Bugged Eve

Eve saw the fruit of the tree God had told her not to eat and realized it really looked good. So why in the world would God keep it from her?  That would be mean. So she ate. Then she shared what she ate.  And then it happened.

The disobedience caused her eyes to be opened to see her own nakedness and sent her into shame, and into the frenzy of trying to cover herself.

Up until this moment, Eve had unbroken fellowship with the Lord God.  Everything he had made was hers to enjoy, with the exception of one tree.  That bugged Eve because she judged her Maker.

When my son was little, he wanted a piece of candy on the ground that was covered with ants.  Of course, I said no.  But being an toddler, he didn’t understand and began to cry – just like Eve. 

God has reasons (and they’re always good ones) for his directives.  And we have to be careful that our eyes, or what “looks good” to us, don’t rule our actions.  Any time we disobey the Lord, we feel shamed and need a covering.

Thankfully, because of Jesus, we can immediately come to Him, confess our sin, and he is faithful and just to forgive us.  We’re once again in fellowship with Him.

That’s amazing love.

The Big Lie

“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman.  “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

In these verses, after the serpent questions the validity of what God told Eve when he directed her to not eat from a specific tree, he now says that God’s warning was a lie.  He goes even further to say that God is up to some sort of trick.

God is holy and just and loving, and when he speaks to us about our lives and gives us warnings, i.e. don’t gossip – because it separates friends – He means it.  And his warnings are never some sort of trick.  Everything he says or directs us to do is motivated by love.

The Bible says that God is love.  He’s the very definition of love, and he cannot lie, nor trick us, nor does he fear sharing too much with us about Himself.  He is truth and actually wants a relationship with us so much that he sent his Spirit to dwell in us.

Make sure that what you’re hearing lines up with who God says he is.  You can trust Him, even if all you’ve ever known from others has been hurtful and deceitful.

God is love.

The Original Doubt

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

It’s interesting that the tempter always starts with trying to get us to question God’s character.  If he can cause us to mistrust our Maker, think He’s holding out on us, then he can get us to do something we otherwise wouldn’t do.

In this passage, the “crafty” one made Eve question what she heard God say to her.

Have you heard from God directly regarding your life? Maybe He’s given you promises for your kids, hope for your future, or faith for something impossible.

If you hear a voice quizzing you on the validity of God’s word, you can be assured it’s the voice that will then put a bite to it – if you listen to it - the bite of doubt.

Stand firm on who God is – a Loving Father – and stay true to what He’s told you to do.  

Fruit

From the mouth of the righteous comes the fruit of wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be silenced.

I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that the perverse tongue is louder than any other in the world right now – in the movies, in our schools, and on the streets.  But maybe that’s because there’s not much fruit of wisdom coming out of the mouths of the righteous.

I recently read that the view of Christians by many is that we’re judgmental, accusatory, full of condemnation and even hatred.  There’s not much wisdom in presenting that picture to others. 

I hope and pray that the mouths of the righteous start dripping with the fruit of wisdom, which includes love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, meekness, goodness, temperance, and faith.  When these things are evident in our speech, the other tongues will be silenced because they will want to listen…

And receive.

Rooted

The righteous will never be uprooted, but the wicked will not remain in the land.

When my kids were small, we did a family devo on roots.  We went into the backyard and I had them pull up a blade of grass, which came up with no problem.  We moved on to weeds, which were a bit harder to pull, and then to shrubs, and on to trees, which were impossible for them to budge.

The righteous are like the trees, according to Psalm 1, immovable and strong.  Nothing can uproot them because their roots run deep and are secure.

The second half of the above verse is not so encouraging.  Those who don’t know God won’t remain in the land.  In other words, they’re like the little blades of grass that have no depth, and they die in the slightest of drought, and can be pulled and blown away to be no more.

A blade of grass cannot be anything else. There is no transformation that will make it a tall tree.

But the wicked can be uprooted, transplanted and transformed – all by the blood of Jesus.

Lord, may the wicked become righteous…to be never uprooted.

The Way

The way of the Lord is a refuge for the blameless, but it is the ruin of those who do evil.

God is holy, righteous, and just.  So when we come to him and receive His forgiveness, his righteousness, and his mercy , walking with Him is a refuge from the storm.  We feel safe because there’s nothing – no guilt or shame – between us and Him.  Just a clear path.

