Proverbs 19:3 It’s all His fault!

Do you know someone who is mad at God for his life circumstances? Maybe you have been blaming God for your troubles. It can be a natural response to finding ourselves in the midst of a disaster. The Bible makes it clear that sometimes God refines us by putting us through a fiery trial. However, some of our disasters are of our own making! Today’s verse speaks to these times:

When a man's folly brings his way to ruin,

    his heart rages against the Lord. (Proverbs 19:3 ESV)

Here’s Jon Courson’s comment on this verse: “A foolish man doesn’t listen to the Lord, seek the Lord, or walk with the Lord. Yet, when he ends up in trouble, who does he blame? The Lord.” (Jon Courson’s Application Commentary: Old Testament, Vol. 2, P. 238)

This reminds me of yesterday’s point that, because we easily grow impatient to see our own plans come to pass, we will often manipulate situations to get our own way. Then we blame God for the mess that is created! That is folly!

Sometimes God allows illness in our lives to draw us nearer to Himself (always a good thing). But sometimes people get lung cancer because they smoked for 30 years! When distress comes, we need to take a long look at what may be behind it. Is it a “gift” from God to transform us, or is it our own folly that has landed us in this situation? Either way, God can and will use it for His glory and for our ultimate good. That’s the promise to believers:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

The reverse of what Courson writes would be that wise person listens to God, seeks God, and walks with God. Then when he ends up in trouble, he turns to God for comfort, guidance, grace, and mercy, and he glorifies God in the midst of it! How are we responding to our trials?  Are we whining, complaining, and , in essence blaming God?  Or are we glorifying Him because we know He is sovereign and in control?  

Proverbs 19:2 Slow down!

Desire without knowledge is not good,

    and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way. (Proverbs 19:2 ESV)

We live in a world pumped up on caffeine! Everyone is in a hurry! We have forgotten how to be patient and wait for ANYTHING! We see this in school even among children. They are being raised in a culture in which no one wants to stand in line. They push their way to the front, they shout out for immediate attention, they want everything to be instant and easy. They frustrate easily, and groan when asked to do the simplest task. I wonder where they learn this behavior????

A teacher friend and I were talking about this the other day, and she pointed out that people are in such a hurry to get their coffee that we have Starbuck’s on practically every corner to satisfy their need! It’s a Starbuck’s world! I don’t know about you, but whenever I walk into a store that has a line longer than three people ahead of me, I inwardly groan, and I outwardly huff and puff! We have lost the art of patience! The only time we are still is when we are in bed with the flu!

Our verse today tells us that being in a hurry only gets us into trouble! When we make hasty or impulsive decisions, we are sure to regret them! I have a whole closet full of clothes purchased on impulse that have yet to see the light of day! But if we were only talking about clothes and waiting in line at a store, it wouldn’t be so bad. The problem is we make major decisions in much the same way, based on how we feel at any given moment. And the results can be disastrous!

A woman, not wanting to be without a man, will grab onto the first one who pays her the slightest attention. Someone, listening to her “biological clock” may settle for her “Ishmael” rather than waiting for her “Isaac.” Many, not willing to do the hard work of relationships, will rush into divorce, leaving a disaster in their wake. We don’t know how to wait on the LORD! We are too busy rushing into plans of our own making to be still.


I was talking with my class yesterday about changes in communication over the last 150 years (we are studying the telegraph, Pony Express, stagecoaches, transcontinental railroad as part of our study of California history). It took three weeks for a stagecoach to come from St. Louis to California, but only 10 days for a letter to come by Pony Express. Can you imagine having to wait 10 days for a text message??? I was telling them how it would take up to a week for a letter to cross country when I was a girl, unless you paid an extra 21cents to send it via airmail! Stores closed in those days at 5:00 p.m. PERIOD! There were no “Midnight Sales” or even any sales at all on a Sunday! You had to wait for Monday! Imagine!

“Be still, and know that I am God.

    I will be exalted among the nations,

    I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10)

People, we need to slow it down! We need to learn the art of waiting, but, more importantly we need to model and teach it to our children! They need to see a life that is quiet and tranquil. When was the last time you experienced tranquility???? The next time we find ourselves in a line, how about praying for each person ahead of us instead of cursing the “slow” cashier? :)  

Proverbs 19:1 Keepin' it honest...

First, I want to shout out birthday blessings to my sister, Jodi! Praying this will be a day of great joy! She heads to Chicago tomorrow for her quarterly checkup. Please pray she will get a good report! She is extremely anemic right now (a side effect of the chemotherapy), and will be getting a blood transfusion while she is there.

