and ideas, I mean why wouldn’t God want to make these service thrive! This is what his kingdom is about, Jesus did it through preaching and healing, and yet he said that after him we will do much greater things, what does that mean? I don’t know but do not limit your I imagination when it comes to the kingdom of God.

3 The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.

These three verses have a connection to me. How righteousness effects the family, how righteousness plays out in work, and how God cares for the righteous. Though we are encouraged to not solely focus on profit, we can have peace that God is focus on our bottom line! He will not let you go hungry, so go for it. Let your hope and imagination run wild.

One of my favorite quotes is from Bill Gates who was asked how much money is enough, his response “one more dollar”. You can judge for yourself whether Bill Gates is wicked, he’s done more to effect the world for probably both good and bad then most people who live so I’m uncertain how to even judge. His statement though express a desire and drive that i find in my own heart. That craving that regardless of what I have a little more will satisfy. God can thwart that craving, his plan undermines these folks.

Dreams, one of my favorite recent stories is about the dream Karin, my wife, and I shared at the end of my first year of my current job. I had just gone through a major transition from full time vocational ministry into selling localization services. It had been a great year and we decided to let it ride in this direction, before that there was always a thought in the back of our minds I’d try to get a church job again. So we prayed and we dreamed. I made a list of all the clients I wanted to have within technology to sell localization to, I talked about being the top salesperson in the entire industry. Within one year every company I had named I was working with. I’m in a position that people work their entire career to secure, and God deserves all praise. Even as I share that story I am left wondering when was the last time I dreamed that way? What is the next exciting only attainable through the work of God hope that I have? The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry!

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Articles

>Proverbs 9:13-18, the way of the fool

In Bible, Mornings, Proverbs on June 30, 2010 by mstevensrev

>13 The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing.
14 She sits at the door of her house; she takes a seat on the highest places of the town,
15 calling to those who pass by, who are going straight on their way,
16 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” And to him who lacks sense she says,
17 “Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

Folly is also calling, just like wisdom. That makes following her understandable. On top of that we are told that the immediate result we get with her feels good, sweet, and pleasant. When I start acting that way it becomes intoxicating. So if you are there or have been there it’s okay and understandable, forgive yourself and God will forgive you as well. Also pay attention because her end, Lady Folly, is death. Not just death like end, but death like very bad place. You will end up in a mess that you do not want to be in.

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Articles

>Proverbs 9:7-12, do what with the fool.

In Bible, Mornings, Proverbs on June 28, 2010 by mstevensrev

>7 Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
11 For by me your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life.
12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

These seems like very simple instructions. Though when you are in the circumstance and it is intense are a sweet reminder as to why younger facing difficulty. There are people who aree scoffers and wicked that will simoke tear into you. Often I assume since what I’m. sharing is right or good that it will be received. When it isn’t, I often question myself. That INS a very bad thing to do when dealing with wicked or scoffers.

This also challenges me to speak words of correction, which are not my favorite thing to do. I don’t like getting them most of the time, and I don’t like giving them. Yet there are wise people out there, and they love truth. How will in ever gove someone the chance to demonstrate if they are wicked or wise? And their reaction is not a reflection on me. Plus it is a path to love. That is motivating.

Verse 10 is another summary of the book of Proverbs. Fear of the Lord, not man, wife, job, children, or death…but fear of the Lord. You will live long if you get this and you will not be left alone.

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Articles

>The secret joy of racing

In Uncategorized on June 26, 2010 by mstevensrev

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Articles

>Proverbs 9:1-6

In Proverbs, Theology on June 22, 2010 by mstevensrev

>1 Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars.
2 She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table.
3 She has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town,
4 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” To him who lacks sense she says,
5 “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight.”

This is a greets invitation. Food, wine, and simple enough for the simple to get it. There are many complicated things in this life, but wisdom clearly demonstrates that there see also clear simple things too.

Too often we confuse ourselves or others confuse us by making things overly complicated. This is a trick. Do what you can to understand what you can and make that clear to others. Acknowledge where things are grey and you are not sure, nothing wrong with that. Too often I feel taken advantage by others with complicated arguments, I feel that somehow they are just smarter than me and I am the one lacking wisdom. While sometimes the case, often it is not. Stick to the simple things of God, do them, and you will see.

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Articles

>Proverbs 8:32-36

In devotional, faith, Proverbs on June 20, 2010 by mstevensrev

>32 “And now, O sons, listen to me: blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it.
34 Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors.
35 For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD,
36 but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death.”

This is the close for Lady Wisdom, probably going to be very costly right? Listen. That’s all. Listen to her, wait, find her. Everyone knows this is the hardest thing to do at times. We have agendas, passions, important things that others must be made aware of or else they will never know. Wisdom requires we set that to the side and give an attentive heart or ear.

To me this is a clear connection with Proverbs and the Gospel. The Gospel is good news and calls that we also listen. 95% of what Christians believe is similar to any other moral code from the existence of civilization. Yet the 5% that is based on set aside what you are driven by and listen, wait, find Jesus is very different. In Proverbs wisdom is personified by Lady Wisdom, in the New Testament Wisdom is incarnated in Jesus, who was fully God and fully man. That which is still fuzzy in Proverbs is made clear in the person of Jesus Christ.