That same path, to those who do not know that forgiveness, righteousness, and mercy leads to ruin.  And it’s not because God is mean – it’s because God is holy – and there is no unrighteousness in him.

We all know there’s this law called gravity.  For those who know it’s pull, we stay away from the edge and walk towards safety.  For those who defy it’s pull, we walk right off – to our death.  We would be foolish to blame the one who made the law for our demise, if we choose to defy it.

I need a refuge from life’s storms, a place where I don’t wash up on the shore in pieces and ruined.  And the way of the Lord is that for me.

The Prospect

The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.

We’re close to the end of Proverbs 10 – a comparison between the righteous and the wicked, the foolish and the wise.

We once panned for gold in a mine where they let visitors use a pan to discover small flakes of gold in sand, taken from the earth.  It was fun to pretend we were part of the “gold rush” but the prospect of us finding anything of value was nil.  It was all just for fun.  That’s the life apart from God – always panning for gold and coming up short.

However, the prospect of living for God produces joy, and joy is something no man can take from us, because it has eternal value.  In fact, it sustains us and is our strength. 

What are you digging for?  For what do you hope?  

Add to It

The fear of the Lord adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.

You want to live a long life?  Fear the Lord. 

Those who love the Lord live eternally. 

All of us, wicked or not, have an appointment with death.  And after that? 

I once read a statement that said if we have a good life here, why should we want for an after life there?  We should be grateful for the good life we’ve had.

There are so many reasons to desire an after life: to see loved ones who’ve died before us, to be free from pain and sorrow, and to see our Maker.  Those are all miraculous happenings that I want to experience.

The alternative is a life cut short, and an eternity without Him – which is a life of darkness.

I choose life.

Sluggards

As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so are sluggards to those who send them…

Vinegar eats away enamel, destroying teeth.  Smoke hurts and blinds, damaging eyesight.  Neither of those sound desirable to me. In fact, they're both destructive.

A sluggard is a lazy person, and the curious thing about this verse it says the sluggard is like vinegar and smoke to “those who send them.”

In other words when a lazy person is sent to do a job by an employer,  nothing good will happen. In fact, that which was good will be destroyed.

This whole 10^th chapter of Proverbs compares fools to the wise – and being lazy is foolish.

Laziness is not restfulness, and the wise know the difference.

Standing Firm

When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.

Remember the analogy in yesterday’s devo?  The dark clouds grew heavy until they became absolutely dangerous and the storm broke loose…until the floods came…and the foolish man’s house washed away.  There’s a little song I sang as a child:

The foolish man built his house upon the sand

The foolish man built his house upon the sand

The foolish man built his house upon the sand…and the rains came a tumbling down….

And the house on the sand went “Splat!”

The wise man built his house upon the rock

The wise man built his house upon the rock

The wise man built his house up on the rock….and the rains came a tumbling down…

And the house on the rock stood firm

The rains fall on all of us, but for one it’s a dark dreaded storm of destruction, and for the other it’s a storm that leaves us unharmed – solid and immovable.

Don't get swept away with the storm.  Let His righteousness be a refuge for you.

Desires

What the wicked dread will overtake them; what the righteous desire will be granted.

Sounds like a plan, doesn’t it?  Those who love the Lord can just desire something and it will be granted – like a genie in a bottle!  We know that doesn’t work.

There’s a verse that says the Lord will give us the desires of our heart and I believe it means He will give us the kind of desires that align with His plans and purposes – and those will be granted.  In other words, as we walk with Him and learn to yearn for what he yearns for, it’s like praying, “Your kingdom come, your will be done…” It happens. 

But what about the first part of this verse?  What a horrible thing to be overtaken by that which is feared…or dreaded.  What do the wicked dread?  I just get this picture of a person running from a dark cloud that always follows them, because it’s getting darker and heavier, thundering, and lighting up with dangerous strikes of lightning…until it breaks and the deluge begins. 

We can live in dread…or desire.  One is a life of running with the darkness behind you about to overtake you, and the other is a life of running with your path lit up before you, towards all that you desire.

True Delight

A fool finds pleasure in wicked schemes, but a person of understanding delights in wisdom.