Today’s verse is timely and reaches into my own classroom:

Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity

    than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool. (Proverbs 19:1) 

You can’t buy a good reputation! And once your reputation has been sullied, it’s a long way back to integrity and trust! I always tell my students at the beginning of each year that they need to guard their reputations and integrity, and that, if they had a bad year previously, they can change that this year. This year has been especially challenging in the integrity department - and I’m not sure if it’s a new trend or just happens to be an issue with this group.

I have several boys in my class who cannot tell the truth first time out no matter what. Even if I personally witnessed the transgression, one boy in my class will NOT own up to his behavior - and he follows each denial with, “I swear!” It’s almost pathological! It might take me fifteen minutes to get him to finally ‘fess up. I pursue the truth, not because I want to be “right,” but because he needs to understand that what he is doing is lying, and that it destroys his integrity. I can no longer trust a thing he says!

The interesting thing, in light of today’s verse, is that he has lots of money, and loves to flash it! He regularly carries large amounts of cash, and he offers “bribes” of treats to his friends if they will do his classroom “chores.” This week he is an officer in our class, which means he has certain duties, including staying behind with the two other officers to clean tables after lunch. Yesterday, one of his classmates told me that this boy was offering bags of chips to him to get him to take over that job! I think he has a career as a politician!

Which brings me to this week of “revelations” and inquiries in Congress! Between Benghazi, the IRS targeting conservative groups, and now the news that AP reporters had their phone records collected by the Attorney General’s office in what could be a major violation of first amendment rights, this is a week that reminds me that the truth eventually comes out. And to continue to deny the truth becomes more and more problematic!

Better to be poor with your integrity in tact, than to be found a liar and a fool! LORD, help us to walk in truth - to be transparent and honest in all our dealings. Purify our hearts and keep our mouths from lies! It’s more than our personal reputations at stake, because we represent You to the world!  

Proverbs 18:24 He's closer than a brother!

A man of many companions may come to ruin,

    but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24)

I am a very social woman! I love people - the more the merrier! I have been very blessed in my life to have been surrounded by wonderful friends. There’s nothing more fun for me than being with them! But, in the end, each of us has our own obligations, and even family and friends cannot always be there for us when we need them. How I love my “friend who sticks closer than a brother!”

Jesus will NEVER abandon me! He is never too busy or too tired to come alongside me, to comfort, guide, and encourage me.

He will not let your foot be moved;

    he who keeps you will not slumber. 

Behold, he who keeps Israel

    will neither slumber nor sleep. (Psalm 121:3-4 ESV)

 ...be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  So we can confidently say, 

“The Lord is my helper;

    I will not fear;
what can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5b-6)

Yesterday was Mothers’ Day, and I had a blue moment of really missing my mother! She died almost 18 years ago, and although I know I will see her again, sometimes I am overwhelmed by the loss, and wish we could just have an hour to talk once more! There are so many things I’d love to tell her, and many more things that I’d love to ask her! So I’m very grateful for the constant presence of the LORD in my life! In those moments when I’m feeling alone (even in the midst of family and friends), I remember that He is with me. Thank you, LORD!  

Proverbs 18:10 What's in a name? Part 3

Yesterday we looked at the names of God that describe His might and power - the names that assured us that our God is able. Today we will look at some of His names that reveal His heart toward us. 

Jehovan-Jireh means “The LORD Will Provide.” This is the name Abraham used when the LORD stopped him from sacrificing Isaac. God Himself provided that day the sacrifice He required. This is what He did through Christ on our behalf. He has provided the way of salvation - and He has provided every spiritual blessing to all who believe in the finished work of Christ. Will He not provide everything you need?

Jehovah-Rapha is “The LORD who Heals.” He not only heals us spiritually, but He also heals our bodies. Is this your need? Does your spirit need healing of past hurts? Are you struggling with a long-term illness? We have a God who heals!

Jehovah-Shalom signifies “The LORD Our Peace.” We were reminded this past weekend, at our Women’s Retreat, that Jesus offers us peace and rest like no other:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)

Don’t we all long for this peace and rest? It is ours in Christ! Paul reminds us of this precious gift of God:

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.  Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;  do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7)

El Roi is “The God Who Sees.” This is the name Hagar gave Him when she and Ishmael had been cast out by Sarah and were alone and despairing. God came to her in her distress and showed her that He saw her pain and cared. Are you feeling alone - as if no one has a clue about what you are going through? Have you been mistreated or cast out or abandoned? Be assured that God sees you! He knows where you are and what you are feeling. He is there for you!

