Without Self-Control!

Reading:  Proverbs 25
My Verse:  "A man without self-control
                         is like a city broken into and left without walls" (Proverbs 25:28).

In my Bible study class we looked at Genesis 1:1  "In the beginning . . . "  This speaks of how God created that thing called "time."  The study then went on to look at how God directs us in the use of this all important thing - "time."  This verse just brought me back to that.  It is all about self-control; how we use our time.

If we do not have self-control we are a bit at sea, rudderless.  Lack of self-control manifests itself in so many ways.  For some it is losing one's temper.  For another it may be giving in to temptations to do things that are destructive to ourselves and loved ones.  For another it may be as simple as always falling for the latest "thing" - whatever that may be.  For another it may be simple laziness - "a little folding of the hands" (Proverbs 6:10).  For some it is to be the fool - much like the jester of olden times.

You, LORD God, "gave us a spirit . . . of power and love and self-control" (2 Timothy 1:7).

So much is taught us in Your Word, LORD God, on our need of self-control!

"For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control . . ." (2 Peter 1:5).

"Every athlete exercises self-control in all things.  They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable"  (1 Corinthians 9:25-27).

"Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city" (Proverbs 16:32).

"Training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives . . ." (Titus 2:12).

It is all about giving up that which is so all important to us - self!  As Calvin Miller stated, "All who follow Christ must sooner or later learn the hard lessons of dying to self."

I must include Emily Dickinson's poem here.

     "I'm nobody!  Who are you?
     Are you nobody, too?
     . . . . . . .
     How dreary to be somebody!
     How public, like a frog
     To tell your name the
        the livelong day
     To an admiring bog!"

Help me, LORD God to not be so concerned with self.  Help me to "number my days" (Psalm 90:12).
Help me to "walk carefully, not as unwise but wise" (Ephesians 5:15).

"Gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law" (Galatians 5:23).

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Sweetness For the Soul!

Reading:  Proverbs 24
My Verse:  "My son, eat honey, for it is good,
                        and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.
                    Know that wisdom is such to your soul;
                        if you find it, there will be a future,
                        and your hope will not be cut off" (Proverbs 24:13,14).

Love this.  LORD God, there is such a need in our world today for wisdom - not worldly wisdom but Your perfect, sure, right, pure, clean and true wisdom!  It is "sweeter than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb!" (Psalm 19).

So many try to live by ignoring that all important part of who we are - spiritual beings!  We have souls that yearn for nourishment just as our physical body hungers for food and our intellect searches out  knowledge.  Living for the moment, a life that is one dimensional just does not work as people find out.  It is empty and devoid of any kind of true meaning.  Life becomes a constant searching for that "something" to make one happy; an endless pursuit of temporal fantasies that never satisfy!

The thing is wisdom is not an easy thing to come by!  An article called "Taking the Long Way" by Yuval Levin speaks of how we as a society try to take the short cut to raise up "liberal" citizens
"capable of handling a remarkably high degree of freedom and responsibility"  He speaks of how our political parties think  if we can liberate our citizens so that they are "free" from coercion by others  this will make us a better country.  But that is not the case, we end with citizens enslaved by their own unrestrained desire.  We end up with citizens with "souls shaped for neutrality" -with a live and let let mentality.  It is instead dangerous as we will have weak citizens willing to give up their liberty for ease of life. 

"This danger is avoidable only if we take the long way to liberty, the way that prepares us through the practice of responsibility and through the formation and refinement of our souls.”

He goes on to say that the long way requires us to be part of a family, have a job, get a good liberal education and have a humbling faith.  These things take time, a lifetime actually, and commitment, and perseverance.

No, wisdom does not come easily or quickly, but You, LORD God tell us to pursue it!

"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:15-16).

We get wisdom through You and through Your word.

"The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple" (Psalms 19:7).

"But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere" (James 3:17).

Now that is sweetness for the soul!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

"I Need Another Drink!"

Reading:  Proverbs 20 -23
My Verse:

"Who has woe? Who has sorrow?

Who has strife? Who has complaining?

Who has wounds without cause?

Who has redness of eyes?

Those who tarry long over wine;

Those who go to try mixed wine.

Do not look at wine when it is red,

When it sparkles in a cup

And goes down smoothly.

In the end it bites like a serpent 

And stings like an adder

Your eyes will see strange things,

And your heart utter perverse things.

You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,

Like one who lies on the top of a mast.

They struck me, you will say, but I was not hurt;

They beat me, but I did not feel it.

When shall I awake?

I must have another drink."

 (Proverbs 23:29-35)



I do not know how many times I have read Proverbs, and yet this particular reading struck me as funny!  I went back and reread it several times wondering and meditating about my reaction to it.  I think what got me is the final statement, "I must have another drink."



The decision to drink or not to drink has so many permutations to it.  Many Christians struggle with this one.  Social drinking has this air of sophistication about it -who doesn't want to appear sophisticated, with it, etc?  If one does not drink, there is almost always - whether spoken or not - this question of well, why not?  What is your problem?

I just listened to James McDonald's message on why he believes in total abstinence.  He used this very passage, among many others to explain why he believes it is best if one does not drink at all. 



The first thing he points out is the first verse.  Just look at what results from drinking:  woe, sorrow, strife, complaining, wounds and red eyes!


Then, even though the drink may "go down smoothly", "In the end it bites like a serpent  and stings like an adder."  The consequences, sadly, adversely affect not only the drinker but those around him/her.


Alcohol, in whatever form, is a drug and poison causing "the eyes to see strange things."

Alcohol causes one to lose all wisdom and do rather foolish things;

     "the heart utters perverse things"  (one becomes immoral)

     "one lies down in the midst of the sea" (not wise!)

     "one lies at the top of a mast"  (tipsy and confused!)

     "they struck me . . . I was  not hurt" (oblivious to what is truly happening)

     "they beat me, but I did not feel it" (again - oblivious)




Then, so very sadly the final statement "I must have another drink!"  (addiction)



Thank You, LORD God, for Your constant teaching and enlightening. 



Ditat Deus - God Enriches!