I think one of the most disturbing things in the news is watching and hearing stories of those who actually enjoy carrying out meanness. Somehow it makes them feel powerful to dominate and control someone and ultimately hurt them. Even the movies are full of stories that make stealing, hurting, and living a wreckless life look appealing somehow.

I know that college freshmen often get into a lot of trouble that first year because “schemes” (crazy hazing or nutty parties) look “fun” and they want to fit in.

But as we mature, we should begin to understand that the momentary insanity of the thrill of living on the edge is gone in a flash – our delight and our kicks come from making wise choices.

Does that mean all fun is gone? Certainly not!  I think one of the most fun things in life is living peacefully, enjoying life to its fullest by giving to others selflessly, and drinking and enjoying His presence at all times.  That’s true drunkenness sans a hangover!

Wealth

The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, without painful toil for it.

Let’s key in on the world “painful” here. 

We all know that there are rich people all over the place – those who love the Lord – and those who don’t.   The power to gain wealth (monetarily) seems to be available to those who work hard, or to those who are born into it.  So I’m not sure this verse is referring to money.

Wealth is really an attitude of the heart.  When we are blessed by the Lord (because of his son Jesus) we automatically thrive – and it’s not dependent on excess in our bank account.

I once heard a story of a poor mom and her five kids who lived a long time ago, and were sewing, baking, etc. to raise money for a special need presented at their local church of about 100 people.  The pastor had mentioned there was a needy family in the church, so this mom and her kids worked hard to give.  That Sunday came and they humbly and obediently gave all they had made - $100.  The pastor announced at the end of the service the great offering that was received of $109.00 and he was so pleased.  He then called this very mom to the front to hand her the money.  When she got home, her youngest said, “Mom, I didn’t know we were needy.”

Isn’t that a cool story?  That young child felt rich because his mom was leading the family into a life of giving and loving Jesus. 

Knowing Jesus makes us rich. Period.  And yes, there is no painful toil in order to become rich – because He paid the ultimate price on the cross.

Nourishment

The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of sense.

This verse is similar to the one we talked about yesterday.

When those who love Jesus speak, it’s like a satisfying meal to those who hear it – it tastes good, smells good, and hits all receptors - so that it does good.  And besides that, it expands out like a wave, hitting many who are standing nearby, causing them to fall to their knees and swim in the wake.  Wow, I want to speak with choice words that nourish many…don’t you? 

But back to the fools again…those who act unwisely.  This passage says they die for lack of sense.  Reading this in context, I see these fools standing in the same waves above, but because their heart is not in tune with what’s rolling off the lips of the righteous – instead of it being a wave that covers them and makes them want to swim – it knocks them out silly like a devastating tsunami. 

When we fail to recognize or heed that which is being spoken by those who love the Lord, we just might get swept up in something that kills our spirit…or our bodies.

Lord, touch my lips with your goodness so that when I speak it brings health and life to those who hear.

Value

The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value.

So why was it the tongue body part that was mentioned for the righteous…and the heart body part of the wicked?

I’m thinking because it’s in the heart where “stuff” originates – good or bad.  If Jesus’ blood covers all, then our heart is pure and what comes out of our mouth is “choice” silver – none of that foolish talk we’ve been discussing in other daily devos.  So by the time something rolls off our tongues, we’ve checked it with our heart, and when we speak it does good and not harm.

However, in the heart of the wicked (those who do evil things) there is little value – the place where what we say originates.  They have no choice words, or silver, to share because the value there is missing.  That value is Jesus.

Today, and every day, if we want to pray that which is on God’s heart – it’s to fill the heart of the wicked with value – His son Jesus.

End It

Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.

We tell a lie.  The next thing we know we’re telling another lie to cover up the first lie.  And the hope  is that at some point the need to lie will end, because the story will be over.  But the sin (knowing to right and not doing it) of lying is only ended by repentance. 

Holding our tongue is hard.  In fact, the Bible says we cannot tame our tongue – it’s a like a fire – a flash fire I imagine. One that once ignited - watch out!

So let’s see how it SHOULD be.

We tell a lie.  The next thing we know, we realize what we did was very wrong and the domino effect we’re about create has to stop now before we stack up the next domino of another lie.  We pray, we confess the lie, and we ask for help.  The opportunity arises to add to the lie and wait – He that lives within us is greater than that which tries to harm us – and we hold our tongue!