This instruction to listen is followed by a promise (or blessing) and a consequence (or a curse). Favor comes along with watching and finding. If you are too busy talking, not looking, distracted you injure yourself and you love death. To me this is one of those places you should not over think, the message is clear life or death.

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Articles

>Proverbs 8:22-31

In Uncategorized on June 14, 2010 by mstevensrev

>22 “The LORD possessed me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old.
23 Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth,
26 before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world.
27 When he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
28 when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep,
29 when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
30 then I was beside him, like a master workman, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always,
31 rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the children of man.

So far wisdom has told us who she lives with, who she walks with, and now she gets old school by telling us that she has been around since the beginning of all creation.

This is not an explanation of what happened at he beginning though there is obviously clear connection to the Hebrew view of creation. The keys tom seeing that are water, mountains, things with shape that are made, earth, the deep and of there being the great Creator very present.

.wisdom being there from the beginning means a few things to me:

She is good for all time. I live in the moment and want a quick scheme to get me through, probably not wisdom.
She is uniquely connected with God, the ungodly may show it but that is a gift to them fromGod alone.
She delights in us, we have great capacity for her.
She is a complement to knowing God.

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Articles

>Proverbs 8:12-21

In Uncategorized on June 10, 2010 by mstevensrev

>12 "I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion.
13 The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.
14 I have counsel and sound wisdom; I have insight; I have strength.
15 By me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just;
16 by me princes rule, and nobles, all who govern justly.
17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.
18 Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and my yield than choice silver.
20 I walk in the way of the righteous, in the paths of justice,
21 granting and inheritance to those who love me, and filling their treasures.

Living with someone is a big deal, often time whether Christian or not it is entered into with much fear, prayer and trembling. So who does wisdom live with?

Prudence-certainly not sexy, yet doesn't mean boring either. Not flaunting unnecessarily
Knowledge-knowing the correct way to act and doing it
Discretion-no unnecessary attention

These three may not be the life of the party, but maybe that is the point. Doing what is right because it is right rather than having to steal the spotlight, and you give others the chance to have their day.
There are some really big assumptions taken by Ms Wisdom in this section. The assumption with evil is that it really exists here and you know it when you see it. Not as complicated as often we experience, simple pride and arrogance and perverted speech are what God hates. Lord knows I need to repent of all of these.
Also Kings, rulers and those in charge are seeking wisdom. That is so wild and foreign for us in our very skeptical culture. What would it mean for us to give those in power, influence, and with resources the benefit of the doubt that they are seeking wisdom? We wouldn't have to put ourselves or others at risk, but trust you boss the next time he or she makes a suggestion rather than feeling like you have to battle the man all the time. My own suspicious nature has been revealed to me to be false more often than I can express.
Maybe if we are less suspicious of these folks we might even have a God given desire to be them. Live as rulers and rich people who seek wisdom, who aren't ruled by possessions but rather use them to honor God and love our neighbor as ourselves. As long as I am incorrectly critical of these folks why would I ever want to be them, I'd never put in the hard work to do it. Rather God is using those in authority for His good in life, so I am grateful, I pray for them, I long to see the place where they seek out wisdom, and I hope that God will continue to use them in my life and the lives of others.
Not only are wisdom’s housemates important, so are her walking partners.
Righteousness – choosing good all the time
justice – the pursuit of fairness for all of God’s creation

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Articles

>Proverbs 8 :1-11

In Bible, Proverbs, work on June 8, 2010 by mstevensrev

>The Blessing of Wisdom

1 Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice?
2 On the heights beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand;
3 beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:
4 “To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the children of man.
5 O simple ones, learn prudence; O fools, learn sense.
6 Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right,
7 for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.
9 They are all straight to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge.
10 Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold,
11 for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.

Here is the second woman reaching out to men is the streets in the book of Proverbs, Wisdom or in verse one she is also called understanding. The substance of her message varies from the other woman of proverbs in that Wisdom raises herself up whereas the other woman talks about what you can get away with. Wisdom in this passage appears more self centered, though her benefits are also clearly listed.

Her words are straight – no confusion, she says what she means
Right – that means good all the time
Better than our desires – this is the biggest difference between the two ladies, the first only talked about how she can fulfill the desires of young men. Wisdom simply says she is better than those desires. Often those desires get fulfilled or change. God does not leave you hanging forever with things you desire, now that’s not to say that His timing is my timing so I might feel like it is taking forever. What are these better things:
Instruction-there is a way that life just works out better, we can fight it, try to be more enlighten, but at the end of all our striving God has created the world with a particular order and we thrive when we work within it
Knowledge-the right thing to do at the right moment, knowledge separate from action is mental masturbation. One professor in seminary I had said that you never know something until you live it and I agree.
Wisdom-knowledgeable insight into the way the world works that allows you to take and instruct others in right action. This will be looked at in depth throughout the rest of this chapter and as the theme of Proverbs looked at through the rest of the book.

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