THE LORD SPOKE (December 31)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Malachi 1-4

When would you find yourself turning to the book of Malachi? This “little” book packs a big message. Not only is it the known source for three or four key biblical topics (divorce, tithing, Messiah’s forerunner), it is chock full of memorable statements. Consider for example:

• Mal. 1:5 - “Great is the Lord - even beyond the borders of Israel.” That message has reached the uttermost parts of the earth - all the way to America. Look at it on the globe. We’re just about as far away as you can get from the land of Israel but the word has come even to us.
• Mal. 1:6-7 and Mal. 3:7-8 - “But you ask...but you ask....” With this rhetorical device, Malachi slams the people’s self-righteous complacency and lets them see just how foolish is their position.
• Mal. 1:8 - God says, “Try offering your scuzzy junk to someone else. Don’t give me your left-overs.”
• Mal. 2:1-2 - How about it? Have you “set your heart to honor the Lord”? Is it a passion of your life?
• Mal. 2:10,11,14,15,16 - “Guard yourself in your spirit and DO NOT BREAK FAITH” (with one another, with your spouse, with God Himself).
• Mal. 2:16 - God says, “I hate divorce!” Need anything else be said on this subject? Apparently yes, judging by over 50% of our society. And our churches are no better. It’s quite obvious - we love divorce today. Do we not listen to God?
• Mal. 3:1 & 4:5 - John the Baptist (“my messenger”) and Elijah are both promised as forerunners of the Messiah - one for His first advent and the other for His second advent. The first prophecy was fulfilled literally. The second one will be also.
• Mal. 3:10 - The one matter in which God says, “Put me to the test” (something we’re generally quite good at) is in our giving! Have you “proved God” in this area? Do you give to the point you make Him take notice?
• Mal. 3:16 - Forget Santa’s silly list. God Almighty keeps a written record of those who fear and honor Him. Is your name on that list?
• Mal. 4:1,5 - The Day of the Lord is “great and dreadful” (today we’d probably say “awesome”) and it is coming.
• Mal. 4:2 - Here’s an anchor for your soul: “the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings”.

The last book of the Bible is certainly not the least!


Proverbs 31

A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. (Prov. 31:10)

As you go down through the remainder of this chapter verse-by-verse, you can compile quite a list of godly character traits:

• Prov. 31:11 - trustworthy
• Prov. 31:12 - devoted
• Prov. 31:13 - industrious
• Prov. 31:14 - enterprising
• Prov. 31:15 - conscientious
• Prov. 31:16 - initiative
• Prov. 31:17 - energetic
• Prov. 31:18 - productive
• Prov. 31:19 - diligent
• Prov. 31:20 - generous
• Prov. 31:21 - dependable
• Prov. 31:22 - creative
• Prov. 31:23 - supportive
• Prov. 31:24 - resourceful
• Prov. 31:25 - content
• Prov. 31:26 - wise
• Prov. 31:27 - meticulous
• Prov. 31:28 - loyal
• Prov. 31:29 - respected
• Prov. 31:30 - spiritual
• Prov. 31:31 - praiseworthy

Such a wife is a rare treasure. The initial question, “who can find” such a one (Prov. 31:10) does not imply impossibility. A wife like this is a wonderful gift from God. He can and does produce such godly character.

Men, it’s worth looking for these qualities and it’s certainly worth trying to build up your wife in these areas, encouraging and praising her progress. It is, in part, what is meant by “presenting her as radiant” (see Eph. 5:25-27).

Ladies, it’s worth striving for. Did you ever see the button that had the initials: “T.G.H.N.F.W.M.Y.” on it? It stands for “Thank God, He’s not finished with me yet.” Wear it with humility - and with thankfulness for what He can do!

THE LORD SPOKE (December 30)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Zechariah 11-14

“When the roll is called up yonder I’ll be there.” Zechariah tells us that when the Lord comes to Jerusalem “all the holy ones [will be] with him” (Zech. 14:5). That great “Day of the Lord” is described in impressive detail here at the end of Zechariah’s prophecy. He repeats the phrase “on that day” a total of 16 times in the last three chapters. Consider some of the events that he tells us will happen:

Zech. 12:3 - all the nations of the earth will be gathered against Jerusalem
Zech. 12:4 - horse and rider (= military transport?) will be immobilized
Zech. 12:6 - governments and human leadership will crash and burn
Zech. 12:8 - God Himself will protect Jerusalem
Zech. 12:9 - God will destroy all those who attack Jerusalem
Zech. 12:11 - all will weep upon realizing how they’ve rejected the Messiah up to that point
Zech. 13:1 - a spiritual cleansing will take place
Zech. 13:2 - idols and the very spirit of impurity will be banished
Zech. 13:4 - false prophets will be shut up and shamed of themselves
Zech. 14:4 - the Messiah will come to Jerusalem, specifically to the Mount of Olives
Zech. 14:6 - there will be no light on that day - a day without daytime or nighttime
Zech. 14:8 - living water will flow out of Jerusalem
Zech. 14:9 - the last king standing will be the Lord Jehovah
Zech. 14:13 - panic and plague will strike all those who oppose Him
Zech. 14:20 - everything and everyone will be dedicated (made holy!) to the Lord
Zech. 14:21 - there will be no more unbelief in any quarter

That represents pure joy to the saint who is ready to meet the Lord. Though times may grow difficult and though we may have to wait yet awhile more, the future is bright. God’s promises are sure.


Proverbs 30

What is his name and the name of his son?
Tell me if you know! (Prov. 30:4c)

That which precedes this question clearly describes attributes of God. Only God “gathers the wind”, “wraps up the waters”, and “establishes the ends of the earth”. Only deity goes up to heaven and comes down. But does God have a son? Is Jesus in the Old Testament?

That’s certainly the universal contention of the New Testament. Check out Matthew’s formulaic phrase: “This happened in order that it might be fulfilled, that which the prophet spoke....” Examine the many Old Testament quotes in the New Testament which relate to the Messiah. Analyze the syllogistic preaching in the book of Acts:

Major Premise: The Messiah would be or do such-and-such.
Minor Premise: Jesus was or did such-and-such.
Conclusion: Jesus is the Messiah.

Yes, there’s no question in the New Testament that God has a son and that His name is Jesus. But, does the God of the Old Testament have a son? Is Jesus in the Old Testament?

At least three times the Old Testament specifically says that God has a son:

• Psalm 2:7,10-12 - I will proclaim the decree of the Lord: “You are my Son...therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son....
• Isaiah 9:6 - To us a son is given...and he will be called...Mighty God.
• Proverbs 30:4 - What is his name and the name of his son? Tell me if you know!

Not one of those can be successfully refuted. Each one clearly speaks of God’s Son. Only one would be sufficient to establish the truth. After that, the many New Testament references all fall into place. We can say with expectant Simeon, “My eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” (Lk. 2:30-32).

THE LORD SPOKE (December 29)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Zechariah 8-10

The Lord promises to bless Jerusalem. There was an immediate promise for Zechariah’s day (fulfilled) but this passage builds to fantastic heights by the end of the book (still unfulfilled).

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “I am very jealous for Zion;
I am burning with jealousy for her.”
This is what the Lord says: “I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem.
Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth,
and the mountain of the Lord Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain.”
(Zechariah 8:2-3)

It seemed marvelous at that time (Zech. 8:4-6). It seems marvelous today when you walk the streets of Jerusalem and see what God has done in our day with regard to the return of the Jewish people to the city of Jerusalem. Once again “men and women of ripe old age sit in the streets of Jerusalem with cane in hand” and “the city streets are filled with boys and girls playing there”. Why should it seem marvelous in our eyes if God is in it?

But you ain’t seen nutin’ yet. The King is coming! We had a glimpse of it in His triumphal entry (Zech. 9:9; Mat. 21:5; Jn. 12:15) but there is a dispensational gap in Zechariah 9:10. Only part of the prophecies about Messiah were fulfilled in His first advent. He will yet return to “proclaim peace to the nations”. In His second advent, “His rule will extend from sea to sea”. “Then the Lord will appear over them” (Zech. 9:14).

Here are the basic elements of Old Testament biblical theology once again:

PEOPLE - Zech. 10:6 - “the house of Judah...the house of Joseph”
PROMISE - Zech. 10:6 - “I will strengthen...I will restore...I will answer them”
PRESERVATION - Zech. 10:8 - “I will redeem them”
POSSESSION - Zech. 10:9 - “they will return”
PRINCE - Zech. 9:9 - “your king comes to you” (quoted as messianic in Mat. 21:5 and Jn. 12:15)


Proverbs 29

“Vent your rage!” So say some psychology books. But not the Bible. One who does so is termed a “fool” and unworthy of trust.