Our righteousness is like a filthy rag; but his righteousness is what we yearn for.  And where righteousness begins - sin ends.

Stop It

Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool.

More info on how we can play the fool, a role I’m not interested in having!

Notice some of the words in this verse such as “conceals,” “hatred,” “lying lips,” and “spreads slander.”

Those words are connected with relationships.   When we hate others, yet lie to their faces and pretend to be their friend, then talk about them badly when they’re gone – we’re a fool.

I’m pretty sure this describes middle school behavior at its worst.  Girls get together in a huddle and the hatred flies because another girl thinks she’s “all that” which only makes the group hate her more.  Then the girl walks up, swings her head as her hair flies to the other side, and the group chatters to her as if they’re her best friend.  As she walks on down the hall, the girls giggle and find every reason to tear her down.

Have you seen that happen?

As adults, that type of behavior needs to stop.  But sadly, for some, it does not.

What are You?

“Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.” (Proverbs 10:17)

I used to tell my kids that I wanted them to be a thermostat – not a thermometer.  I meant I wanted them to set the tone (temperature) for the atmosphere where they live.  In other words, if they obey and do what’s right they lead those around them in the same path.  On the contrary, if they are a thermostat (they just read the temperature – whatever it is) they will go up and down with whatever comes their way.

This verse states the same thing. If we follow Christ we show the way toward life.  But if we ignore what we know to be right, we not only go up and down ourselves, but we lead those around us astray. 

What a sobering verse that makes us realize the power over those around us. 

Are you a thermostat or a thermometer?  

Wages & Earnings

“The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor.  The wages of the righteous are life, but the earnings of the wicked are sin and death.”

I love this passage because it speaks of the “earnings” of the wicked being sin and death.  I get so frustrated with those who accuse God of “sending” people to hell.  “Why would a loving God do that?” they ask.  God doesn’t do it.  Those who choose to ignore the wealth found in living for God “earn” their eternal destination – because they’ve worked on their own for it.

I love this passage also, because it talks about the wealth and wages of the rich and the righteous being like a strong protected city – one where life takes place.  And the interesting thing about this city is that the wealth and riches are not “earned” but rather paid (wages) by the lifegiver – Jesus.  Jesus paid the sacrifice (the wages) by his death on the cross so that we can ENJOY the wealth of his kingdom.

Jesus offers fortification (security) and life.  We can receive it as a free gift, or we can work hard on our own apart from him – and earn our just reward.

Store it UP

“The wise store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.”

Wow, Solomon sure likes to warn us about being foolish and ending in ruin!  And it always has to do with our mouths – that which speaks good – or bad.

This particular verse says the mouth of a fool INVITES ruin.  In other words, if we are foolish in our conversation, we can blame no one but ourselves if ruin follows.  Foolishness opens the door to ruin. 

So how do we shut the door to ruin?  We store up knowledge.

Many times what comes out of our mouths is foolishness simply because we don’t know any better.  And we don’t know better because we haven’t been walking in the truth, to have the knowledge to speak differently.

If a student is asked to stand up and give a synopsis of a book the class was instructed to read, and the student has not read the book, if he chooses to speak – he invites and opens the door to ridicule, his classmates thinking ill of him, and most definitely a bad grade!  And it’s all because he didn’t read the book.

When we are tested in life, we are wise if we have studied up and are well versed in the truth of His word.  So that when we are questioned at times by those foul voices that whisper, “Who do you think you are?” we can answer with wisdom, “I am a daughter of the King.”

Store up knowledge of His truth so that when you open your mouth, you are not counted among the fools.

The Comforting Rod

Proverbs 10: 13 says, “Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of one who has no sense.”

How many times do the Proverbs talk about lips and what comes out of our mouths?  A lot!  I’m sure it’s because out of our hearts is what then surfaces in our mouths.

Discerning people show good judgment.  In other words, they think before they speak and act, and they determine the best way to go and then they go that way.

However, those who have no sense (no discernment) need a “rod to the back!”  Ouch!

Imagine with me a shepherd on a hillside with a flock of sheep, a few of whom are headed towards the edge of a drop-off.  The shepherd is going along a safe path away from the edge, but these few sheep keep wandering too close for comfort.  They have no sense.  The shepherd takes his staff and prods the sheep who are wandering in order to get them back with the flock.  Is that mean?  No, that’s love.

