The calendar is not God.

Do not boast about tomorrow,

for you do not know what a day may bring.

Proverbs 27:1

I am a planner. Calendars and agendas are the tools I use to build my life, organize the chaos, get stuff done, and ultimately find some satisfaction in my labor and in my down time. This is not necessarily a bad thing unless I turn the tool into a functional idol. And unfortunately I do at times. When all my calendars, clocks, printouts, and plans fail to deliver satisfaction, it is generally because I have expected from my planning what only God can do. Many is the time that a plan for an hour, a day, a week, and even a year goes completely off track. I cannot know what a day will bring to me. It may be “spot on” my schedule. It could go awry.

Mature Christian insight has taught me to flex my schedules and plan with parameters. I’ve learned to pray as I scroll through my calendar and notes for each day. Every day I have in this life is first lived to bring glory and praise to my Creator as I hope to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life and to others in what I say and in what I do. Each day is lived to love God and love people. The agenda must always flow first from this driving value and hope. And when God is the director of my day, and not my iCal lists and notes, I am truly content to serve Him first.

Lord,

May each calendar notification that pops up on my phone, computer, or in my memory today remind me that my life is in the control of You, Who knows tomorrow when I never will. May I leave each event, meeting, task, and “to do list” in Your control and enjoy life for Your glory!

Amen

Slow down on the “like” button.

A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,

but only in expressing his opinion.

Proverbs 18:2

It seems to me that the way in which social media is shaping us to quickly press a button to express an opinion about someone else’s statement, photo, or experience is forming us into the kinds of fools this proverb warns us against. We are becoming a world of opinionated followers of our own tastes who force our brand on the world. And again... we are becoming a world of opinionated followers of our own tastes at the expense of true diversity. That is not a good thing. We could be actually losing the ability to think. We get dumber with every “retweet”, “like”, “follow” and added digital “friend”.

Slowing down my opinion would be a good thing. Not quickly throwing my thoughts onto someone else’s statements or posted content would be a wise application of the principles in this proverb. The irony of blogging this and having a link to this post in my facebook feed is not being lost on me this morning! But maybe this thought could get considered by more than just me... The communication advantage in a connected world is great.... and also very dangerous. It is why I must discipline myself to stop and think faster than the second or two my eye falls on an instagram feed.

So then, ancient wisdom from millennia past gathered by Hebrew poetry lovers and condensed into the book of Proverbs now informs my 21st century connectedness. And I will follow this wise advice in order to slow down, understand, and spare the world my rash opinions! Opinion is not greater than understanding! Wisdom is better than cleverness. Substance is more important than image. Spiritual depth and the power of Christ is more glorious than a million “likes”. Following Jesus is greater than having followers. 

listen to reproof

The ear that listens to life-giving reproof

will dwell among the wise.

Whoever ignores instruction despises himself,

but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence.

Proverbs 15:31-32

How I need to listen more! The longer I live, and the more people I get to know on this earth, the more I need to shut up and listen. God has placed around me good people whose insights into my life can be used to make me wiser and better. He is very gracious to bring me opportunity to receive corrective insights from the perspectives of other people. It is a joy to know this kind of growth opportunity. And as long as I keep my selfish pride from interfering, I can know the growth that comes from insightful reproof.

This proverb encourages me to listen and pay heed to these insights as an important tool for personal growth. It is also a form of self-care to process and receive reproof. I’m promised to be smarter with the wise application of these insights. This is why God designed me to live in community. He uses this community to help me to “dwell among the wise” and gain life intelligence.

Lord,

Help me to listen more, to trust what You are doing with the people You’ve placed in my life to speak to my heart and bring growth and healthy change. Forgive my sinful refusals to consider life-giving reproof. Help me to dwell with the wise, to care for myself by learning from what other people point out in me, and to follow in obedience the things that should change in order to live in Your wisdom.