A fool gives full vent to his anger,
But a wise man keeps himself under control. (Prov. 29:11)

A fool shows his annoyance at once,
But a prudent man overlooks an insult. (Prov. 12:16)

A fool is “hot-headed and reckless” (Prov. 14:16) and “a quick-tempered man does foolish things” (Prov. 14:17). For this reason he “stirs up dissension” (Prov. 15:18) and “commits many sins” (Prov. 29:22). We are instructed:

Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man,
Do not associate with one easily angered,
Or you may learn his ways
And get yourself ensnared. (Prov. 22:24-25)

Is the only alternative to venting your rage, holding it in? Not at all! It needs to be dealt with properly and that is by obtaining a calm spirit from the Lord. By submitting to Him in our thoughts and emotions, we can overcome our tendency to be hot-headed, quick-tempered, and short-fused. Listen to the collected wisdom of Scripture on this:

• Ephesians 4:31-32 - Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
• Psalm 37:8 - Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret - it leads only to evil.
• Proverbs 19:11 - A man’s wisdom give him patience. It is to his glory to overlook an offense.
• Colossians 3:5,8 - Put to death therefore whatever belongs to your earthly nature.... Rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

Now do it!

THE LORD SPOKE (December 28)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Zechariah 4-7

“Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,” says the Lord Almighty. (Zech. 4:6)

In Zerubbabel’s day, when men thought of might and power they didn’t think of Zerubbabel or the Israelites who had returned to Zion. They thought of Cyrus and the Persians. Or Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians. Or Sennacherib and the Assyrians. Or maybe, if they dreamed of past glory, they thought of David and Solomon. But Zerubbabel?

The remnant that returned in Ezra and Nehemiah’s day was so small they had to draw lots to determine who would live in Jerusalem. In order to guarantee a sufficient population in the capitol, they had to designate inhabitants among those who returned from Babylon who would be required to take up residence. Hardly sounds like might and power.

We’re so caught up with might and power - from pickups to football teams. It’s a driving theme of America. It’s what has been severely shaken recently in the corporate world because of looming economic stress. It’s what we just watched at several levels being played out in an election campaign.

But Zechariah says not by might or power! Our reliance is to be on the Spirit of God. How exactly do you go about that? How do you reject other forms of might and power to follow Him?

STOP - It begins with stopping to take stock of where you are and what you’ve been doing. Are you trying to fix things in your own strength? Do you tend to make your plans and organize your resources and... and... and then pray?

LOOK - The place to find answers and direction is in the Scriptures. Since it was the Spirit that inspired them, it’s there that you will find His instructions. Look deeply into the Bible.

LISTEN - As you read Scripture, listen for the voice of God’s Spirit. Listen hard enough so you will hear His “still, small voice”. Listen with your ears and listen with your heart. In other words, don’t just be aware of what He says (listening with your ears), do it! You must obey - or listen with your heart.


Proverbs 28

What should be our attitude towards the law and questions of political right and wrong? Does our day-to-day civil life matter? Is God concerned with civics? Proverbs 28 would indicate that the answer is “yes”. It has much to say to both law-makers and law-keepers.

Law-Makers

• Rapid change of leadership is the result of lawlessness (Prov. 28:2) and should be! If you don’t maintain public order, may you be toppled from power, and that, right soon.
• Your laws should favor the poor (Prov. 28:3) for God is their Maker and is watching your attitudes. You dishonor Him when you oppress the poor and He will dishonor you (see Prov. 14:31).
• Allowing the continuation of bad laws (or no laws) will come back to bite you (Prov. 28:10).
• Measures must be taken to disfranchise, defrock, and depose evil men who find their way into power (Prov. 28:12). What would you do with a roaring lion or a charging bear? They must be stopped (Prov. 28:15).
• Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God. It’s impossible for any individual to rule alone - he must have tacit if not active support to succeed.

Law-Keepers

• If you keep the law, you have nothing to fear (Prov. 28:1). This is what Paul spelled out in detail elsewhere: “For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.” (Rom. 13:3-4)
• Not keeping the law yourself amounts to support for law-breakers and evil men for they will take comfort in your example (Prov. 28:4). The best way to resist lawlessness is to keep the law yourself for this builds a society based on law.
• The first step towards civil law and justice is a proper knowledge of God (Prov. 28:5). This comes from His word. The Bible ought to be a part of everyman’s curriculum. It should be taught in our schools (or we should change our schools!).
• “A companion of gluttons” is a glutton too. This terminology is used in contrast to one who keeps the law (Prov. 28:7) because he does not exercise self-control.
• How can you talk to the God of perfect justice if you cherish injustice in your heart (Prov. 28:9)?
• If you live under evil magistrates in a democracy, let your voice be heard. If you don’t live where you have a voice, protect yourself by righteous living and ask God to overthrow them (Prov. 28:28).

That ought to be enough to keep Congress in session for awhile.

THE LORD SPOKE (December 27)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Zechariah 1-3

Haggai was a “fire and brimstone” prophet. He thundered at the people’s complacency for four months (Hag. 1:1; 2:1,10) in 520 BC. Like a spent comet, he quickly flamed off the stage of history. Zechariah, on the other hand, was the wizened counselor type of prophet. He ministered as both priest and prophet for over 40 years.

So which prophet was right? Which had the better approach? Which was more effective in his ministry? The answer is, “Both!” We absolutely need both kinds. We need both messages. We need preachers who thunder at us and we need grand-fatherly advise. Both have their place in revealing God’s Word and purposes to us. Both can place us along side God’s standard to see how well we measure up.

Zechariah twice uses the figure of a measuring line at the beginning of his book (Zech. 1:16; 2:1). Picking up on the imagery of Jeremiah (Jer. 31:38-40) in his great prophecy of the New Covenant, Zechariah sees a measuring line stretched over Jerusalem. First the Lord (Zech. 1:16) and then an angel (Zech. 2:1,3) explain to Zechariah that God is taking measure of the city, sizing it up for His blessing. Though there are places where the idea of measuring something serves to show how it falls short, here the picture is of pouring out mercy and blessing and making sure there’s space enough to hold it all.

As Zechariah sees the Jerusalem of his day, recently rebuilt, he is given a greater vision of Jerusalem of the end times. God will “again choose Jerusalem” (Zech. 2:12). This speaks of a yet future time when the city will be inhabited by God’s chosen people and will rise to prominence once again. Has that happened yet?

The Jewish people are returning to the Land and they have claimed Jerusalem as their capital (they’ve never claimed any other!) but the world doesn’t recognize that claim. Official, and nearly universal, opinion is that it should be an international city under U.N. auspices, according to a decision made on November 29, 1947. Never mind that the nations didn’t show up in Jerusalem’s time of distress in either 1948 or 1967. They waited for the outcome of those two wars and then whined when it didn’t go the way they expected. The Jewish people have every right to Jerusalem. Others “have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it” (Neh. 2:20).

Haggai gives us a clue to when this will finally be resolved. “The desired of all nations will come” (Hag. 2:7) to inhabit Jerusalem. Zechariah adds that the Lord “will remove the sin of this land in a single day” (Zech. 3:9). The Temple will be rebuilt and “the glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house” (Hag. 2:9). Messiah’s kingdom will eclipse Solomon’s for He will live among us (Zech. 2:10-12). Emmanuel!


Proverbs 27

What price for a friend? One who sticks closer than a brother is a priceless treasure. He can be trusted because he’ll tell you the truth in love (Prov. 27:6). Or, as Solomon says it a few verses later, “the pleasantness of one’s friend springs from his earnest counsel” (Prov. 27:9).

Where do you find such a friend? Don’t you wish there was some kind of store or on-line site where you could shop for one? But how could you afford it? No, they don’t come that way. To find a friend, you have to be a friend (Prov. 18:24, KJV - the NIV opted for a very different reading here!). That involves the following:

• stop boasting about yourself (Prov. 27:1-2)
• cut out the provocation (Prov. 27:3)
• curb your anger (Prov. 27:4a)
• deal with your jealousy (Prov. 27:4b)

Then work on some positive character traits that foster friendship:

• openness and transparency (Prov. 27:5)
• honesty and trustworthiness (Prov. 27:6)
• truth and sincerity (Prov. 27:9)
• loyalty and devotedness (Prov. 27:10)

And, here are some activities that Solomon recommends for setting a friendship in stone:

• help him look further down the road (Prov. 27:12)
• stand by him in need but help him stand on his own (Prov. 27:13)
• give him some space (Prov. 27:14)
• don’t harp on things (Prov. 27:15)

Solomon sums it up with these words:

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Prov. 27:17)

Aren’t you glad God made us that way?!