We, as parents, are given the opportunity and discernment to lead our kids along a safe path, and it’s up to us to pull them back to safety if discernment is lacking – due to immaturity or just poor judgment.  It’s this kind of love that makes immature kids grown into wise adults with discernment on their lips.

Love Covers

Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs. (verse 12)

Another verse in the New Testament says love covers a multitude of sins.

This verse seems pretty self-explanatory and pretty obvious.  Where there is hate – there is conflict.  Where there is love – there is covering.

Have you been wronged?  To love or cover over a wrong doesn’t mean to ignore it or pretend it didn’t happen. What it does mean is to place you and the wrongdoer on the same level – at the foot of the cross – both in need of His mercy.  It means you choose to love them in spite of what they’ve done, knowing that God will deal with them…and heal you.

Have you wronged someone?  Ask God to forgive you and then receive His perfect love that forgives and erases all wrongs. Then go to the person you’ve wronged and ask forgiveness.  

The Bible says that out of faith, hope, and love – the greatest is love.  That’s because there is great power in loving as Jesus did – laying down your life for another.

Don’t live in hatred and unrest.  Love those who have hurt you.  Don’t love the deed but love the doer, because you too have sinned and fallen short at times. 

A Grievous Wink

“Whoever winks maliciously causes grief, and a chattering fool comes to ruin.  The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.”

Wow, the chattering fool surfaces again! We just read about her a few verses before.  So much of our quality of life depends on what comes out of our mouths!

I don’t know about you, but I’m not sure I’ve seen anyone “wink maliciously.”  What in the world can that mean? The only thing I visualize when I read that verse is a card shark in a game of poker winking because he knows he’s got a winning hand, only he also knows it’s ill-gotten winning hand.  Can you see it?

Malicious winking , chattering, and concealing…all descriptions of the wicked.  All of these attributes are the total opposite of integrity, which we wrote about yesterday.

And then of course, like all good Proverbs say, there’s a counter to the curse:

What comes out of the mouths of those who love God is a fountain of life.  What a contrast!  In other words, others want to come and drink from the words that flow from those who walk with God.

The tongue is important, as are the eyes.  And the righteous know this and submit both to His command.

Unimpaired

Proverbs 10: 9 says, “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.”

Security – it’s what all women want – in fact I’m told it’s at the top of the list.  This verse says those who walk in integrity walk securely.  One definition of “integrity” is “an unimpaired condition.”  So if we walk unimpaired, we walk securely. 

I think it works out like this: 

We can walk in truth (the word of God) by obeying the highest command of loving God and loving others, and we will be wrapped securely & tightly, with a heart that’s set straight and clean.  We can go to bed at night with a clear conscience.

Or we can walk in our own whims and fancies (following our natural desires, whatever they may be) and eventually come to the end of our rope, so to speak, realizing we are lost, without hope  - and those around us might be stunned at what we do.  We go to bed at night alone and afraid.

The only way we can walk in an unimpaired condition is if Jesus walks beside us.  We are all impaired, in need of a Savior.   And all we have to do is ask Him, and He will lead.

Then we can follow – safe and sound.

Wise in Heart

“The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin.” (Proverbs 10:8)

I’m writing all about foolishness this month, something I don’t ever think I’ve heard addressed in a sermon…

Have you ever tried to talk to someone, but she doesn’t keep quiet long enough to listen to you?  In fact, you can see in her eyes that she’s thinking of what she’s going to say next, and she’s not even hearing what you have to say.  That person probably has been labeled a “chatterbox.”

A chatterbox might be cute as a toddler, but an adult chatterbox – it seems no one wants to be around her.  Constant chatter leaves no time for listening.

This verse says the wise in heart accept commands, and since this phrase precedes the part about chattering, I conclude that the wise in heart also know when to stop speaking in order to listen.

I’ve been known to be a chatterbox in my prayers.  I go on and on with complaints, requests, and questions as I’m talking to God and I get up from praying – never listening to what He might have to say to me.

Lord, grant me wisdom to be quiet and listen…and accept your instruction.

