1 Samuel 9, Ecclesiastes 10, 2 Peter 3

God decided to give Israel what they wanted: a king. He chose Saul, a young man full of promise. Samuel followed God's leading and anointed Saul, even though he agreed with God, and warned the people, that they were better off without a king. Samuel was their leader. His position and influence could have been diminished by a king. But he trusted and obeyed God. Samuel could have focused on his insecurities or his worries about the future. Instead, he busied himself with the work at hand. Even with the real possibility it would all blow up in his face (and it did) he followed God's lead. Sometimes God's will looks like a disaster to us.

Solomon saw the excesses of the courts of his contemporaries and the ridiculous results. His own wisdom was the reason he rose above all other kings and queens. As the king, he understood the ways royalty procured information: reckless, open speech. He knew all he or his servants had to do was listen. Somebody would babble sooner or later. Let's not be known for our babbling, but for our listening.

When it seems the foolish and the wicked will rule forever, the Day of the Lord will come. The earth will burn up and judgment will be meted out. This is the true big picture. Until then, we are to live as wise ones, following God, listening to and trusting Him, no matter what.

Ruth 3, Proverbs 31, James 3

Courage. What a gutsy move! Ruth's heart must have pounded in her head as she bathed and dressed. Then as she snuck to the threshing floor, she may have had thoughts running in her mind such as, "You're crazy!" Or, "You're a foreigner. What makes you think Boaz will take you?" Or even, "What if he does take me? My reputation could be ruined."

Obedience. If Ruth made a list of the positives and negatives related to her choice, it would have come out even. There is only one real reason she went. Obedience. She knew Naomi's love for her and chose to obey the voice of love. Sometimes our decisions must be made solely in obedience to our Lord's voice of love.

Advice. King Lemuel's mother was concerned about two things. One, that Lemuel would stay away from women he wasn't married to, and two, that he stayed away from wine. She spends a little time dispensing wisdom on each subject before devoting great detail to qualities he should look for in a wife. Any ordinary woman wouldn't do for her son!

Example. The woman Lemuel chose to marry should be a hard worker and wise business person. Verse 18 may indicate spiritual provision rather than actual food. Either way, she is kind and generous. She reminds one of Ruth.

The final quality of a virtuous woman is the "bridled" tongue James describes. Controlled speech. Wise.

Ruth, the virtuous wife, and the person James describes together present a picture of the kind of woman I want to be.

Judges 11, Proverbs 19, Hebrews 4

God wants you. If you think you're a nobody and that God can't possibly use you to accomplish His purpose, then you read the right chapter today. Jephthah's experience dispels those thoughts. If we think some one else is unworthy of Christian fellowship because of their pedigree or their past, reading about Jephthah will disprove those notions. He is one example of many in the Bible where God chose the most unlikely candidates to carry out His missions.

Take it seriously. Jephthah is also an example of the seriousness of promising God we'll do something. The incident with his daughter is hard to understand. But a couple of things are clear.
1. A vow to God must be kept. 
2. We should carefully consider the vows we make and not spout off whatever pops into our heads in a moment of excitement. Consider the cost.

Wisdom, words, and action all go together. The wise person speaks only after careful thought and only the truth. She then acts in ways that are kind and merciful. A foolish person speaks without regard for truth or the well-being of others and her actions result in destruction.

The Power of Word. God spoke the world into existence, and then rested. The gospel of salvation brought through the work of the cross has been spoken, or preached, to us. The Word of God, scripture, is living and powerful. Jesus is our High Priest, to whom we can go for mercy and grace in our times of need. Let us hold fast our confession. If we say Jesus is Lord, we need to be prepared to live it out so we can enter the rest of heaven.

Live your words. Let's recognize that God wants to us each of us in His plans, accept the gift of salvation and live it out with wise words and actions.

Judges 9, Proverbs 17, Hebrews 2

Judges 9 is a gruesome, sad chapter. Israel followed the wrong man. Shechem followed the wrong man. Greed seemed to know no end, for a while. But eventually the gravy train ended, tempers flared, war broke out again, and judgment came against all who had put their trust in men, money, and power instead of God.

Hard lesson. The wisdom of Proverbs teaches that "he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished" (v.5) and "an evil man seeks only rebellion; therefore a cruel messenger will be sent against him." (v.11) Abimelech learned these lessons the hard way.

Don't Drift Away. "Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away." (v.1) We are in no less danger than Gideon and Abimelech of drifting away.

We have a Brother who will not betray us, but will come to our aid and intercede for us as our high priest. We need to stay in close fellowship with Him so that we don't allow anything to come between us and cause us to drift away.

Judges 2, Proverbs 10, 2 Timothy 3

Failure to go all the way with God produces shrinking faith, which produces apathy. Fervor cools. And children are the ones who suffer. Oh, they may get along alright as long as their parents live. But parents won't teach a faith they don't have. We are always just one generation away from losing families of faith.