THE LORD SPOKE (December 26)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Haggai 1-2

It’s a principle of life! In every part of Scripture we are commended to put the Lord first. Whether it’s our time, talent, or treasure - He is to have the first fruits. Before any other considerations we are to give to Him. The reason for this is not that He needs it. What a silly thought. We need it ourselves!

Haggai’s message to Israel was exactly the same. The people had provided first for themselves (Hag. 1:4). They laid aside for their own basic needs of food and clothing (Hag. 1:6). They even made some investments and put some into savings. They built their own houses (Hag. 1:9). But God blew it all off (Hag. 1:9). Because the people did not honor Him first, he sucked the wind right out of their sails.

They ended up without enough to eat or drink and their clothing proved to be inadequate. Their investments didn’t pan out (Hag. 1:9), their crops failed (Hag. 1:10-11), and their livestock didn’t produce (Hag. 1:11). Whatever they put their hand to failed to turn a profit (Hag. 1:11). God has ways to melt down our every effort to stockpile things for ourselves. You can’t save enough for a rainy day if God commands it to rain on you. He doesn’t ever do that capriciously but He does know how to get our attention.

From the very moment the people corrected their ways and started to take care of the Lord’s work first (Hag. 2:18-19), from that very moment, things began to change. What they had for themselves was not only adequate, it began to multiply. Their labor and investment produced wealth.

Five times in this short book (Hag. 1:5,7; 2:15,18 [2x]), we’re told to “give careful thought” to this. Have you?


Proverbs 26

A veritable rogue’s gallery. That’s what Proverbs 26 is. Hezekiah’s editors (see Prov. 25:1) gathered here a collection of Solomon’s proverbs on fools, sluggards, gossips, and madmen. Be careful! It’s like walking through the hall of distorted mirrors at a circus. You might see yourself in some of these reflections and it won’t be pretty.

The metaphors used in this chapter are also very colorful. The variety and sources of these word pictures communicate as well with John Ploughman as with any erudite saint:

• like snow in summer or rain in harvest (Prov. 26:1)
• like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow (Prov. 26:2)
• like a lame man’s legs that hang limp (Prov. 26:7)
• like a stone in a sling (Prov. 26:8)
• like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand (Prov. 26:9)
• like an archer who wounds at random (Prov. 26:10)
• like a dog returns to its vomit (Prov. 26:11)
• like a door that turns on its hinges (Prov. 26:14)
• like one who seizes a dog by the ears (Prov. 26:17)

Take a closer look at the selection of proverbs that deal with gossip and quarreling. Solomon compares it to wood on a fire or charcoal on embers (Prov. 26:20-21). Gossip is sure to fuel the flame of a quarrel. When gossip is removed, a quarrel dies out. Strife is kindled by rehashing it. Stir it up a little and the flame comes back. The best way to let it die down is to separate the hot coals from each other. Of course, you can pour some water on it but that will produce billows of steam, smoke, and ash. Cleaning up that mess will make you wish you hadn’t. Does that apply to the latest quarrel you’ve been involved in?

As to the latest quarrel you haven’t been involved in, Solomon says, “Don’t!” That’s as dumb as pulling a mad dog’s ears (Prov. 26:17).

THE LORD SPOKE (December 25)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Zephaniah 1-3

It’s a good thing it ends like it does. After two and a half chapters of fierce wrath, Zephaniah says:

The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
He will quiet you with his love,
He will rejoice over you with singing. (Zeph. 3:17)

Being himself a fourth-generation descendant of King Hezekiah (Zeph. 1:1), Zephaniah was familiar with the Judean court and all the hot political issues of his day. He sounds a lot like Isaiah and Amos in that regard. He was a contemporary of Jeremiah, Nahum, and Habakkuk, and prophesied in the days of good king Josiah (640-609 BC).

His message of severe punishment of the surrounding nations (Zeph. 2:1-15) included Jerusalem (Zeph. 3:1-8). The inescapable Day of the Lord (Zeph. 1:14-18) would be bitter and bring wrath, distress, anguish, trouble, ruin, darkness, gloom, and blackness (were there any words left in his thesaurus?).

But God would not leave Himself without a remnant (Zeph. 3:12). He never does. And, He never abandons His chosen people. The day would come when He would take away the punishment and turn back the enemy (Zeph. 3:15). The Day of the Lord begins with the darkest night but turns to dawning and noon-day bright.

“At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home.
I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth
when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes,” says the Lord.
(Zeph. 3:20)

Though judgment of sin is certain and there is a point at which all hope is lost, that point only comes after the opportunity to repent has been spent. God offers forgiveness to the repentant sinner always. Like the father of the prodigal son, he comes out on the road to meet us. Quoting the psalmist, the writer of Hebrews warns us:

“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion....”
See to it, brothers, than none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart
that turns away from the living God...
so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
(Heb. 3:7,12,13)

Proverbs 25

Another chapter on the tongue?! We must really need this instruction. Indeed, we do. Though Proverbs 25 has several other proverbs included, the predominant theme has to do with how we use our mouth - for good or ill.

• Prov. 25:2 - Some things are better off left unsaid. There’s a time when it’s best not to tell all.
• Prov. 25:6-7 - Don’t toot your own horn. Even if it’s a good horn. Better that someone else should discover that melody independently.
• Prov. 25:9-10 - You may never regain a good reputation if you reveal a confidence. Who would trust you?
• Prov. 25:11 - Saying the right thing in the right way at the right time is a work of art.
• Prov. 25:12 - Listen to wise words, even when they hurt. Especially when they hurt. A rebuke will improve you more than anything else, if you listen.
• Prov. 25:13 - How refreshing is a message conveyed accurately, faithfully, and dependably. Like a cool breeze on a hot day.
• Prov. 25:14 - Talk is cheap. Be sure you put your money where your mouth is.
• Prov. 25:15 - A soft word is more effective than a hard one. Both can break but one is more repairable.
• Prov. 25:18 - Might as well just shoot me! If I can’t trust your words, it makes it hard to live with you at all.
• Prov. 25:20 - There’s a time for jollity but make sure it matches the occasion. Silly words can sting more than you ever intended.
• Prov. 25:23 - A man with a clever tongue will be remembered next time. People will shy away from such a one.
• Prov. 25:24 - Like an angel (always up in the air, harping on something), a contentious wife will drive you up the wall.
• Prov. 25:25 - Remember your friends far away and write them an encouraging note today.

No wonder James says “the tongue is a fire” - it can produce wonderful warmth or withering heat. “With the tongue we can praise our Lord and Father [its highest use], and with it we curse men who have been made in God’s likeness [totally incongruous]” (Jas. 3:9).

Solomon give us lots to work on!

THE LORD SPOKE (December 24)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Habakkuk 1-3

The Assyrians were notoriously cruel but the Babylonians were ruthlessly cunning (Hab. 1:6) The Babylonians had a well-greased war machine that could sweep in with amazing speed and devastating efficiency.

Habakkuk, like everyone else, was afraid of them. He was a contemporary of Jeremiah and probably lived long enough to see the arrival of the Babylonians (597 BC) and the initial fulfillment of his own prophecies. He probably began his ministry in the days of Josiah (640-609 BC) but we don’t know much more about him. The apocryphal book, Bel and the Dragon, tells how he took care of Daniel in the lions’ den but it’s pure legend.

He did leave us some memorable statements:

• Hab. 1:4 - “the law is paralyzed...justice is perverted”
• Hab. 2:4 - “the righteous will life by his faith”
• Hab. 2:14 - “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord”
• Hab. 2:20 - “the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him”
• Hab. 3:2 - “Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.”

With his heart pounding at the coming of the Babylonians, Habakkuk expresses a magnificent testimony of faith and...

• REST in the Lord (Hab. 3:16),
• REJOICING in Him (Hab. 3:17), and great
• RELIANCE upon Him (Hab. 3:17).

Even when all human hope appears to be gone, with Habakkuk we can say:

The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
He enables me to go on the heights. (Hab. 3:17)


Proverbs 24

Our excuses aren’t going to sound any more convincing than those of people who lived in the early 1940's. Today there is ample and convincing evidence to show that what Hitler was doing to the Jews was common knowledge long before the end of the war. Contrary to what we were told when growing up, our leadership had detailed information of the extermination of millions.

And we do too. In our day, millions of babies are being murdered - horribly crushed and ripped to pieces. Mothers and doctors are the vile perpetrators of this crime but we are no better because of our silence.