A Crown

Blessings crown the head of the righteous, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked. The name of the righteous is used in blessings, but the name of the wicked will rot (Proverbs 10:6,7)

Here we go again – more contrast between the wicked (the foolish) and the righteous (those who believe). 

Can you just picture it?  Those who love the Lord have these beautiful crowns they wear – full of blessings.  And those who do not love the Lord have mouths with ugly stuff spilling out.  I’d like to see a painting of that!

All of this chapter is so visual about the distinct differences between the foolish and the righteous.  There is so much to be gained from following after the Lord, and so much to be lost by turning away.

Out of our mouths comes what resides in our hearts.  And when vile junk pours forth, we earn a name or reputation that stinks – because it’s rotten. 

However, when his blessings crown our head – our reputation is golden.  And the cool thing is that when His blessings adorn our heads, HIS name is recognized as being the giver of the blessings.

These are strong words in this book of Proverbs.  And we have the choice to heed…or disregard.

The Harvest

^“Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.”

So many verses in Proverbs talk about foolishness.  And being lazy is foolish.  But I don’t think these verses always just refer to the natural.  In other words, it IS foolish to sit around and do nothing – because then you make no money and you wind up in poverty. And it’s even ridiculous if you’re a farmer and you sit during harvest instead of gathering your crops – how wasteful!

But let’s look at the spiritual significance to the instruction in this verse.  Diligence, it says, brings wealth. We must be diligent to work with our hands for the Kingdom – through giving, praying, offering praise, etc.  Otherwise, we will always be wanting, always lacking, always without.  Why?  Because in giving we receive.

And when God is blessing the fruit of our land, we are prospering spiritually and growing in Him, tall and strong – we are a disgrace to our Father if we choose to be lulled to sleep during this time because we’re full and satisfied. 

I had an uncle who fell asleep after every Thanksgiving meal, and when he woke up he was ready to go home.  There was no conversation, no fellowship, just eating and leaving. I always wondered why he bothered showing up!

God has invested much in us – His Son.  We must be diligent to praise him and then when he rains blessings upon us, and the fruit of his goodness begins to show – we MUST harvest it and share what we have been given before it rots and falls to the ground.

Covered

Verses 3, 4 say, “The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.”

I like to think of this verse more in terms of spiritual hunger and cravings.  Yes, of course, the Lord provides us food to eat for our bodies.  But those who hunger and thirst after HIM, the Bible says, are filled. 

Sometimes I feel restless, like there’s a void in my life, sort of empty inside, and it almost always coincides with a time where I’m not really spending much time in prayer or the Word, and I’m starting to feel faint and sick to my spiritual stomach.  I don’t have to stay that way, though sometimes in my hurrying and busyness I let myself get so low that I’m not so pleasant to be around.

The Lord promises that when we are hungry for Him, his table is always set, and it’s always full.  We can eat until we’re content.  We just need to take the time to stop and sit…and eat.

The second part of the verse says the Lord thwarts the craving of the wicked.  What do the wicked crave? 

Proverbs 21:10 says the wicked crave evil.  And often that evil is directed towards the righteous.  But because of Jesus and his blood, all those plans and schemes and cravings that the wicked have to destroy the righteous have already been thwarted! 

If we hunger and thirst after Him, we won’t be hungry and faint.  And the plans devised against us will never prosper. 

I’d say the Lord has us covered!

The Real Treasure

Verse 2 “Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value, but righteousness delivers from death.”

All of this month, I’m talking about fools or foolishness.  The above verse speaks of gaining treasures through wrongful means – a foolish act.  Ill-gotten treasures can be obtained through obvious stealing, but what about other “treasures?”  

Sex before marriage is an ill-gotten treasure, and it breeds mistrust in a relationship right from the start.  Taking time from a person by gossiping in her ears is an ill-gotten treasure and it not only has no value – it’s quite damaging.  Even stuff we acquire, like houses and cars, if gotten out of greed or because trying to look good, often only makes us want more and we’re never satisfied.

I love the little word “but” because it always means there’s an alternative coming.  And that alternative is righteousness.  We are not righteous – none of us.  That’s why we need a Savior to deliver us from ill-gotten treasures so that we go after the real treasure of knowing Him.  

Instead of acquiring things that have no lasting value, He offers us a big “but” - His righteousness.