Tag Archives: the book of Proverbs

September 20
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“Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice, or the Lord will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from them.” (Proverbs 24:17-18, NIV)

The world maintains a “dance on the ashes of your enemy” approach to human relationships because it is too short-sighted to appreciate the long-term benefit of reconciliation.

As disciples of Jesus, we are His “ambassadors”; and as His ambassadors, we represent only His interests, not our own.

His interest, according to scripture, is not the condemnation of the world, but its salvation. (John 3:17) His purpose is not the perpetuation of the world’s estrangement from God, but its reconciliation to God. (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

In all that you do, endeavor to illuminate the path to reconciliation.  – Luther
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September 19
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“Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.” (Proverbs 23: 4-5, NIV)

There is an old ditty about money that goes like this: “Money talks, and that’s no lie; I heard it once, it said, ‘bye-bye.'”

God’s wisdom reminds of the deceitfulness of riches, and warns us of the perils of chasing money. The bumper sticker says, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” However, the “winner” still dies and all of the “toys” he has accumulated will pass to someone else in an estate sale — or in a garage sale — at a small fraction of the original retail price!

The wise person works for the treasure that “moth and rust cannot corrupt; and thieves cannot break-in and steal.” The wise person does not work for the treasure that is here today and gone tomorrow; but for the treasure that is earned today and is remembered by the Creator of the universe for all time.  – Luther

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September 18
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“Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.” (Proverbs 25:28, NIV)

Today’s proverb is reflected in the words of the modern philosopher, police detective Harry Callahan, as he stated in the 1973 movie, “Dirty Harry”: “A man’s got to know his limitations.”

We err on two fronts when we uncritically adopt the conventional wisdom that “the sky is the limit” when it comes to human endeavor. For example, much of our fatigue and lack of focus is due to our failure to preserve (and to observe) wholesome limits on our personal ambitions; or in protecting ourselves from the unvetted demands of others. Here, we err by excess.

We err by deficiency when we stop well-short of our personal boundaries (aka “limits”) for doing good. Have we reached the limit of our compassion for others? Have we reached the limit of our mercy for the oppressed? Have we reached the limit of our love for the unloved and for the unlovely?

To lack “self-control” is to deprive oneself of opportunities for blessing and good works, as much as it is to protect oneself from trouble.  – Luther

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