We’re not given the context of Solomon’s words here in Proverbs 24, but the application to abortion cannot be far wrong:

Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, "But we knew nothing about this," does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done? (Prov. 24:11-12)

If you need persuading, try googling something like “anti-abortion” and look for the video results. Warning: the graphic images will stay with you for a very long time afterwards. They will haunt you. Maybe they’ll even make you want to do something to stop this horrible crime.

THE LORD SPOKE (December 23)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Nahum 1-3

That which Jonah longed for was accomplished in the days of Nahum, some 150 years later. Jonah wanted to see Nineveh judged for her sins, which were many. Instead, God brought about the repentance of Nineveh through Jonah’s preaching. At least temporarily. In his own words to God, Jonah didn’t want to preach to them because he “knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity” (Jonah 4:2). He wanted God to rain down fire and brimstone on Nineveh and He didn’t. Instead, He let them repent and then He forgave them.

But God’s patience has a limit. He is “slow to anger” (Nah. 1:3) but look out when He does finally take vengeance! The very earth trembles. He controls all the elements. At His command, even rocks shatter. Just read Nahum 1:3-6!

If you go there today, Nineveh is a tangle of weeds and broken down stones. The only evidence of life to be seen is the goat droppings scattered over the surface or an occasional lizard that scurries past. For three full chapters, Nahum describes what happens when the Lord says, “I am against you” (3:5). Nineveh was crushed and has been only a vague memory for the last 2600+ years. People clapped for joy when Nineveh fell (Nah. 3:19).

Judah, though afflicted for her own sins (Nah. 1:12 - the NIV inserts are helpful here), stands in stark contrast. She will be restored (Nah. 2:2) to God’s favor and her former splendor. In fact, it’s happening today before our very eyes. The growth and development of modern Israel is the beginning of the fulfillment of just such prophecies. There’s a long road ahead. She has still not repented and received her Messiah but that too is part of the prophecies.

We may be sure the Lord will do it because He has promised. And herein lies the message for us. Just as God has promised to bless Israel, He will receive and bless those who trust in Him and follow his Word. Or, as Nahum says it:

The Lord is good,
a refuge in times of trouble.
He cares for those who trust in him.... (Nahum 1:7)


Proverbs 23

Back in the story of Samuel when he discovered and anointed Jesse’s youngest son, we’re told that “the Lord looks on the heart” (I Sam. 16:7). David was “a man after God’s own heart” (I Sam. 13:14; Acts 13:22), one “who enjoyed God’s favor” (Acts 7:46) because his heart was right with God. He wrote, “You have filled my heart with greater joy” (Ps. 4:7).

Throughout the Bible, the heart represents the center of human emotions, thoughts, motivation, courage, and actions. Solomon warns:

Above all else, guard your heart,
For it is the wellspring of life. (Prov. 4:23)

Here in Proverbs 23 we have several key references to the heart from which we can learn much to give us direction on our way:

• Prov. 23:12 - “apply your heart to instruction” - There must be a conscious effort on our part. Apply means “to employ diligently or with close attention” (Webster). This is not something to approach lackadaisically.
• Prov. 23:17 - “do not let your heart envy sinners” - Again, this instruction calls for conscious effort. Since it’s natural to envy that which appears to be successful, we must consciously exert an effort in the opposite direction. The second half of the verse is instructive here: “always be zealous for the fear of the Lord”.
• Prov. 23:19 - “keep your heart on the right path” - This means choosing the right forks in the road and saying no to tempting rabbit trails. It means choosing your company carefully (Prov. 23:20) and not trading your birthright for a mess of pottage (Prov. 23:22-23).
• Prov. 23:26 - “give me your heart” - The second half of this verse and what follows tells us that the heart bone is connected to the eye bone. A significant part of giving our heart to the Lord has to do with what we allow our eyes to see! Guard the eye-gate carefully if you wish to be a man after God’s own heart.

Where’s your heart today?

Search me, O God,
And know my heart today;
Try me, O Savior,
Know my thoughts, I pray.
See if there be
Some wicked way in me;
Cleanse me from every sin
And set me free.

THE LORD SPOKE (December 22)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Micah 6-7

He has shown you, O man, what it good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:8

Why should we “act justly and love mercy”? Of course, one answer, perhaps the first, is “because God says so”. But God is never arbitrary or capricious in what He says. He never throws out commandments just “because I said so”. He doesn’t treat us with a “shape-up-or-ship-out” commander’s bark. Instead, He entreats us with “submit to my Spirit” and a reminder of the Creator’s mark upon us. He made us in His own image and tells us to follow His way, to think His thoughts, to be like Him. He is just and merciful. That’s good reason for us to be.

Micah’s message is a case in point. First of all, he reminds us that God has shown us the good way. At every turn, he acts justly and loves mercy. That’s the message of all the prophets. Though we, like Israel, have sinned, God has always dealt mercifully with us. He longs for us to return to Him and He’s the God of the second chance (e.g. Jonah). He comes out to meet us when we return (e.g. the Prodigal Son).

Look at the close of Micah’s prophecy. “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. You will be true to Jacob, and show mercy to Abraham, as you pledged to our fathers in days long ago.” (7:18-20). So, how can we not “walk humbly with our God” (6:8)?

Great God of wonders! All Thy ways
Are matchless, Godlike and divine;
But the fair glories of Thy grace
More Godlike and unrivaled shine,
More Godlike and unrivaled shine.

Who is a pardoning God like Thee?
Or who has grace so rich and free?
Or who has grace so rich and free?

In wonder lost, with trembling joy,
We take the pardon of our God:
Pardon for crimes of deepest dye,
A pardon bought with Jesus’ blood,
A pardon bought with Jesus’ blood.

Who is a pardoning God like Thee?
Or who has grace so rich and free?
Or who has grace so rich and free?


Proverbs 22

Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it. (Prov. 22:6)

Don’t take comfort from this verse unless you interpret and apply it correctly. It does not say that every man will come back to his senses if you be sure to take him to Sunday School when he’s little.

Somehow we have gotten the mistaken notion that it’s normal for a child to get out and stretch his wings and sew a few wild oats at some point. But if we’ve been good in his basic training, he’ll eventually come back to his senses, return to the nest, and be a decent person after all.

You can’t get that from Proverbs 22:6. Hebrew grammar is necessary to understand it properly. One of the ways to indicate a possessive in Hebrew is to attach a pronominal suffix to the noun being so defined. That’s how it is here. “Way” is a noun with a first person, masculine, singular, pronominal suffix attached to it. Quite literally it should read “train a child in that child’s way”. In other words, you need to know your child well so that instruction can be properly matched to him and his needs. You need to understand “his way” - his personality, his capacity, his learning style, his needs.

No two children are the same. There’s often a major difference between a first-born and the last baby of the family. Boys are different from girls. Some children are naturally artistic and some are not. You need to understand each child so that your instruction can be properly fitted to his way. Then, you can take comfort in the promise of this verse. If you have properly understood and nurtured that child, it’s not likely that he will stray far from the path.

THE LORD SPOKE (December 21)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Micah 4-5

Do you have a hard time following a Jewish God? There is no other! His name is not “Allah”, nor is it “America”. His name is Jehovah (perhaps better pronounced “Yahweh”). He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He is the God who chose Zion, “to make His name dwell there forever” (Ps. 68:16; 76:2). He is the God who not only chose Israel, but also is in control of the nations.

Both Micah and Isaiah received a nearly identical prophecy at this point:

In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it. Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. (Micah 4:1-3; c.f. Isaiah 2:1-4)

Though the Jewish theme is strong in this book (e.g. “Zion” appears 8x in chapters 3-4), so is the international theme. Take note for instance of all the references to the nations (goyim in Hebrew) and the peoples (amim) of the earth just in these two chapters:

Mic. 4:1 - peoples will stream to the Temple
Mic. 4:2 - many nations will come
Mic. 4:3 - He will judge between many peoples...and nations
Mic. 4:5 - the nations may follow their gods, BUT...
Mic. 4:11 - many nations are gathered against you
Mic. 4:13 - you will break to pieces many nations
Mic. 5:7,8 - the remnant of Judah will be in the midst of many peoples
Mic. 5:15 - God will take vengeance on the nations

Whether they acknowledge Him or not, He is both in control now and will direct all the affairs of men in the future. He is the all-powerful Creator and King of the earth.

So, why should you have a hard time following a Jewish God? There is no other!


Proverbs 21

The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord;
He directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.
(Prov. 21:1)

You’ll read that verse differently if you live in a democracy or a dictatorship. It might be harder to trust it if you’re living under an oppressive regime, but it’s no less true. Everything in Scripture confirms that God is sovereign over the affairs of men. All affairs. All men.