Chapter ten is a list of wise sayings from Solomon. He wrote them for his son. He wanted to make sure to pass down some of the wisdom God gave him. He handed down his faith. Unfortunately, Solomon's words didn't always match his actions, and his son failed to pass the wisdom to his sons.

Paul handed down his faith to Timothy. He warned Timothy of the dangers lurking under the mask of hypocritical "Christians." These men appeared to be godly but their hearts were full of pride and haughtiness. Pleasure and money meant more to them than God. This sort is especially dangerous because of their outward appearance. Timothy had an advantage over the Israelites. He had scripture to read, along with Paul's letters. He possessed secret intelligence on the enemy hiding in plain sight.

We have the same secret intelligence. If we pay attention, we can avoid falling into the trap of apathy and idolatry. Then our faith will be powerful and our children will want to be like us. They'll love the Lord like we do. And one more generation will be saved.

Judges 1, Proverbs 9, 2 Timothy 2

Is God satisfied? The Lord told Moses and Joshua--and both men told the people--that God would give them all the land and that they should drive out all the inhabitants. But for some reason, the Israelites stopped short. A few excuses are mentioned, such as "chariots of iron" and determination on the part of the inhabitants of certain cities or regions. But that's all they were - excuses. Since when is God limited by mere facts? It can be easy to get most of the way through a difficult project, become comfortable with the victory so far, and rationalize putting off any further actions. "I just need to rest a while," we think. But that thought can turn into "This is enough for me. I'm satisfied." The question ought to be, "Is God satisfied?"

Is God pleased? Wisdom works hard. Folly drinks stolen water. Wisdom fears the Lord and gets to know Him. From a personal, loving relationship flows the desire to please God, to do whatever He asks. Wise people are students of the Bible who learn from God.

Is God finished? There is no half-way or almost-there stopping point with Jesus Christ. Warriors, athletes, and farmers all know this. The real truth is found in verse 12. "If we endure, we shall also reign with Him." Also, "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (verse 15) Jesus Christ completed His work on the cross and His will is for us to stay faithful to Him for the rest of our lives, no matter what happens or how hard life becomes.

Joshua 21, Proverbs 5, 1 Timothy 4

The Framework. The Levites, since they were priests and not warriors or farmers, were given cities scattered throughout the Promised Land. They needed places to live among the rest of the people. An interesting note is that five of the six cities of refuge were given to the Levites. The priests were in charge of the law and a "slayer" would have to wait for the death of the current high priest before moving back home. So we can see how God designed His nation to be ruled by His laws, carried out by the priests who should be godly men. It was set up to run beautifully. Did it? not always~because people fail. But God gave them the tools and framework for optimal operation.

The Pattern. God gives us the pattern for wisdom in chapter four. But in chapter five we find that everyone doesn't follow the pattern. Because people fail. But optimal living only happpens when we stay within the framework and follow the pattern.

The Result. Proverbs five constrasts two lifestyles, and so does 1 Timothy four. Failure to live a disciplined life has disastrous consequences. But following the Lord's instructions ends in the salvation of many.

Joshua 20, Proverbs 4, 1 Timothy 3

Reading about the cities of refuge again reminds us that God planned for forgiveness. It also illustrates part of His character: a place to find hope for the future when our circumstances might do us in. Another truth shines up at me from this page. The people had to go along with God's plan and actually designate the cities as refuges. They had to agree to let those people live, no matter what emotions might overtake them. Sometimes following the will of God goes against our emotional instincts.

Living wisely requires discipline. Choose to hear instruction (i.e. read the Bible), memorize scripture, guard your heart so that you aren't carried away by your emotions, only speak what is honest and true, make sure your eyes only see what they should and be careful where you go. Then you will be tuned in to the Lord's frequency.

Pastors and deacons are to be wise, disciplined men. Their wives must be also. But really, shouldn't the descriptions found here fit us all?

The great mystery is how God became man. It is no mystery how to live in wisdom, or to know that we need to forgive. But we can only do it by the grace of God, through the Holy Spirit, imparted to us because of the mystery.

Embrace the Mystery.

Joshua 18, Proverbs 2, 1 Timothy 1

Joshua's question to the remaining tribes tells on them. "How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers has given you?" Here they were, at last, in the Promised Land. And yet seven tribes watched their fellow Israelites take charge of their inheritance while hanging back and waiting. Waiting for what? That was what Joshua wanted to know. As God's mouthpiece, we can be sure Joshua voiced the question for God.

Were they afraid? Maybe. Lazy? Mm. Maybe. We don't know why they waited. But when Joshua broke it down into instructions, they obeyed. They conducted a survey, wrote the results in a book, and cast lots. Sounds very modern to me. "Conquer Your Enemies in Three Easy Steps."

