Dad's Ramblings -- Life Sentence

"The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot."
 
                                  Proverbs 10:7
 
Yesterday I went to the funeral of a godly man. When you hear his name, it evokes an image of a calm, gentle person who loved people. We all will receive a life-sentence. This is not a judgment by a court, but a sentence that will sum up our lives. George Washington – first president and father of our country. Abe Lincoln – emancipator of the slaves. Bill Clinton – sex pervert. What will be my life-sentence? Above all, I want it to be, "He loved Jesus."
 
Today's Thought: Everyone has a life-sentence – either good or bad.
 
Have a godly day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- The Value of A Work Ethic

"He who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. He who gathers in summer is a wise son; he who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame."
 
                           Proverbs 10:4-5
 
I learned the value and rewards of a good work ethic early in life. It was not especially fun to deliver a pile of newspapers every day when I was in grade school and high school, but the money I earned made life a little sweeter. Nor was it much joy to go berry and bean picking at 6:00 each morning during the summer. But I was learning to meet people, how to handle money, and responsibility. I have profited through the years from my work ethic. Diligence to the job before me has rewards – whether as a student, in a career, or around the home. Diligence is not dependent on whether it feels good. "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might" (Ecc. 9:10).
 
Today's Thought: Diligence pays.
 
Have a diligent day. Love you.
 
P.S.: I am so proud that my children are not slackards.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- The Joy of Fatherhood

"The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son [or daughter] makes a glad father, but a foolish son is the grief of his mother."
              
                                  Proverbs 10:1
 
I, as a father, am so blessed to have some wise children and grandchildren who fear the Lord (see Prov. 9:10). Nothing makes me happier than to see my offspring serving Jesus. But nothing grieves my spirit as a child who does not serve the Lord.
 
Today's Thought: The joy of fatherhood is to have wise children.
 
Have a blessed day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- The Wise Receive Instruction

"Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man and he will be wiser still...."
 
                              Proverbs 9:8-9a
 
One of the marks that distinguishes a wise man from a fool is that the wise man can receive reproof and correction. Boy, have I got a long way to go!!! The wise love God's Word, because it is profitable for correction, reproof, and instruction in righteousness (II Tim. 3:16).
 
Today's Thought: A wise man will receive rebuke without resentment.
 
Have a wise day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Wisdom Is Eternal

"The LORD possessed me [Wisdom] at the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I have been established from everlasting, from the beginning, before there was ever an earth."
 
                                Proverbs 8:22-23
 
Wisdom does not change from year to year or from culture to culture. Wisdom's truth is eternal. People say, "We live in a new age. That idea was good for past times, but it doesn't apply to today." However, some things remain constant throughout the centuries – such as evil, human nature, and God's truth. God's word will never become obsolete. It is as valid today as it was to Adam.
 
Today's Thought: Wisdom does not change because Truth
remains Truth.
 
Have an everlasting day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Inside Outside

"Does not wisdom cry out, and understanding lift up her voice? She takes her stand on the top of the high hill, beside the way, where the paths meet.... 'I, wisdom, dwell with the prudent....' "
 
                          Proverbs 8:1-2, 12
 
For many people, Wisdom stands as an outsider calling, "Choose this path."  Most people make decisions without concern for the future.  "Live for today" is their motto. There is a voice warning them but they ignore it. For example, people max out their credit cards without considering they may lose their job tomorrow.  But Wisdom dwells with the prudent who make decisions in light of the future. (Remember the essence of Prudence is farsightness -- looking ahead to the consequences.  See DR for Proverbs 1:4) They understand that there is a price to pay for today's choices. The prudent live today with eternity in view.
 
Today's Thought: Wisdom is either an external signpost, or an internal guide.
 
Have a prudent day.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- The Struck Liver

"With her enticing speech she (the seductress) caused him (the fool) to yield, with her flattering lips she seduced him. Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter...till an arrow struck his liver. As the bird hastens to the snare, he did not know it would cost his life."
 
                                Proverbs 7:23-25
 
Same song, different tune (vss. 6-27). The fool sees the seductress, and she makes her bed seem so appealing – "perfumed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon" (vs. 17). Then she calls to him, "Come" (vs. 18), and he follows like a dumb ox, only to find that being in bed with her is not as wonderful and enjoyable as he thought. Not only is his life destroyed, but he has to live with a "struck liver" – his conscience. Solomon advises, "Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways" (vs. 25).
 
Today's Thought: Sleeping with sin is not all it's cracked up to be.
 
Have a wise day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Treasuring God's Law

"My son, keep my words, and treasure my commands within you. Keep my commands and live, and my law as the apple of your eye...that they may keep you...."
 
                           Proverbs 7:1-2, 5a
 
Some people think God's laws are designed to make life miserable – to take all the joy out of living. But the real purpose is to give us abundant life. Obeying them keeps me from doing a lot of dumb things that cause pain to me and to others. That's why I treasure God's law.
 