Whether or not we can determine God’s purposes is not the question. Gratifying it is to be able to see and understand what He is doing at the moment. But it is not our ability to perceive that determines the virtue or propriety of a series of events. Precisely because He knows all things - He knows the beginning from the end of everything - precisely because of that, He is able to direct the outcome of every series of events.

But have you stopped to think about that? How does He know the outcome of every event? It’s because the event is a certainty; it’s not left up to chance. It has been determined beforehand. Who or what determined it? Certainly not chance, or it wouldn’t be certain! Certainly not someone or something else because then that someone or something would be greater than God. No, God knows the certainty of all things because He has determined all things.

In that light, the heart of the king is a very small thing. Of course (!) God can give it the direction He purposes. Just ask Nebuchadnezzar. He thought he was a king with clout until God humbled him. Nebuchadnezzar concluded:

...that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of man.... His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?” (Dan. 4:32,34-35)

THE LORD SPOKE (December 20)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Micah 1-3

To start with, he ministered during the same time as the great Prophet Isaiah. Then there was the story of Tiglath-Pileser and the sack of Samaria by the Assyrians. Now they were back. King Hezekiah was facing them in Judah and all the headlines were filled with Sennacherib and the siege of Jerusalem. Who could ever forget the front-page pictures of 185,000 dead bodies outside (!) Jerusalem’s walls? And if you’re talking about grabbing people’s attention and getting a hearing, Hosea’s on-going saga made it hard to compete.

So who would listen to little ol’ Micah, nestled away in the Shephelah hills? Who’d even heard of Moresheth Gath (Mic. 1:1,14)? But with a word from the Lord burning inside, he begins his prophecy by saying:

Hear, O peoples, all of you,
Listen, O earth and all who are in it.... (Mic. 1:2)

His initial prophecies come to pass quickly. Samaria is made “a heap of rubble” (Mic. 1:3-7). The Judean towns get it next (Mic. 1:8-16). Here’s that story in Sennacherib’s own words:

As for Hezekiah the Judahite, who did not submit to my yoke: [I destroyed] forty-six of his strong, walled cities, as well as the small towns in their area, which were without number, by leveling with battering-rams and by bringing up siege-engines, and by attacking and storming on foot, by mines, tunnels, and breeches, I besieged and took them. 200,150 people, great and small, male and female, horses, mules, asses, camels, cattle and sheep without number, I brought away from them and counted as spoil. [Hezekiah] himself, like a caged bird I shut up in Jerusalem, his royal city. From “Sennacherib’s Prism” (c. 689 BC)

Micah next turns his guns on the politicians (Mic. 3:1-4) and the clergy (Mic. 3:5-7). In both cases God will refuse to answer their phony cries for help (Mic. 3:4 and Mic. 3:7). In desperation the false prophets will tell Micah, “Stop talking that way!” (Mic. 2:6).

In the end Jerusalem, just like Samaria, will become “a heap of rubble” (Mic. 3:12; c.f. Mic. 1:6) and they already knew what that looked like. Even harder to think of and worse than they wanted to imagine, the Temple Mount would become “a mound overgrown with thickets” (Mic. 3:12). That destruction was temporarily averted in the days of good king Hezekiah but it too came to pass.

. . . . . . . .

Only by peeking ahead to the next chapter can we find hope. “In the last days” the situation will be reversed. Then all Israel will stream to Jerusalem. In fact, we’re told that “many nations” will come to hear “the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Mic. 4:1-2). Others may do as they please but “we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever” (Mic. 4:5).


Proverbs 20

Does the Bible condemn all consumption of alcoholic beverages? No, it does not. But it does condemn all drunkenness at all times under any circumstances.

It’s because drunkenness is a form of losing self-control or, as our passage today says, “whoever is led astray by [alcoholic beverages] is not wise” (Prov. 20:1). Proverbs associates drunkenness with gluttony, which leads to poverty (Prov. 23:20-21); with woe, sorrow, and strife (Prov. 23:29-30); and with lawlessness and injustice (Prov. 31:4-5). It leads to no good!

From the first instance of drunkenness (Gen. 9:21), when Noah drank wine and lost his self-control, ugly sin was the result. He lost more than just his self-control. He lost his family. Isaiah describes the ugliness that results from being “befuddled with wine” (Isa. 28:7-8). The drunkard “staggers around in his vomit” (Isa. 19:14). With the loss of self-control goes self-respect and also the respect of others.

The New Testament is unequivocal in its condemnation of drunkenness and places it alongside some of the “worst” sins:

• Galatians 5:19-21 - Drunkenness is put in the same category with sexual immorality, idolatry and witchcraft, and orgies. “Those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
• Ephesians 5:18 - Getting drunk on wine “leads to debauchery” which Webster defines as “corruption of fidelity”.
• Romans 13:13 - “Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.”

Given the deceptive power of drink, if you have any weakness in the area of self-control (and who doesn’t?), teetotalism is not a bad policy.

Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. [KJV = “make no provision for the flesh”] (Rom. 13:14).

THE LORD SPOKE (December 19)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Jonah 1-4

He was the original “Chicken of the Sea”. He tried hard to run from God and was almost successful but when God called Jonah back, he was given a second chance (Jonah 3:1). Aren’t you glad He’s the God of the second chance?

Do you like simple outlines? Try this one:

Chapter 1 - God said, “Go!”
Chapter 2 - Jonah said, “No.”
Chapter 3 - God said, “Oh?”
Chapter 4 - God said, “So!”

Actually, Jonah gets three chances in this book and he doesn’t do so well even after his first lesson. The turning point came in the belly of the great fish. Engulfed, with seaweed wrapped around his head (Jonah 2:5), and swimming in gastric juice, Jonah finally “remembered the Lord” (Jonah 2:7). In his own words, the lesson he learned was:

Those who cling to worthless idols
forfeit the grace that could be theirs. (Jonah 2:8)

But only days later he’s found clinging to a worthless weed! Because the vine God provided (Jonah 4:6) to shade his head was eaten by a worm and withered (Jonah 4:7), Jonah went into a major pout. In response to God’s rhetorical question, he goes even further: “I’m angry enough to die.” Over a weed!

How can we be so blind? Do you think that, in God’s eyes, we are often guilty of sins every bit as silly as Jonah’s? Where would we be if He wasn’t the God of the second chance?

Thank you Lord for putting up with me. Sometimes, I make myself sick. How can you love me so? Thank you for listening to my petty whining, my endless vanities, for clinging to worthless things that keep me from knowing your grace. Thank you for giving me another chance. Please help me trust you as I should and to be consistent and faithful in my walk with you. I love you, Lord!


Proverbs 19

Are you a drip?

Sometimes the man in your life can be a real dud and it seems like you have to harp on some things or they’ll never get done. (By the way, most of this applies both ways in terms of gender - the ladies don’t have a monopoly here.)

Solomon compares a quarrelsome wife with a constant and annoying drip (Prov. 19:13). It’s background noise that not only won’t go away but that soon dominates all consciousness and becomes obnoxious. In contrast, he says that “a prudent wife is from the Lord” (Prov. 19:14b). Similarly, in the previous chapter, Solomon tells us, “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord” (Prov. 18:22). The context of the Proverbs 19:14 statement is what you might inherit from your parents. But, even in an arranged marriage, they can’t give you a prudent wife - that is something that must come from the Lord. Only He can give you a good wife - the one who is just right for you.

Back in Proverbs 12:4, we were told that “a wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.” So the question is, “A wife of noble character, who can find?” (Prov. 31:10). You need to look over and pick one as well as you’re able, but ultimately you can’t see into the future and present appearances may be deceiving. She may look like a gem now but turn out to be a jerk later.

Here’s the good news: God delights to take broken things and fashion and reshape them into something better than new. Remember, “a prudent wife comes from the Lord”. He’s not bound by any sequencing or by any time constraints. He can do His work now just as well as yesterday and it doesn’t matter in the least if the vessel is broken in half or smashed to a thousand bits. He can make it better than new.

That should be an encouragement to the man who thinks he’s ended up with a drip as well as to the wife who really wants to be a crown. But it’s no less true for the husband who’s a major jerk and needs to experience some major change in order that he might have a radiant bride once again.

In both cases, the answer will be found in a vital relationship with the Lord.

THE LORD SPOKE (December 18)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Obadiah

His name means “servant of the Lord”. His prophecy could fit two possible events in Israel’s history: (1) the time of Elisha when the Philistines and Arabs invaded Jerusalem (II Kings 8 & II Chronicles 21), or (2) the time of Jeremiah when the Babylonians sacked Jerusalem (II Kings 25 & II Chronicles 36). On both occasions Edom sat quietly by (gloated?!) while Jerusalem was destroyed. The striking similarities between the book of Obadiah and chapter 49 of Jeremiah might be an argument for the latter but we don’t have enough identification for Obadiah to be certain. It was a common name.

