NOTE TO SELF--and anyone else interested

Do you stand behind GOD's pure word? Proverbs 30:5--Can we stand behind pure truth? Pure truth. Its light shines bright in this dark world. GOD's word shines bright in our hearts--when we choose to heed it. Or, do we hide that light under a bushel of compromises?(Matthew 5:15, Luke 8:16; 11:13) At a time when easy rhetoric is read on our phone, in our office, in our home, and even our vehicles, GOD's pure truth is too often belittled or ignored. When we stand behind that shield of truth, when we take refuge in Him, we do not stand alone. Making the choice to humbly, joyfully, lovingly heed His word is seldom easy, but we have His marching orders to be salt and light--not His defenders (Matthew 5:15). He is our defense. We are called to share GOD's perfect Good News so that His truth can rip from the hands of the enemy as many people as possible. To point them to our Messiah. To join us in that refuge of shalom--peace. That is our calling....

Has anyone ever set a trap for you? Proverbs 29:6--Has anyone ever set a trap to cause you to trip or fall? Literally or figuratively? My brothers liked tripping me--as a joke. Yeah, wasn't funny for me. 😖 But, I do remember a time when someone spoke a terrible lie about me to my co-workers--and worse, my boss. Fortunately, my boss didn't believe the lie, but it was a tricky situation because the person who told the lie was the wife of one of my co-workers. For weeks, I had to work with people who doubted my integrity and believed something very distasteful about me. Eventually, the lie was revealed and the perpetrator of that lie actually confessed to having spread it. The repercussions for her were severe. It was very sad and even after everything she had done to me, I felt sorry for her. The trap she had set for me to cause me to fall in front of others sprung on her. As I read this passage this morning, I wish I had trusted the LORD enough t...

What is strife anyway? Proverbs 28:25--What is strife? How does greed create an environment of strife? Strife is defined as an angry or bitter disagreement over fundamental issues. How does that apply to greed? A greedy soul is not satisfied. It's not grateful. It's always searching for the next thing it wants and overlooks the blessings around them. There are only moments of satisfaction until the next object of their desire comes into view. Ah. Greed does create an environment of strife because it's in conflict with all we know of GOD and living a life as His child. Our fundamental understanding of who He is as our Heavenly Abba (Daddy) is in conflict with something we feel He is withholding from us. We all wants things: happy marriage, children, a fulfilling job, a house, a car to replace one falling apart . . . Where we must be careful is that those normal desires don't morph into greed. Greed says we deserve them. They are necessary to o...

What is your day like today? Proverbs 27:1--"What a difference a day makes." So the sayings go. Our future may appear one way as we lie down to sleep and completely change when we open our eyes. As much as we try to tightly control our lives, ultimately, we are not the lords of our season on this earth. We are the stewards of what is given to us. Does that mean we shouldn't make plans? Of course not. Most of us have a myriad of responsibilities. Plans help us with the dental appointments, reports, job interviews, kids' clarinet practice, grocery lists, and so forth. What we have to remember is to hold those plans lightly. There's an old Yiddish adage: “Mann Tracht, Un Gott Lacht” which means, “Man Plans, and God Laughs.” So, when our plans inevitably go awry, we set our hearts and minds to trust that GOD has the real plan. We pray and praise through--as best we can (and I'm talking to ME, right now)--our disappointments and fear...

Are you afraid of "fluttering sparrows?" Proverbs 26:2--Words have power. Words spoke the universe into being. Words ushered sin into the world. Words heal. Words destroy. "In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1 For those who don't believe that curses can have power, read the book of Deuteronomy. The good thing is that GOD protects those covered in Yeshua's blood. We are protected against random and purposeful curses. They are like tiny birds fluttering around us, all because of what Jesus did on our behalf. We shouldn't be cavalier, but we shouldn't be fearful either. When we made the decision to trust in GOD alone, we inherited His enemies. It's a daily battle and we need to be observant, just as we would if we were crossing a busy street. Just know this, the victory was already hard-won. And our loving Abba has given us tools and each other to battle together. BTW...

Do you "eat too much honey?" Proverbs 25:27--Do we "eat too much honey?" Do we seek our own honor? Do we provide our own acknowledgement or affirmation? The person who feels compelled to honor themselves will usually monopolize conversations with their exploits and awesome deeds. Sometimes those deeds really are exciting, but they tend to ride over anyone to convey that fact. They may even acknowledge GOD's Hand in the situation, but they miss the social cues that they have monopolized a room. It's difficult for these souls to surrender a conversation to someone else. Those they ride over walk away feeling inferior. This person may come from a place of pride or insecurity--and it's not always easy to discern which. Generally, the person who sincerely can't receive a compliment from others is the insecure one. They don't realize they're stuck in an unbecoming habit and it's the last thing they want to convey. ...

Plausible deniability? Proverbs 24:12--Plausible deniability. A political/governmental term that has been revealed to the masses. Plausible deniability refers to circumstances where a denial of responsibility or knowledge of wrongdoing cannot be proved as true or untrue. In those situations officials can "plausibly deny" an allegation even though it may be true. Essentially, it's the ability to lie and get away with it. As heinous as it is for people in authority to do this, we are probably guilty of it too. We open the car door too wide and nick the door of a parked vehicle--then drive off. The clerk gives us too much change and we pocket it and say nothing. We're late for a meeting and blame it on traffic, even though that was not what happened. We all have plausible deniables. This passage reminds us that others may never know what we did or didn't do, but GOD does. He weighs our heart and feels the burden of unrepentant sin....