Wisdom equals receiving God's words and treasuring His commands. When we do these things, God is our shield, guard and guide. Proverbs 2:21 says, "For the upright will dwell in the land, and the blameless will remain in it." Maybe the seven tribes needed to deal with a sin problem. Failure to receive God's words and treasure His commands leads one down a dark road. The seven tribes stood at the intersection. It was time to choose.

Paul instructs Timothy to teach sound doctrine: the reason for the law was to show sinners the truth about themselves, and the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ saves them from their way. Two, Hymenaeus and Alexander, stood at the intersection and chose the wrong way. Paul and Timothy chose the right way.

Is God calling you to choose His path? Is He leading you in a direction you hesitate to follow? Be like the seven tribes and stop procrastinating. God will break it down for you, step by step.

Joshua 17, Proverbs 1, 2 Thessalonians 3

I can just hear the whine in the voices of Manasseh's escendants as they complain to Joshua about the size of the land apportioned to them.
     "We're girls. We get some, too!"
     "We want more!"
     "We don't like that land, why can't we have something different?"
Joshua, like a patient, but firm, father, says, "Take it or leave it. But I believe you can do what it takes to make it yours."
But Machir wasn't whining with the others. And so, he was rewarded for being a man of war.

We are people of war. We must be willing to fight like Machir. Instead of physical enemies, we face intimidating spiritual enemies.

Wisdom comes from fear of the Lord. And a wise person, like the bird, sees the net cast to trap her. Recognizing and staying away from sin is part of the battle we fight. Reconnasance is essential in any war.

It takes discipline to be a good soldier. And wisdom. We need to recognize and stay away from sin not only in the world around us, but in the household of faith. This is where it gets difficult to see the net. We must have radar antennae like Martians. The only way we can sense danger is through prayer.

Joshua 9, Psalm 143, Colossians 4

Because God is in charge, He accomplishes His plans. The deceit of the Gibeonites didn't stop the Israelites from taking over their land and the gullibility of Joshua and his leaders didn't mean defeat. It meant making slaves of the Gibeonites instead of killing them. Joshua could have told the Gibeonites he wasn't bound to his promise because they deceived him. But he chose the "high road" and lived out the nature of God before them by keeping his word. One can only wonder how many of those slaves came to trust the Lord as their God because Joshua kept his word.

David asked the Lord for guidance in his struggle to stay one step ahead of his enemies. He approached his situation the right way, by asking advice from God. This stands in contrast to Joshua and his leaders because, as Joshua 9:14 says, " . . . but they did not ask counsel of the Lord." We can learn from this to always seek counsel from the Lord, both when we're facing trouble and when things seem peaceful, because we always need wisdom, even when life seems easy.

"Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside . . ." Colossians 4:5. Seeking God's counsel provides us wisdom in our dealings with people. By treating others as we ought, we never know when we might have an opportunity to "speak the mystery of Christ" to them. (verse 3)

Joshua 7, Psalm 141, Colossians 2

Joshua 7 is an ugly picture of sin and defiance that resulted in horrible judgment. There were actually several scenes.

1. The sin
2. The defeat in battle because of the sin
3. Joshua's anguish over the defeat when he didn't understand it, including his conversation with the Lord
4. The judgment

Sin always is more costly than we imagine it will be. Defiance against God always ends in destruction. The scene that grabbed me was Joshua's and his question of the Lord. "What will You do for Your Great Name?" This is the bottom line. It is all about God's Great Name. God's answer comes in the form of instructions. The first is "Get up!" Don't lie around feeling sorry for yourself. Here's what to do . . .

In times of great stress, when we don't understand what is happening, take it to the Lord, and don't lie around feeling sorry for yourself. Get busy doing what you know to do.

David knew the hazards of sin. In Psalm 141, he asks the Lord to keep  him pure.

Achan wanted treasure and tried to get it the wrong way. He was so focused on the things he saw that he couldn't see or obey the Lord. The real treasure is all wisdom and knowledge in God the Father and Jesus Christ. When we follow the treasure map - the Bible - we will solve the mystery and gain all the wealth found in the knowledge of God.

Deuteronomy 34, Psalm 134, Ephesians 5

When Moses died, it was the end of an era. The slavery experience, deliverance, wilderness experience, and tabernacle construction were finished. It was time to move on with a new leader. New beginnings are fresh starts, but they're even better than the first start because of the wisdom gained from what has gone before.

Yes, bless the Lord - the God of new beginnings. By standing in the house of the Lord at night, it indicates round-the-clock devotion and prayer and praise. Difficult times and good times should both drive us to our knees and lift our hands before our God.

Ephesians five can be summed up in two words: love and wisdom. If we love God and each other and pray day and night for wisdom, our new beginnings in Christ will be light-filled.

The Moses era was like night. Taking the Promised Land was a new day. When we are saved we pass from darkness to light. The Psalm passage is that--the passage--from dark to light.