The book follows the pattern of a “Covenant Lawsuit” (called a riv in Hebrew):

1. Summons (vs. 1)
2. Arraignment (vs. 2-7)
3. Indictment (vs. 8-9)
4. Case (vs. 10-14)
5. Sentence (vs. 15-16)
6. Vindication (vs. 17-21)

Unlike the many judgment passages concerning Israel, this one doesn’t conclude with a promise of restoration. Edom was not given any hope. Edom’s destruction was sure and Edom never saw another day.

“In that day” has messianic overtones. One of the results of “the day of the Lord” (vs. 15) is that deliverance will come from Mount Zion (vs. 17). Mount Zion will be the seat of government (vs. 21) and “the kingdom will be the Lord’s”. This was the same vision seen by the Apostle John in the last book of the Bible:

The kingdom of the world
has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ,
and he will reign for ever and ever....
We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
the One who is and who was,
because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.
The nations were angry; and your wrath has come.
The time has come for judging the dead,
and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints
and those who reverence your name, both small and great -
and for destroying those who destroy the earth.
(Revelation 11:15-18)

Proverbs 18

God gave us one mouth and two ears. That should give us some idea of the proportionate use we should make of both. Proverbs 18 has a lot to say about both talking and listening. What should we learn from it?

Talking

Prov. 18:2 - “A fool...delights in airing his own opinions.” He thinks “Everyone is entitled to my opinion.” But doesn’t stop to ask if they want it or not. Better to be quiet and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

Prov. 18:4 - “The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a babbling brook.” Do the deep waters refer to profundity or obscurity? The adversative “but” in the NIV is supplied and does not seem accurate here. The two halves of the verse are not linked by any conjunction in the Hebrew original so these seem to be parallel statements. A good man’s words are deep and bubble up a wealth of wisdom.

Prov. 18:6-7 - “A fool’s lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating. A fool’s mouth is his undoing and his lips are a snare to his soul.” Your words can be a treasure or they can be a trap. They can save you or they can swamp you. Use your mouth to make peace not war and you’ll avoid strife and bitterness.

Prov. 18:20 - “From the fruit of his mouth a man’s stomach is filled; with the harvest from his lips he is satisfied.” Just as a farmer enjoys the crops he planted, so should a man reap a good harvest if he plants well with his words.

Prov. 18:21 - “The tongue has the power of life and death....” James says it better than any words we could add here: With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? (Jas. 3:9-11)

Listening

Prov. 18:13 - “He who answers before listening - that is his folly and his shame.” It seems so patently true and logical. Why don’t we do it? “Stop, look, and listen!” is wisdom for much more than just train tracks.

Prov. 18:15 - “The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out.” This takes it a step farther. We need to seek out wisdom by listening for it and to it.

Prov. 18:17 - “The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him.” Yet another step - don’t be content with the first answer. Listen beyond that. Get a second opinion. And a third.

The tongue has the power of life and death. And the ears have the power of light or deafness. Use the tongue sparingly and the ears generously and you’ll find yourself headed down a good path.

THE LORD SPOKE (December 17)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Amos 7-9

When God is silent it’s awful! It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes it’s His only way to get our attention. Having pled with us in so many ways, He resorts to silence and the heavens shut up like brass (Deut. 28:23).

• I Samuel 28:6 - After turning away for so long, when Saul finally inquired of the Lord, He “did not answer him”.
• Ezekiel 7:26 - Sunk in sin, Israel “will try to get a vision from the prophet” but it will be only silence and “calamity upon calamity”.
• Ezekiel 20:1-3 - Because they waited so long, “‘I will not let you inquire of me’, declares the Sovereign Lord.”
• Micah 3:4,7 - Crying out will do no good for “he will hide his face from them because of the evil they have done.” He won’t answer.

In Amos’ day it was even worse. God says, “I will fix my eyes on them for evil and not for good” (Amos 9:4). Because of the nation’s sin, He says, “I will destroy it from the face of the earth” (Amos 9:8a). But He cannot forget His covenant. He cannot because He will not. In the next breath He says, “yet I will not totally destroy the house of Jacob” (Amos 9:8b).

Because of His promise to David, there will be a restoration.

In that day I will restore David’s fallen tent.
I will repair its broken places, restore its ruins,
and build it as it used to be.... (Amos 9:11)

The word for David’s “tent” is sukkah, or “hut”. It is a reminder both of David’s humble beginnings and of the sorry estate to which His kingdom or dynasty had fallen. This messianic promise is then followed by a glorious description (vs. 13-15) where one season runs into the next with no interruption, indicating unparalleled prosperity for Israel. Previous predictions of destruction (Amos 5:9), dearth (Amos 5:11), and deportation (Amos 5:27) are all reversed and the book concludes with the promise that Israel will “never again be uprooted from the land” (Amos 9:15).

P.S. This last promise constitutes an absolute proof that Amos’ prophecy is yet future.


Proverbs 17

Choose the better way! Don’t be content with just a good thing - go for the best. Solomon has given several recommendations in this category in recent chapters, adds a couple here in chapter 17, and several more in what follows. Take a look:

• Prov. 15:16 - Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil.
• Prov. 15:17 - Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred.
• Prov. 16:8 - Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice.
• Prov. 16:19 - Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.
• Prov. 16:32 - Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.
• Prov. 17:1 - Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife.
• Prov. 17:12 - Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly.
• Prov. 19:1 - Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse.
• Prov. 21:9 - Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.
• Prov. 21:19 (c.f. Prov. 25:24) - Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife.

Martha did well to serve the Lord but Jesus said “Mary has chosen what is better” (Lk. 10:42).

Good, better, or best. Which will it be?

THE LORD SPOKE (December 16)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Amos 4-6

What a sad refrain. Five times the chorus is repeated, “...yet you have not returned to me, declares the Lord” (4:6,8,9,10,11). Israel had grown complacent (6:1) and careless about her relationship to God. She went through her religious duties perfunctorily but there was no life there. Sound familiar?

REPENTANCE HAD BEEN AVERTED - One of God’s purposes in sending affliction is to force us to our knees and bring us back to Himself. Though they were hungry (vs. 6), thirsty (vs. 8), decimated by plague (vs. 9), dying (vs. 10), and suffering cataclysmic calamity (vs. 11), they didn’t repent and respond to God’s mercy. So He says, “Prepare to meet thy God” (4:12). There comes a point after which there is no more remedy.

JUSTICE HAD BEEN PERVERTED - “You oppress the righteous and take bribes and you deprive the poor of justice in the courts” (5:12). Israel had it exactly backwards - she loved evil and hated good. But God says, “Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts” (5:15). His message is good for us today also: “Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-ending stream!” (5:24). When our sense of justice is perverted we don’t even recognize anymore how far off the track we’ve gotten. God calls us back with the amazing reminder: He “reveals his thoughts to man” (4:13). Therefore, if we seek Him we will live (5:4,6). Our sense of justice and right-living will be restored and we can please Him once again.

PRIDE HAD BEEN EXERTED - It’s sure to turn God’s stomach every time. He cannot countenance pride. He abhors it wherever it is found (6:8) and has promised to judge it. When it rears its ugly head, which is often, He is committed to strike it down. It was the first sin and it’s the most common sin on every man’s list. Consider what God has to say about it:

• Leviticus 26:19 - “I will break the pride of your power”
• Proverbs 8:13 - “the fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way”
• Proverbs 16:18 - “Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
• Proverbs 29:23 - “a man's pride shall bring him low”
• Daniel 4:37 - “those that walk in pride he is able to abase”
• Obadiah 3 - “the pride of thine heart hath deceived thee”
• I John 2:16 - “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

Father, forgive us for our pride and help us to fix our eyes on You. We gratefully acknowledge You as sovereign over all and cast ourselves upon You. Thank you for revealing Yourself to us - and for revealing our sinfulness to us too. Apart from You, there is no life worth living. Don’t let us forget.


Proverbs 16

“Love God and do as you please.” So said Augustine. His statement is quite similar to Proverbs 16:3 which tells us to “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” If we truly love God and commit our every activity to His scrutiny and approval, we won’t want to do anything that displeases Him.

James is sometimes cited as an argument against making big plans on our own. True, it’s a thing that can be done in the flesh but James doesn’t say, “don’t plan”. He says, “Plan!” but do it with the honest preface of “if it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that” (Jas. 4:15). If God can lead us in the doing He can just as certainly lead us in the planning!

