Bragging On Jesus

Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 28:11 A rich man is wise in his own eyes, but a poor man who has understanding will find him out. 12 When the righteous triumph, there is great glory, but when the wicked rise, people hide themselves. 13 Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. 14 Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity. In verse 11 Solomon starts us out today with what appears to be a comparison taking two examples to their reasonable extreme in order to highlight the point he is making. Here we see a rich man and a poor man. But in keeping with the way chapter 28 is written I believe the implication is that these are also a wicked and a righteous man. So using the extreme vastness of the example we see that whether a man is rich or middle class or poor or anywhere in between… If he is wise in his own eyes… if he is prideful… he will be found

Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 28:10 Whoever misleads the upright into an evil way will fall into his own pit, but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance. Solomon does a great job painting a picture of an evil person leading someone in a bad way. It could be this wicked person is simply exalting himself and trying to set himself up as a mentor to a righteous person. Some people thrive on having people like them and think they are cool… It makes them feel good when people see them as a leader… even a rebel who gets what they want and don't take no lip from anyone… and they want approval and acceptance for who they are. So many times they would likely be trying to lead someone down a road they were familiar with… their own territory if you will.. one they have traveled on many times. Evil men tend to exalt their own wickedness as a kind of exalted glory toward others. It could be that kind of leading. But it also could be that he is leading this righteous person

Proverbs 28:4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law strive against them. 5 Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it completely. 6 Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways. 7 The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding, but a companion of gluttons shames his father. 8 Whoever multiplies his wealth by interest and profit gathers it for him who is generous to the poor. 9 If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination. ... ... Well, Verse 4 starts us out by saying how those who disobey God are not praising him… they are not worshipers of God… ... Thats a heart issue. We’ve talked a lot about that… ... When from the heart we forsake Gods word, our praise or… our worship goes to those who are wicked. ...and most of the time to his own self… ... Of course, that was satans sin which caused his fall and that was the temptation he brought to Eve which l

For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 28:3 A poor man who oppresses the poor is a beating rain that leaves no food. So here is a verse which can also be translated a couple different ways. Listen to the audio for more on this. (out of space) If this is referring to a leader…. think of this: You know that a good rain is good for growing crops. If a leader as a beating rain… its’ a bad thing; he should be one who brings nourishment and things needed for prospering and growth to the poor and not be as one who takes advantage of them as easy prey. On the other hand, a poor man who oppresses the poor reminds me of the parable Jesus gave in Matthew 18. A servant owed the king 10,000 talents… that was a ton of money which he could not pay. The king ordered that his wife and children and all that he had be sold and applied to his debt. The servant begged the king for mercy and the king forgave him the debt in full. This was a poor man right? Here’s what he did next: Matthew 18:28 But when that same ser

Proverbs 28:2 When a land transgresses, it has many rulers, but with a man of understanding and knowledge, its stability will long continue. “When a land transgresses” I think this might be paraphrased as: when the people of a land sin… Solomon says they will have many rulers. That does make sense in my mind because though sin makes a lot of promises, it never satisfies the people of the land. So many times I think that the leadership reflected the sinfulness of the people… and Solomon seems to make that connection because he begins talking about the sin of the people being reflected in the number of rulers and he ends the verse speaking of a man of understanding… i suspect that would be a good ruler… he brings long periods of stability so theres a connection there also. Anyway, as for the people… since sin does not bring true satisfaction its typical that they might wind up blaming the leadership for all their discontentment instead of their sin. So in times of monarchs oftentimes there would be assassin

Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion. Here’s a verse that throws in the face of what the wicked person portrays about himself. The wicked man is the one who roars right?. He is the bully at school that picks on the smaller kids. He is the one who pursues others in dark alleys with knives and guns. These may even have admiring followers in school or in gangs or even on the job who back them up and give a sense of credibility… these paint themselves as the king of the jungle, bold and unafraid. But Solomon teaches us that underneath their facade they are not fierce lions at all but scaredy cats. You see, their lifestyle of wickedness carries with it a long list of bullying and taking from and taking advantage of and using others. Yes, in school and daily life including at work. They are deceivers and manipulators who have learned that by building and puffing themselves up... by being aggressive and domineering their pretense becomes a defensive tool as well a