Today's Thought: God's commandments are designed to give real life.
 
Have an abundant day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- The Cost of Unfaithfulness

"Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; he who does so destroys his own soul. Wounds and dishonor he will get, and his reproach will not be wiped away. For jealousy is a husband's fury; therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will accept no recompense, nor will he be appeased though you give him many gifts."
 
                                Proverbs 6:32-35
 
Why does the Holy Spirit (through Solomon) keep coming back to this theme of adultery? Maybe because it is such a dominant and powerful part of life that needs to be controlled. But this passage also reminds me that I am not the only one who is destroyed. There are other people – in my family and in the other family – who are hurt and sometimes destroyed by infidelity. Wisdom says avoid sexual transgression at all costs. Virtue is a possession to prize.
 
Today's Thought: Infidelity not only destroys the people involved, but other innocent people.
 
Have a faithful day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- "Just The Facts"

"People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving. Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold; he may have to give up all the substance in his house."
 
                                   Proverbs 6:30-31
 
Feeling sorry for a criminal does not negate justice. Just because I feel compassion does not mean that he is not accountable for his crime. Unfortunately, many times in trial, the jury is swayed by the pleas of the defense attorney that appeal to the emotions ("he was abused as a child," or "he is poor," or "he has some kind of syndrome") rather than the facts. Compassion and mercy are important, but they do not nullify justice. When I stand in the courtroom of Heaven before the Judge of the Universe, He will not be swayed by any appeals to His great compassion and mercy. Judgment will be based on one thing: Have I believed that Jesus took the punishment for my sin. "Just the facts, Ma'am, just the facts."
 
Today's Thought: Compassion and mercy do not diminish justice.
 
Have a just day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Playing With Fire

"Can a man take fire to his bosom and his clothes not be burned? Can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be seared? So is he who goes into his neighbor's wife; whoever touches her shall not be innocent."
 
                            Proverbs 6:27-29
 
You can't play with fire and not get burned. Many have tried it and come out smelling like smoke. At first it seems so innocent – the jovial banter, the peek at pornography, the internet contact that becomes too familiar. Wisdom says the same thing that Paul wrote to Timothy: "Flee youthful lusts" (II Tim. 2:22). Illicit sex will reduce you to a piece of worthless bread crust and destroy everything precious in your life (vs. 26).
 
Today's Thought: Playing with the fire of forbidden fire will burn you every time.
 
Have a safe day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Reproof vs. Flattery

"For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light; reproofs of instruction are the way of life, to keep you from the evil woman [ungodly foolishness], from the flattering tongue of a seductress."
 
                                Proverbs 6:23-24
 
I hate reproof (especially from my wife). I bristle when someone tells me I'm wrong because it attacks my self-esteem. I would much rather hear flattery. Caressing strokes feel so much better than the hits of a spanking. This is not to say that words of encouragement are bad. But if my goal is wisdom, then corrections are absolutely essential. They are way of life.
 
Today's Thought: Reproof is better than flattery because it builds a life.
 
Have a "correction" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Instruction for Life

"My son, keep your father's command, and do not forsake the law of your mother. Bind them continually upon your heart; tie them around your neck.
 
     When you roam, they will lead you;
     When you sleep, they will keep you; and
     When you awake, they will speak with you.
 

                                 Proverbs 6:20-22
 
The older I get, the more I realize how the godly instructions of my mom and dad have impacted my life for good. They have lead me and kept me through life, and still speak to me today.
 
Today's Thought: Godly wisdom received as a child and kept in the heart will keep throughout life.
 
Have a listening day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Hating What God Hates

"There are six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him;
A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood (abortion?),
A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,
A false witness,
One who sows discord among the brethren."

                                       Proverbs 6:16-19
 
There are some things that the God of the Universe loathes with a passion – pride, lying (twice), murder (abortion), evil schemes and deeds, and rebellion. I imagine that Satan in his heavenly rebellion did just about all of them (except maybe murder). As a child of God, I want to know the heart of the Father (what He loves and what He hates), and then love what He loves, and hate what He hates.
 
Today's Thoughts: God's children should love what God loves and hate what He hates.
 
Have a godly day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Non-verbal Language

"A worthless person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth;
       he winks with his eyes,
            he shuffles his feet,
                  he points with his fingers;
Perversity is in his heart,
       he devises evil continually,
               he sows discord.
Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly; suddenly he shall be broken without remedy."
 
                                Proverbs 6:12-15
 
Non-verbal language speaks volumes. It belies the true meaning of what a person says, and can negate the verbal message. Just because a person has shifty eyes, can't stand still, or shakes his finger in your face does not mean he is lying, but these body expressions are windows to his heart. It may just be a lack of confidence. But be alert to the person who won't look you straight in the eye when he talks. He may be a worthless person with calamity waiting just around the corner.
 
Today's Thought: Body language either reinforces or negates what we say.
 
Have a "verbal" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Preparing For The Future

"Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain, overseer, or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in harvest."
 