So the key is to so love God and desire that His will be accomplished, that our own plans and actions will willingly conform to His direction. Our thoughts will be His thoughts and our plans will be according to His plan. Then our actions too will be in conformity with His will. If we truly love God, we can do as we please for our pleasure will always be to please Him.

Oh! to be like Thee, blessed Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh! to be like Thee, oh! to be like Thee,
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

Oh! to be like Thee, full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wand’ring sinner to find.

Oh! to be like Thee, lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer, others to save.

Oh! to be like Thee, Lord, I am coming,
Now to receive th’ anointing divine;
All that I am and have I am bringing,
Lord, from this moment all shall be Thine.

Oh! to be like Thee, while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love,
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Thomas O. Chisholm

THE LORD SPOKE (December 15)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Amos 1-3

Tevya the milkman in Fiddler on the Roof puts it so well. After considering all the suffering of the Jewish people, he turns his eyes toward Heaven and asks, “Would you mind choosing someone else for awhile?”

Amos quotes God as saying to Israel, “You only I have chosen of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your sins” (3:2). With choice comes challenge. With favor comes firmness. With privilege comes responsibility. Being “God’s chosen people” has not always been easy. In fact, it never has. But the burden that comes with the blessing is worth it. The rights that come with the responsibility are a reward.

God’s purpose in choosing Israel was that they might be a light to the nations (Isaiah 49:6). In the first two chapters, Amos identifies six nations surrounding Israel and pronounces God’s judgment upon each one for not responding to that light. But then Amos turns the spotlight on Judah (2:4-5) and Israel (2:6-16) and similar judgment is delivered because “they have rejected the law of the Lord” (2:4) and did not listen to His prophets (2:11).

God takes greater interest in His own children. He will hold all accountable but His relationship with His chosen ones is a passion with Him. He delivers them from the house of bondage (2:10; 3:1), gives them prophets as His special messengers (2:11; 3:7), and shepherds His people Israel (3:12; see also Jeremiah 31:10 and Psalm 80:1).

You only punish those you care about. So, when God punishes Israel (3:14), He is declaring His love for her. “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11; see also II Corinthians 4:17).

It was (and is) true for Israel. It’s still true today. So consider this, if God’s hand is heavy upon you now, it’s because He cherishes you and wants you to come back to Himself.


Proverbs 15

Proverbs 15 makes a notable contribution to our understanding of discipline:

vs. 5 - “A fool spurns his father’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.”

vs. 10 - “Stern discipline awaits him who leaves the path; he who hates correction will die.”

vs. 12 - “A mocker resents correction; he will not consult the wise.”

vs. 31 - “He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise.”

vs. 32 - “He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding.”

Who wants to be disciplined? The emphasis of these proverbs is not that one likes to be disciplined. What is condemned here is that you should “hate”, “resent”, or “ignore” discipline.

What you need to want are the results that come from a disciplined life. He who “heeds” or listens to correction will attain the balance desired in life. The results are “wisdom” and “understanding” (or what Solomon calls “prudence” in Prov. 15:5). To hate correction will cancel out this benefit. Since discipline will come whether you heed it or hate it, it’s best that you receive the good that is intended. Be careful to learn the lessons that discipline is intended to teach you.

Better yet is to discipline yourself than that you should fall under discipline from the hand of God. By saying “no” to excesses, to inconsistencies, to laziness, to secret or open sins, to temptations, to desires of the flesh and not of the spirit, to indulgences, or to any other activity that detracts from your movement towards Christ-likeness - that is the way of wisdom.

THE LORD SPOKE (December 14)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Joel 3

Most agree that it’s the same as the Kidron Valley on the east side of Jerusalem. It is called “the Valley of Jehoshaphat” (“the LORD judges”), because Jehovah will sit in judgment there. To the east of Jerusalem the Mount of Olives, which is actually a small chain rather than a single promontory, provides a natural grandstand looking down into the Kidron since the two run parallel to each other and to the Old City wall for over a mile. It amounts to ringside seating for the events depicted here.

When will this take place? Verse one locates the time as “in those days”. These are still future because God promises that thereafter “never again will foreigners invade” Jerusalem (vs. 17). The time is further identified as “the Day of the Lord” (vs. 14). Yet another hint comes from verse 18, “a fountain will flow out of the Lord’s house” which needs to be linked to the prophesies of Ezekiel 47 and Revelation 22.

Who will be judged? All the nations of the earth (vs. 2, 11,12).

Why will they be judged and for what? The way each nation has treated Israel will be the basis for judgment (vs. 2,19). Another part of the Abrahamic Covenant will finally be fulfilled - “whoever curses you I will curse” (Gen. 12:3). In a striking reversal of the millennial conditions (see Isaiah 2:4 and Micah 4:3), plowshares will be beaten into swords and pruning hooks into spears (vs. 10) and “the Lord will roar from Zion” (vs. 16) so that even the earth and sky will tremble.

God will not let the nations “get away with it” forever. He has promised or, as Joel says, “the Lord has spoken” (vs. 8).


Current historical note:

Some of this judgment will not wait until the final Day of the Lord. God quickly removes His hand of blessing from the individual or from the nation that mistreats His people. Witness the once mighty nation of Germany - mighty enough to attempt world domination twice in thirty years - as it struggles today. Witness the once vast United Kingdom as it has traitorously turned away from its own Balfour Declaration and become a struggling island. Witness the United States as we have grown infatuated with Arab oil and open to listen to Muslim terrorist arguments to “justify” their violent opposition to Israel. Now we are struggling. Witness the Obama Administration as it pressures and repeatedly forces Israel’s hand while growing ever closer to the Palestinian Authority. It is increasingly charmed by Islam and oblivious to what is happening in Iran at an alarming speed. God has written “Ichabod” over all these.


Proverbs 14

“I love hard work. I could sit and watch it all day.” So says the wag who is best defined as a lazy man - someone of whom the book of Proverbs has much to say.

Here in Proverbs 14:23 we’re told, “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” The same idea was expressed back in Proverbs 10:4 in these words, “Lazy hands make a man poor but diligent hands bring wealth.”

Keep in mind that wealth is calculated in more than just cash or material goods. Though that is at least part of the emphasis here, it’s certainly not all. Foolish choices can dissipate your wealth no matter how hard you work. Along with the hard work you must practice the principles of godly living as taught in this book. This is not a blanket promise or some health-and-wealth gospel.

Why is hard work good for us? Why is it profitable, even beyond obtaining material things?

1. It’s how God made us. He gave us strength and the ability to produce.
2. It’s the means by which we can be productive and find meaning in life.
3. It’s the means by which we can provide for those we love and who depend on us.
4. It’s our way of being creative. Like our Creator, we can make things beautiful. We can’t create ex nihilo (out of nothing) as He can, but creativity is part of the image of God in us. It’s one way to fulfill His purpose in us.
5. It fills our days with meaningful activity. Life without work would quickly become a meaningless void.
6. It is the proper use of the body and strength that God gives us. These are tools meant to be used.

By God’s design, work is in itself a thing of fulfillment. Worthwhile work, productive work, creative work is a thing of joy and beauty. It is one very good means of giving glory to God by functioning the way He intended.

THE LORD SPOKE (December 13)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Joel 1-2

“This is that.” So said Peter on the Day of Pentecost when he quoted Joel’s prophecy. “This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel” (Acts 2:16).

And yet, several parts of Joel’s prophecy did not take place on the Day of Pentecost. Though there were many signs and wonders on that day, the sun did not turn to darkness nor the moon to blood. Did Peter get it wrong?

No, Joel prophesied the things that would happen “before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord” (Joel 2:31). That day would be introduced by a great out-pouring of the Spirit of God (Joel 2:28,29) but it was to be an extended event. Notice, for example, that he says, “I will pour out my Spirit in those days” (Joel 2:29).

Like any Hebrew day, the counting of time begins with the evening and moves to the morning. Since Genesis 1 and 2, “the evening and the morning” constituted a day; each day began at sunset, not sunrise as we commonly count a day. Just so, “the Day of the Lord” as portrayed in Scripture will begin with darkness and doom. Only after the divine wrath and judgment is spent will the sunrise of divine blessing begin. If you read carefully all the passages that deal with the Day of the Lord you’ll see both aspects but the ordering of the events is not always clear because each individual passage has its own emphasis.

But, back to Peter and Pentecost.... He quite naturally thought of Joel’s prophecy when he saw the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit that was taking place on that day. It was a first step in what we understand to be a telescoping prophecy and fits quite well with the “already...not yet” emphasis of the New Testament.