Proverbs 13:18 Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is honored. 19 A desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but to turn away from evil is an abomination to fools. I was just thinking… you know, poverty may come to a person for a number of different reasons… Sickness may be the catalyst that brings it on. ... but not necessarily with disgrace attached to it like todays passage mentions. Poverty may overtake someone because they were taken advantage of by another; right? Sometimes people are born into a poor country with few opportunities or they are born blind or deaf which keeps them lacking… So I suppose there are lots of reasons poverty overtakes someone. Still, I think a case could be made that at least some of these other reasons for poverty are somehow linked with ignoring good instructions around them. Covid-10 might come from ignoring social distancing guidelines… Going broke in business comes quite often to those who ignore good business rules… Even laz

Proverbs 16:21 The wise of heart is called discerning, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness. 22 Good sense is a fountain of life to him who has it, but the instruction of fools is folly. Solomon tells us about two good traits that a wise person might learn or gain in life. The passage begins with these 4 words: “The wise of heart”. Everything we do in life flows from our heart in some sort or fashion. “The wise of heart is called discerning” Discernment is using good tools that help us make good decisions and form trustworthy opinions and beliefs. ... For example we use our 5 senses to make many decisions in life right? These are good tools God has given us. With our eyes we see a fire on the stove and with our hand we feel heat resonating from it so we use discernment and decide not to put our hand into the flames… On the other hand, bad discernment would be… That blue flame is pretty! I wonder what it feels like… ... Good discernment is needed in every area of our life. Every day from the m

Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. 19 It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud. 20 Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord. Alright… well, pride goes before destruction… Maybe you’re like me and have heard this quoted many times. Solomon talks about a proud person in both verses 18 and 19. First verse 18 speaks of pride going before destruction but also how a haughty spirit goes before a fall. To be haughty is defined as being arrogantly superior and disdainful in your ways and I’m pretty sure that sums up what it means to be prideful. Also haughty is listed as a synonym for pride. So… from verse 18 it seems pride is like… a precursor to both disasters through life but also destruction… And then in verse 19 Solomon speaks of this person who is apparently also proud but also a companion with ot

Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 16:16 How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. 17 The highway of the upright turns aside from evil; whoever guards his way preserves his life. The Real Rock Is The Greatest Treasure Today Solomon begins comparing wisdom with gold and understanding with silver. He is not using these as metaphors but as actual comparisons. It’s kind of like comparing fake cookies with real cookies. A few days ago my mother, my two sisters and a friend got together for rock painting. They are quite silly especially when they’re all together. On this day they painted pictures and saying on common rocks and one of my sisters and her friend were going to place them in rural out of the way places in the mountains of Colorado where they are on vacation today. One here, one there… etc. They talked about making a website where people could register the rock they found and the date. My friend Laura found a

Proverbs 16:13 Righteous lips are the delight of a king, and he loves him who speaks what is right. 14 A king’s wrath is a messenger of death, and a wise man will appease it. 15 In the light of a king’s face there is life, and his favor is like the clouds that bring the spring rain. Solomon has been talking a lot lately about the connection between our heart and our actions and has been honing in on our words. Today he tells us what a king loves and what a king hates. He says a king loves righteous lips… but he reserves wrath for others, right? … that is apparently those with a wicked heart and words who do not delight in his ways and ignore his words. This is a truth Solomon has known personally. It likely does not apply to every king on earth. Some leaders back then and still today want people close to them who hide truths from the people and so are allies with him in deceit. So in the context of what Solomon is saying about how a king loves him who speaks what is right. He says how a wise person keep

Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 16:8 Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice. 9 The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. 10 An oracle is on the lips of a king; his mouth does not sin in judgment. 11 A just balance and scales are the Lord’s; all the weights in the bag are his work. When Injustice Receives Justice R Aylor Verse 8 is interesting to me… It starts out: Better is a little with righteousness than… and then I would expect it to say something like… great riches with wickedness… but instead Solomon says: Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice. And so he highlights one of the attributes of wickedness which he seems to want us to focus in on… that is injustice. Injustice takes advantage of and uses others… many times its those who cannot stand up or defend themselves. Its those who don’t have a legal course of action to pursue through the courts… The laws are stacked a

Proverbs in 365 Devotions For a transcript and more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 16:5 Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished. 6 By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil. 7 When a man’s ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. Ok, lets touch on each proverbs here and see how they compliment one another. Proverbs 16:5 Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished. Alright well, this verse reminds me of the last four words in chapter 15: “humility comes before honor”. As we talked about in that devotion, humility is needed to gain wisdom… If we are going to have an ear for this kind of reproof from the Lord which is given with great love and if we will acknowledge when we are in the wrong it’s going to take humility on our part for sure. Solomon speaks of the arrogant in heart as