                                                Proverbs 6:6-8
 
A wise person prepares for the future. This is not the same as the issue of worry that Jesus talked about in Matthew 6. The sluggard has cause to worry in the hard times if he has not laid up store when things are plentiful. Many of the housing foreclosures are the result of people who lived to the max when money was plentiful. Verse 11 says that poverty will attack like a bandit.  Life comes at you fast.  Preparing for the future just makes good sense.
 
Today's Thought: Preparing for the future is a hedge against worry.
 
Have a "preparing" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- The Snare of Co-signing

"My son, if you become surety for your friend, if you have shaken hands in pledge to a stranger, you are snared by the words of your mouth....So do this, my son, and deliver yourself; for you have come into the hand of your friends: Go and humble yourself; plead with your friend. Deliver yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter...."\
 
                                             Proverbs 6:1-5
 
Now that we have discovered the value of wisdom, we start the advice section. The first word of advice is indeed good: Do not cosign for anyone else's debt – not for a relative, not for a friend, and certainly not for a stranger. It is a snare to become liable for another person's obligations. If you have already obligated yourself, free yourself, like a deer escaping the hunter, even if you have to get on your hands and knees and beg to be released from your pledge. It is better to be humbled by seeking release than to be required to pay the other person's debts when he defaults.
 
Today' Thought: Avoid the snare of co-signing for another person's obligations.
 
Have a free day. Love you.

Dad's Ramblings -- Stuck In The Mud

"For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and He ponders all his paths. His own iniquities entrap the wicked man, and he is caught in the cords of his sin. He shall die for lack of instruction, and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray."
 
                                          Proverbs 5:21-23
 
Sin is addictive. It's like driving in mud. When I stray off the highway onto unpaved side roads, I get into muddy ruts that trap me. No matter how much I spin my wheels, I can't get out of it. I need someone to pull me out. Thank goodness, there is a Savior to deliver us from our addictions. God sees the plight of man, stuck in his sin, and reaches down to pull us out. Psalm 49, verse 2, rings loud and clear: "He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps." Or as the old song goes, "He brought me out of the miry clay, He set my feet on the Rock to stay." I do not need to be stuck in the mud of sin.
 
Today's Thought: God delivers the addict stuck in his sin.
 
Have a freedom day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Faithfulness

 
"Drink water from your own cistern, and running water from your own well....Let your fountain be blessed and rejoice with the wife of your youth. As a loving deer and a graceful doe, let her breasts satisfy you at all times; and always be enraptured with her love. For why should you, my son, be enraptured by an immoral woman and be embraced in the arms of a seductress." 
 
                                      Proverbs 5:15, 18-20
 
Faithfulness is the issue – faithfulness to my spouse and faithfulness to the godly teachings of my youth. The result of forsaking my marriage vows is the ruin of my morals, finances, and reputation and honor (see verses 8-14). The result of forsaking the godly faith of my youth is spiritual ruin. So many times I have heard people say, "I was raised in a Christian home, but I don't believe that any more." And then I look at the destruction and havoc in their lives, and I see the fruit of drinking at the world's well. So I ask again, "Why should I be enraptured by an immoral woman and be embraced in the arms of a seductress, when all I get is pain?"
 
Today's Thought: Being satisfied with the wife of my youth, and being faithful to the godly instruction of my youth, brings blessing.
 
Have a faithful day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Situational Wisdom

"Her feet [the path of the immoral woman] go down to death, her steps lay hold of hell. Lest you ponder her path of life – her ways are unstable; you do not know them."
 
                                                Proverbs 5:5-6
 
The world's wisdom is unstable – constantly changing. What is true for one person is not true for another person (situational ethics). So it is impossible to know truth through worldly wisdom. Satan and all of hell has deceived the mass of people, but the end is death. Eve is a good example, but that scenario is played out over and over again in individual lives. Thank goodness we have God's word. It is reliable truth that never changes, and it leads to life and heaven.
 
Today's Thought: The world's wisdom is unstable – always changing from person to person
and situation to situation.
 
Have a stable day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- A Prostitute vs. A Loving Wife

"My son, pay attention to my wisdom; lend your ear to my understanding, that you may preserve discretion, and your lips may keep knowledge. From the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword."
 
                                               Proverbs 5:1-4
 
Solomon compares worldly wisdom to an immoral woman and godly wisdom to a faithful wife. Worldly wisdom is like a prostitute who lures with sweet words and kisses that feel like a soothing balm, but leaves a bitter taste in one's mouth. In contrast, he tells us to be content with the wife of our youth, letting "her breast satisfy you at all times...enraptured with her love" (vss. 18-19). Loving God's wisdom may not seem as beautiful and exciting as the world's wisdom, but her faithfulness will be more satisfying in the end.
 
Today's Thought: Intercourse with the harlot (the world's ungodly wisdom) will leave a person with bitter memories and a deep scar.
 
Have an "enraptured" day (year, life) in God's wisdom. Love you.