There are many other names for God. The last one I’ll share is Jehovah-Rohi, “The LORD our Shepherd.” Is there a better image? Jesus claimed to be the Good Shepherd - the One who would lead us, protect us, discipline us, and give us abundant life. He is the one who laid down His life for the sheep! (John 10)

Don’t doubt that our Almighty God is both able and willing to work on your behalf. This is the God we can trust!

The name of the Lord is a strong tower;

    the righteous man runs into it and is safe. (Proverbs 18:10)

For a special treat click here to see an amazing video on the names of God. Enjoy!

Proverbs 18:10 What is in a name? Part 2

Last week we looked at the name of God that He called Himself: I AM or Jehovah. There are many other names given to God which describe who He is and What He does on our behalf. Today we’ll look at several names that speak to whom God is. Two names have to do with His mighty power and strength:

Elohim is the name which tells of the Creator God (Genesis 1:1), who is “mighty” and “strong.” This is the plural form of El, so it also speaks to the Trinity, the three in One.

El Shaddai is “God Almighty” or “the Mighty One of Jacob” (Genesis 132:2,5)

El-Gibhor means “Mighty God.” This is the name given to Jesus in the prophecy of Isaiah 9:6. 

Our God is the all-powerful God.  God is “mighty to save” (Isaiah 63:1), the One who works on our behalf. All things are possible with our God. We need to remember when we pray to Him that He is omnipotent, so He is able to handle everything we bring to Him. He is greater than anything we face and He is the one who fights on our behalf.

El Elyon is the “Most High.” He is exalted above all others. There is no god like our God! He tells us, “I am God, and there is no other; I am God and there is none like me.” (Isaiah 46:9)

El-Olam is the “Everlasting God.” He has no beginning and no end, because He is self-existent. He is outside of time, even as He works within it.

Lord, you have been our dwelling place

    in all generations.   

Before the mountains were brought forth,

    or ever you had formed the earth and the world,

    from everlasting to everlasting you are God. (Psalm 90:1-2) 

He is unchanging, always the same: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)

All of these names speak the to bigness of our God. He is above all and all-powerful. This is the Creator of the universe, who spoke all creation into being by just the Word of His mouth! “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” This is what He said to Abraham when Sarah laughed at the idea of giving birth to a son in her old age. (Genesis 18:14)

God is the One who gives sons to the infertile; He is the One who brings life from death; He is the One who restores the years the locust has eaten. (Joel 2:25) He can handle anything we face: broken relationships, failing health, financial ruin, destroyed reputations, shattered dreams. These are nothing in the hands of our Mighty God. This is the God we can trust! As you bring your needs before Him, remember these names.

Tomorrow we will look at some precious names that tell of His work on our behalf. He is surely worthy of our praise!  

Proverbs 18:10 What's in a name?

The name of the Lord is a strong tower;

    the righteous man runs into it and is safe. (Proverbs 18:10)

Are you singing that? This verse is a praise song we sing often! I love the verses in scripture that speak of the protection and strength God provides to those who run to Him. The Bible speaks of Him as our shelter, our Rock, our refuge. He is our strong tower!

I wanted to share with you what Jon Courson writes about this verse, because his focus is the name of the LORD. He points out that the first time God gives His name is from the burning bush, in Exodus 3, in answer to Moses’ question:

Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?”  God said to Moses, “I AM who I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:13-14)

This name expresses the self-existence and the ever-presence of God. It was a name considered so holy that it was unpronounceable to the Jews. To them is was YHWH, which we translate as Jehovah.

Courson conjectures that Moses may have thought, “You are ... what?” God answered in fullness is Exodus 34, when as He passed in front of Moses on Mt. Sinai, He finished this sentence with a list of His attributes:

The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord.  The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,  keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.”  And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped. (Exodus 34:5-8)

This is the God of the Old Testament and the New! He is merciful (doesn’t give us what we deserve: death and Hell); gracious (gives us what we don’t deserve, eternal life and Heaven); patient (He never gives up on His people); thoroughly good; constant in His love toward us; completely faithful to His Word; but also fully just.

“I AM.” This is the name of the LORD. It is a strong tower! We can freely run into it and find security and peace! We will spend more time next week looking at the names of God and what they reveal about His character. Can’t wait!