Proverbs 15:31 The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise. 32 Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence. 33 The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor. What Type Of Ears Do You Have? You know there’s different kinds of ears right? In the fantasy world there are elf and dwarf and human ears and what… fairy and troll ears... In the real world our ears may be very similar physically but they can be dissimilar in other ways. Some people have an ear for music… they can sit down at a piano for the first time and pick out a beautiful melody. I would say that the amazing guitarist Jimi Hendrex had an ear for music… it has been said that the guitar was like an extension of who he was. it was as though he could hear it in his mind, and then it just happened… He had a heart and an ear for music and somehow this passion was connected to the tips of his fingers. In chapter 15 Solomon has been showing u

Proverbs 15:28 The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. 29 The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. 30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and good news refreshes the bones. In chapter 15 Solomon has been giving us some great insight into the connection between our mouth and our heart. It’s true, the mouth bone is connected to the heart bone. And we talked about how God is the heart changer… not us. A wicked person will not change his wicked heart. His wickedness prevents him from doing so. But when God opens our eyes to see Jesus as the greatest treasure worth leaving all for… we realize there is something better than all the options the world has shown us all our life and we when turn from sin and delight in Jesus with faith, he gives us a new heart… and since our mouth bone is still connected to our heart bone the words we speak begin to change as God does a work in us practically. Now Solomon is diving de

Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 15:24 The path of life leads upward for the prudent, that he may turn away from Sheol beneath. 25 The Lord tears down the house of the proud but maintains the widow’s boundaries. 26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, but gracious words are pure. 27 Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, but he who hates bribes will live. Todays passage begins with a promise of life for the prudent... that is, one who is thoughtful about the future and follows the path of wisdom. Solomon then points out some attributes of the person on the other path that leads to death. It is pretty clear that these three fit that category; the proud, the wicked and the one who is greedy for unjust gain. Clearly we all die, right? But for these who do not turn away from this path… a death awaits at which point there will be no turning back… no rescue… no resurrection to a spiritual incorruptible body as did Jesus and all w

Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 15:23 To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is! You know, that's something I truly long for. To have a fitting response and be a better communicator… a better relationship type person. Sometimes I say the right thing but it is in the wrong season. Do you know what I mean? Like, “I feel sorry for you in this difficulty you’re going through… and here’s what you need to do”. Or if I try to cheer someone up in too chipper of a way when they really need to morn… maybe after the loss of a loved one. Or how about Proverbs 27:14 Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, will be counted as cursing. My mother used to wake us kids up in the morning with singing or something like “hurry kids and get up… it’s snowing outside” or “hurry or you’ll miss it… there’s a jackalope in the back yard”. Oh, for me, I would have preferred to be awakened from sleep in a more apt manner… I

Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him. 9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but he loves him who pursues righteousness. 10 There is severe discipline for him who forsakes the way; whoever hates reproof will die. 11 Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord; how much more the hearts of the children of man! Acceptable Sacrifice R Aylor Today Solomon names some things that the Lord detests and some things the Lord loves. He just told us in verse 5 how we should heed our fathers instructions and now Solomon tells us what awaits those who hate reproof. Today's passage concludes by saying how the abode of the dead as well as Hell itself cannot hide itself from the Lord… therefore why should any man think they might hide the intentions or the true desires of their heart from him? So what is it that is an abomination the the Lord? Verse 8 says it is

Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 15:5 A fool despises his father’s instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is prudent. 6 In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but trouble befalls the income of the wicked. 7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools. So Solomon cares about his own sons… much of Proverbs is addressed to them. He seems to be telling them “Don’t despise my words… Don’t be a fool! Be discerning with the things you hear in the world… where you go, who you hang out with… what you are drawn to… He shows them the outcome of the two paths they have to discern between… One results in much treasure and the other speaks of income as well but with much trouble. Then finally verse 7… let me read that one again. 7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools. Did you notice that Solomon speaks of the wise spreading knowledge with their lips but when talking about the fools he emphasizes not the lips but say

Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. 2 The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly. 3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. 4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. The Truth About Truth R Aylor Today Solomon is talking about the way we speak to one another and how God knows about every good and bad thing we say. He mentions a soft answer and a gentle tongue…This comes out from a person of wisdom. Solomon says the tongue of the wise commends knowledge. To commend is to praise something or recommend something for approval. So truth is to be held up high in our own life and to others. You know… truth cannot be toyed with or manipulated to our own liking… it cannot be juggled about to give us a false sense of justifucation on a particular day. Somehow… somewhere truth is set, unmovable fo