relationships (Proverbs 25:1-28) Free to Learn

(Proverbs 25:1-28)

These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, transcribed.

2   It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,
     But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
3   As the heavens for height and the earth for depth,
     So the heart of kings is unsearchable.
4   Take away the impurities from the silver,
     And there comes out a vessel for the smith;
5   Take away the wicked before the king,
     And his throne will be established in righteousness.
6   Do not boast in the presence of the king,
     And do not stand in the same place as great people;
7   For it is better that it be said to you, “Come up here,”
     Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of the prince,
     Whom your eyes have seen.

8   Do not go out hastily to argue your case;
     Otherwise, what will you do in the end,
     When your neighbor humiliates you?
9   Argue your case with your neighbor,
     And do not reveal the secret of another,
10 Or one who hears it will put you to shame,
     And the evil report about you will not pass away.

11 Like apples of gold in settings of silver,
     Is a word spoken at the proper time.
12 Like an earring of gold and a jewelry piece of fine gold,
     Is a wise person who offers rebukes to a listening ear.
13 Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest 
     Is a faithful messenger to those who send him,
     For he refreshes the soul of his masters.
14 Like clouds and wind without rain 
     Is a person who boasts of his gifts falsely.
15 Through patience a ruler may be persuaded,
     And a gentle tongue breaks bone.
16 Have you found honey? Eat only what you need,
     So that you do not have it in excess and vomit it.
17 Let your foot rarely be in your neighbor’s house,
     Or he will become weary of you and hate you.
18 Like a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow 
     Is a person who gives false testimony against his neighbor.
19 Like a bad tooth and an unsteady foot 
     Is confidence in a treacherous person in time of trouble.
20 Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on soda,
     Is one who sings songs to a troubled heart.
21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
     And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
22 For you will heap burning coals on his head,
     And the Lord will reward you.
23 The north wind brings rain,
     And a gossiping tongue brings an angry face.
24 It is better to live on a corner of the roof,
     Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.
25 Like cold water to a weary soul,
     So is good news from a distant land.
26 Like a trampled spring and a polluted well,
     So is a righteous person who gives way before the wicked.
27 It is not good to eat much honey,
     Nor is it glory to search out one’s own glory.
28 Like a city that is broken into and without walls 
     So is a person who has no self-control over his spirit.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Verses 1 to 5 describe the Lord's salvation and the only way for any of us to live in righteousness.  To have a personal relationship with Jesus begins with us repenting of our sins and accepting His forgiveness and His gift of eternal life.  And in that very moment, He seals us with His indwelling Holy Spirit and covers us with His righteousness.  Although we cannot lose our salvation, we will still struggle with sin.

Therefore, just like with any other relationship, we still need to work on our relationship with the Lord.  Like with any other relationship, there needs to be communication, both ways.  Not only do we have the Holy Spirit within us, guiding and prompting us, but we have God's words written down for us, to read, study, and learn from.  Everything we could possible need to know about life is in the Bible.  And God wants to hear from us, everyday, all the time.  We can and are to talk to Him about everything, because He wants to be involved in our lives.

Another way to, not just work on our relationship with the Lord, but improve our quality of life, is to continuously search out matters to see if they are within God's will... to see if they are right or wrong for our lives.  We also need to continuously search out our hearts, so that when we find any sin, we can immediately confess.  

When anyone apologizes, and even if someone has not apologized for hurting us, it is good to forgive them as soon as possible.  Obviously, with the Lord, He has already forgiven us of all our sins, and chooses to remember them no more.  So when we get to heaven, He will judge us according to our good deeds done with pure motives (done in His strength and righteousness, all to His glory).  

Meanwhile, when we sin, the Lord God, as our loving heavenly Father who cares for us deeply, will discipline us.  He will allow consequences into our lives.  The Lord could and can prevent some things from happening, and protect us in a bigger way than we realize, especially once we confess and get back to doing the right thing.  But there are still some consequences that will happen due to wrong behavior.  

Here are some examples.  If we have gossiped about someone and they find out, they will be angry, and we will have to deal with that.  And they will probably tell others not to trust us.  Our reputation will take a hit, and we will have to be wise about moving forward in order to mend broken relationship/s.  But it helps to get to the heart of this issue as soon as possible, which is to realize that it is usually jealousy that prompts us to gossip in the first place.  When we confess the sin of jealousy, we can get back to being content in the Lord.

If we are contentious, the people around us will become tired, miserable and angry, and will either fight back or try to avoid us.  This is especially difficult in a marriage due to close proximity and this being the closest of ties one can have with any person.  We need to get to the heart of this issue and realize that our selfishness is driving us to fight and argue in order to get our own way in things.  We need to confess our selfishness so that we can start working together, in love and unity.

If we go to the wrong person for advice and help when we find ourselves in trouble, this will only add to our troubles.  If we have established good relationships with solid Christians, why distance ourselves from them?  They are the ones who will have the better advice.  Yes, they might tell us what we don't want to hear, but they will tell us what we need to hear.  So it helps to get to the heart of this by realizing that it is pride and arrogance that keeps us away from God and His children.  That, or we are being too weak and allowing others to direct our paths.  When we confess our pride and weakness, we can go back to seeking out the Lord for His strength and direction.

One of the keys to maintaining a healthy walk with the Lord, is to remain humble.  This is to realize that our strength and wisdom is nothing compared to the Lords, and that we need His help and guidance in all things, and to understand that He is in control so that we can then allow Him to be in control of our lives.  This isn't a do-it-once-and-then-we're-good-kind-of-thing, God wants us to do this daily.  In this way we will remain in touch with Him, and maintain our humility.  In this way, we will avoid many possible consequences and embarrassing moments among people.  

Also beneficial, is to seek out the Lord's wisdom in all matters, and then apply it.  This doesn't mean that we show off and spout out everything we know.  Part of God's wisdom includes having self-control, being a good listener, knowing when to keep silent, and praying that God gives us the right words to say, at the right time.  Anything we do say, should be constructive, edifying and/or encouraging, and always in God's love and patience.  And part of God's wisdom tells us that we should not hold grudges.  In fact, we are to still love our enemies, giving them food if they are hungry, and water if they are thirsty.  Even if this doesn't convert them, they will be less likely to continue in their retaliation.

Another part of God's wisdom to remember is "life in moderation", which is another level of self-control.  Like if we are invited to anyone's house, we should not overstay our welcome.  Or even just stopping to chat with anyone, we need to know when to end the conversation.  As well, whether we are eating at home or somewhere else, we should not overeat.  Not only is it unhealthy, but it doesn't present us in a good light.

Now, this is critical to hear, God doesn't want us to beat ourselves up when we mess up.  He wants us to keep coming back to Him, so that in His loving grace, He can continue healing us, comforting us, strengthening us, and transforming us from the inside out!  He has set us free from sin and death, so that we can freely live in His righteousness and know that He will take care of us.  And in His strength and wisdom, we can nurture better relationships with those around us, and live peacefully and joyously.