To speak or not to speak . . . Proverbs 23:9--"Speak in the ears . . ." Recently, I noticed this phrase. It implies an intimacy--of friendship, of love, of trust, of hope. When we want to share something important, especially in a loud environment, we get close to someone's ear. It also means fools can be close to us. People we work with, are friends with, in our families. Despite our willingness to invest in them, they disdain our words of wisdom, hope, faith, or joy. They may be close to us in proximity,  but they may not be close to us in heart. Does this mean we don't speak those words of wisdom, faith, or hope? That we determine who is a fool? Within the context of Scripture, we are called to speak the words of eternal that come from our Messiah (John 6:68). We just have to be careful of our expectations, what their response will be. We must be wise. There's a term in business called Return on Investment (ROI). ROI measures the amount ...

Are you ready? Proverbs 22:18--Yesterday, a friend and I shared about our struggles with learning disabilities while growing up. One challenge we had in common was memorization. Even today it takes both of us an inordinate time to commit something to memory and extremely difficult to recite it on cue. The words tumble around in our brain like a bunch of socks in dryer. Trying to grab the write sequence and pairing of words can be stressful. Still , despite the struggle, we do understand the  truth. It is kept within us. We can explain what a passage means and most importantly what it means to us . We can share how it impacts us. How it changed us. I guess that means we can still be ready with that understanding on our lips. To share in due season. And, what a delight that is. May our lips be ready, my friends. Proverbs 22:18--For it is delightful if you keep them within you, ready on your lips.  Tree of Life Bible Society   Tree of Life Version...

Is your guard awake or asleep? Proverbs 21:23--I wonder. How many times has the guard over our mouth been asleep? Speaking out of turn. Gossiping. Spouting crude or rude remarks. Idle chatter. Exaggerating the truth (also known as lying). Verbal processors can get into a lot of trouble with too many opportunities and too many words that aren't even intentional, or what they really believe. Quick tempered folks sometimes need any army of guards over their mouth to protect themselves from trouble. Fortunately, GOD has given us a brain and lungs to guard over our tongue. Lungs? Yes. Believe it or not, breathing helps. If we can take a few minutes to breathe purposefully--to give our brain enough time to catch up with our emotions--we can set a guard over our mouth. And, I suspect, we'd be less likely to get into trouble. A good thing? Yes. May we guard our mouth and tongue wisely, my friends. Proverbs 21:23--Whoever guards his mouth and tongu...

What is your deep intent? Proverbs 20:5--Our intent--our motivation--is a very private, intimate trait of our character. For many of us, we guard it carefully. Why? I don't know about you, but there are times when I might be wearing a smile, but I'm seething inside. At those times I feel like a coward for not being truthful with what I'm feeling. Other times I am ashamed that I lose my temper--even if you never see it. For some, their intent goes very deep. It's weighed heavy by circumstances from their past, or greed, or selfishness. Someone who behaves admirable, may hide a wicked intent. Someone with inappropriate behaviors may hide an intent of pain that cries for GOD's healing. It's not always obvious. Discernment can alert us to the disconnect between behavior and motivation. Wisdom, knowledge, and understanding can aid us in getting to the bottom of it so we can direct them to the source of their restoration. The Holy Spirit can...

Lend to GOD? Really? Proverbs 19:17--How amazing is this! There are a few passages that give us insights into how to bless GOD--you know, the Creator of the Universe. Worship and praise are blessings to Him, of course. But, one of my favorites is this proverb--"lending" to the LORD. GOD doesn't need our resources, our finances. He owns all the beasts in the forest and cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10). He created the universe. He is everything. How is it He considers our acts of kindness a s a loan to Him? Could it be we are on loan from Him? We're His hands and heart to those He loves? To be His emissary to others in need is an honor to be treasured. No repayment is necessary. Whether we give a gift to a charity, work in a soup kitchen, or give our time to help someone, we can be the sweet fragrance or delicious aroma of Yeshua--Jesus--in that person's life. (2 Corinthians 2:15) Demonstrating kindness from a grateful heart s...

Did you know GOD has knowledge we can learn all around us? Proverbs 18:15--A few years ago I attended a leadership conference. Leaders from around the word sat in rapt attention to other leaders who gave insights into various topics. In between the sessions the knowledge continued to flow during meals, in the lobby, walking in the halls--it was amazing. Everywhere I turned lively conversation flowed with a veritable smorgasbord of knowledge, discernment, understanding, and wisdom. It was one of those rare moments where it took little effort to seek knowledge, it was everywhere. In some ways, it was a bit overwhelming. Did you know you don't have to attend a conference to gain knowledge? Knowledge is all around us, if we pay attention and listen for it. It can come from all sorts of different channels: our parents, spouses, employers, children, someone in line at the grocery store, someone cleaning your hospital room. From snacks to gourmet meals, GOD provides won...

Did you know there's more than one way to give and receive a bribe? Proverbs 17:23--Most of us will never have the opportunity or inclination to give or take a bribe. Yet, I think there are other lessons we can take away from this passage. A bribe can be more than money, power, or security. A bribe can be candy, a toy, a promise, or silence. A bribe knows no age limit. A bribe is a tool used to cause someone to look away or ignore (and inevitably reward) wrong doing. The goal of a briber is to secure an outcome that benefits them. Typically this means a corruption of justice or GOD's will. From mobsters, to weary parents, to an ordinary citizen in trouble with the law, GOD frowns on the bribe. Ultimately, what benefits the briber is to avoid punishment for the crime. For the weary parent it is the avoidance of meting out punishment for their child. Neither is pleasing to GOD. The person receiving the bribe takes this sin to another level. They corrupt...