Amen

words & wounds

There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts,

but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Proverbs 12:18

Relationships are built with words and actions, and it is often words that can ruin what was built. Speaking rashly, with whatever natural instant motivation driving what is said, is a sure-fire way to leave a path of wounded people in the wake of our conversations. Our sinful flesh will wound with words. Defensiveness, broken thinking and emotions, selfishness, and sinful reactions will all turn our rash words into sword thrusts. We will go beyond mere self-defense and swing the sword with a kill shot when given the chance. We jab at hearts with our words.

Better words however are found in the wisdom of God’s Word. The gospel can and must transform our tongues. We can be agents of change and healing with our words when we let God’s truth sanctify and renew our minds, giving us healing words to say. But this does not come in a rash way with impulsive gusts of words. It takes deliberate submission to the Lordship of Christ, the leading of the Holy Spirit, and the commitment to knowing the Word of God to do so. We have to repent of our impulsiveness and commit to submission to God. But we can speak words of healing if we will do so.

Lord,

I begin this morning looking at Your Word, so that you can fill my mind with Your truth. And as I think on it right now, would You use that truth to prune away selfish, sinful motivations from my speech and actions today? I want to speak Your healing words. I want Your redeeming work to give me a wise heart and tongue as I speak today.

Amen

Swiftly Run

He sends out his command to the earth;

his word runs swiftly.

Psalm 147:15

A new dawn rises

and in the east

Your Word has commanded

my new day begins

As light shines

into the window

I have been handed

a gift for all men

Your Word runs swiftly

like the light across these hills

always accomplishing

as Your desire fulfills

I have a chance

to obey Your command

to rise with this light

and live in good news

I too am Yours to control

chosen by You to be used

to shine gospel bright

and sin’s darkness diffuse

Swiftly runs Your word

into my own heart

always completing

what good thing You start

hold on

Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;

guard her, for she is your life.

Proverbs 4:13

Wisdom is personified in this passage starting in Proverbs 4:6 as a beautiful and desirable nobly lady, whom every young man should prize and value. She is protected at all costs and she rewards those who love and protect her. She is what every young heart should seek. The wisdom of the Lord provides a beautiful “mate for life” that brings her suitor honor, joy, respect, and life. Her riches bless those who trust in wisdom’s truth.

But just like a marriage, staying with wisdom for life is real work. It involves commitment. It avoids taking shortcuts or giving in to the temptation to find an easy way through life. There are other “lovers” tempting us. Wisdom asks us to commit to hard work and to life learning, even from our mistakes, so that we can make better choices that we would left to “the easy way”. We must hold on to instruction and we must guard wisdom with every shred of self-defense we have. She comes under attack from all sides. We must protect God’s truth in our hearts in this way.

So when any cheap, easy, and profane way of this world comes to challenge the wisdom of God, I will guard my heart and protect wisdom’s virtue. I refuse to think what is popular or to be pressured from any source other than God’s Word. I will value wisdom above any earthly experience or treasure. I will hold on to God’s truth and not let go! I will guard the beauty and strength of Lady Wisdom as she guards my life.

three good reasons to hope in God

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,

whose hope is in the Lord his God,

who made heaven and earth,

the sea, and all that is in them,

who keeps faith forever;

who executes justice for the oppressed,

who gives food to the hungry.

Psalm 146:5-7a

The promised blessing for those who hope in God given in this passage is based upon three undeniable truths about God. We can place our confident faith in Him because of these three facts. First, God is Creator. He made all that there is in the universe. It all works perfectly by His design. We are helped and provided for vastly in His wisdom for the most part because the heavens and earth all function as He made them. We trust our Creator.

Secondly, we can hope in God because He is our Keeper. Specifically, He is a covenant keeper. Israel has known this the most of any people on earth. And the promises God made to Abram, to David, to the Israelite people — all of them are still being kept by Him. How much more can we rely confidently on the New Covenant promises in Jesus?! We can trust God, our covenant keeper.

Finally, God can be trusted because He cares. In the cases cited in this psalm, God cares for justice, bringing it to the oppressed. He cares for the hungry by feeding them. God cares for us and provides all we need in His Son, Jesus Christ. We can hope in the Lord. The Lord cares for us.