Of greater import, at least to Gentile believers ever since the Day of Pentecost, is the way Peter applies the “all people” and “everyone” of Joel’s prophecy (Joel 2:28,32). He relates this to “all who are far off” (Acts 2:39). This is a clear reference to non-Jews who have been brought into the New Covenant (see Jeremiah 31 and Hebrews 8). Paul also does this in Romans 11:11-24 and Ephesians 2:14-18.

The words of this blog would not be written and you would have no interest in reading them if it were not for Joel’s prophecy: “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Joel 2:32). The fulfillment of that began on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) and continues to the present moment. We still await the further unrolling of the Day of the Lord, but it too will surely come.


Proverbs 13

“Spare the rod and spoil the child.” (Samuel Butler)

It might surprise you to find out that this phrase doesn’t come from the Bible. Actually, the scriptural statement is stronger yet. Solomon says that if you spare the rod you hate your child (Prov. 13:24). Few people would admit to such a thing but the truth of the matter is born out in that child’s life later. Why is it that Scripture equates this with hating your child? Here are four possible explanations:

1) You don’t love the child enough to do something serious about his character formation. Character is not just the good you do, it is also the bad that you don’t do. It is something that must be taught.

2) You don’t love the child enough to help him break bad habits that will eventually grow into worse things in the future. Little things grow with time. A spanking today may save a jail term later.

3) You don’t love the child enough to help him learn how to function in society. Self-absorbed, self-indulgent, and self-seeking behavior must be brought under control early on or it becomes unmanageable. There’s not much that is uglier than an adult who acts with childish selfishness.

4) You don’t love the child enough to teach him how to submit to authority. A lack of respect or obedience to authority will only get worse if unchecked. Ultimately this will result in serious resistance to God’s authority in other areas of his life for God is the highest authority.

Take careful note of the rest of what Proverbs has to say about this matter:

• Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him. (Prov. 22:15)
• Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die. Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death. (Prov. 23:13-14)
• The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother. (Prov. 29:15)

THE LORD SPOKE (December 12)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Hosea 12-14

Like the flourish at the end of a symphony, Hosea’s prophecy rises in a great crescendo of spiritual metaphors. Much like Beethoven, Hosea employed triads - groups of three variations on a theme that then synthesize and build to the next theme. Consider, for example:

Hos. 13:3 - like mist, like dew, like chaff...like smoke
Hos. 13:7-8 - like a lion, like a leopard, like a bear...like a lion
Hos. 14:5-6 - like dew, like a lily, like a cedar...like an olive tree
Hos. 14:7-8 - like grain, like a vine, like wine...like a green pine tree

The last movement of Hosea’s symphony restates the theme which he has been emphasizing ever since the Conductor called for the first note:

You must return to your God;
maintain love and justice,
and wait for your God always. (Hos. 12:6)

The parallel counter-theme of Israel’s pride is also repeated in the closing strains of music. Her fruitfulness comes from God (Hos. 14:8) but her sins have been her continual downfall (Hos. 14:1).

When I fed them, they were satisfied;
when they were satisfied, they became proud;
then they forgot me. (Hos. 13:6)

Like the finale when every instrument is employed and every part is driving toward the conclusion, Hosea brings it all to bear on his theme one last time with magnificent force.

Who is wise? He will realize these things.
Who is discerning? He will understand them.

The ways of the Lord are right;
the righteous walk in them,
but the rebellious stumble in them. (Hos. 14:9)

Isn’t it time for us to make a little melody in our hearts for the Lord (Eph. 5:19)? Doesn’t He have every right to expect some harmonic praise from us? Could we not produce some pleasing music that would rejoice His spirit? So be it!


Proverbs 12

A measured response. That’s the MO of a prudent man. He doesn’t fly off the handle, go off half-cocked, or blow up in your face. Instead, he counts to ten, takes a deep breath, or cools his heals.

A fool shows his annoyance at once
But a prudent man overlooks an insult. (Prov. 12:16)

It boils down to a question of control - self-control. That’s how Solomon expresses it later in the book:

A fool gives full vent to his anger,
But a wise man keeps himself under control. (Prov. 29:11)

It is wise counsel to slow down and think before you speak. Counting to ten before giving a hasty reply may seem like a gimmick of sorts but it has the advantage of being quite effective. Those few moments allow you to think and adjust your verbal response if not your mental attitude. It is, in fact, the first step to self-control. If it results only in pent-up feelings, it won’t help anything. Merely putting a cork in it will only increase the pressure and lead to a worse explosion. But pausing to reflect and to adjust your attitude will soon begin to have the desired effect - greater self-control.

It also works well in our relationship to God. Rather than blaming Him, or expressing our disappointment in the way He’s running His world, or in some other way reacting thoughtlessly, just pause a little and reflect. He has the distinct advantage over us of knowing every thought. That’s why we pray...

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. (Ps. 139:23)

But that thought process is itself the path of resolution for as He shows us our wrong-thinking we may ask Him to correct it. The result is that our heart is changed. Our attitudes are corrected and it’s increasingly less likely that our mouth will spew out vileness.

Or, as Jesus said, “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” (Lk. 6:45)

THE LORD SPOKE (December 11)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Hosea 10-11

William Foxwell Albright excavated it in the 1920's. King Hussein was building another Jordanian palace on top of it until the Six Day War put a stop to that. The modern day king of Jordan was attempting to make a political statement by building over the top of the palace of King Saul - the first king of Israel. Today Gibeah is a pile of ruins overrun by goats, grubby children, and occasional archaeology students.

And why did Saul pick Gibeah? Because he was of the tribe of Benjamin and Gibeah was a chief town in their tribal allotment. It also occupied a very strategic position on the main N/S road through the central hill country. Sometimes called “the Way of the Patriarchs” because they traveled so often on it, the route narrows dramatically just north of modern day Jerusalem and all traffic is forced through “the Gibeah Funnel”. Since Jerusalem was still just a little Podunk Center belonging to the Jebusites, Saul’s choice of Gibeah really did make a lot of sense. From its commanding height you can see a full 360 degree view on the heart of the country and it dominates the Central Benjamin Plateau.

Had you been there in the days of the judges, you would have witnessed one of the ugliest events recorded in all of Scripture. The story of the Levite and his concubine and the subsequent civil war which resulted in the decimation of the tribe of Benjamin is told in Judges 19-21. Because the tribe of Benjamin had defended the degenerate town of Gibeah, God wiped it out, leaving only 600 males to reconstitute the tribe. Three times the Prophet Hosea recalls the horrible degradation of Gibeah:

Hos. 5:8 - “Sound the trumpet in Gibeah.... Lead on, O Benjamin.”

Hos. 9:9 - “They have sunk deep into corruption as in the days of Gibeah. God will remember their wickedness and punish them for their sins.”

Hos. 10:9 - “Since the days of Gibeah [some 700 years before!] you have sinned, O Israel, and there you have remained. Did not war overtake the evildoers of Gibeah?”

The warning probably meant more to Israel than it does to us but consider the following lessons that we can draw from these texts:

1. Don’t follow the wrong trumpet and identify with the wrong side. The Benjamites did have a lot in common with the inhabitants of Gibeah but they should have flatly rejected their vile sin and joined the civil war against them not with them. Instead, they got themselves into a position where they defended evil.
2. Don’t let yourself sink ever deeper into sin. Stop it. Stop it now! Yes, you can do something about it. You won’t get away with blaming someone or something else. You won’t be able to stand before the Throne and use any of those excuses.
3. Get involved in spiritual warfare. If you don’t you’ll be overtaken by war. Either way, you’re in a war so why not choose the right side and make your life count?

Proverbs 11

He who puts up security for another will surely suffer,
but whoever refuses to strike hands in pledge is safe. (Prov. 11:15)

When the finances of individuals or the economy of a nation are built upon borrowing, they will result in tremendous loss of freedom. If allowed to continue, inflation and bankruptcy will eventually bring about God’s judgment. The consequences are certain.

Consider this matter of co-signing:

1. It is a dangerous form of lending. In reality, you are pledging whatever assets you have against the debt of someone else because he was not considered a good risk on his own assets. He is borrowing the money but asking you to stand behind the loan.
2. Scripture everywhere condemns the practice. Take a look at Proverbs 6:1-5 which says: My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge for another, if you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth, then do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor's hands: Go and humble yourself; press your plea with your neighbor! Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids. Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.
3. Your partnership encourages the one taking the loan to live beyond his means. It discourages him from waiting for God to supply his need.
4. You could lose everything that you have (see Prov. 11:15; 17:18; 20:16; 22:26-27; and 27:13).
5. You may be violating the Lord’s command to give to those in need.

Co-signing actually involves a double jeopardy loan and is not wise. Don’t do it!