Read Through The Bible

Proverbs 23:4 warns us to steer clear of obsessing over wealth.  If we have been paying attention, it is easy to see why we must not worry over wealth.

According to Proverbs we cannot trust in money, for those who trust in money will fall.  (Proverbs 11:28)  According to Proverbs we cannot trade money for the things that matter most like peace (15:16), love (15:17), integrity (16:8), wisdom (16:16), and a good reputation (22:1).  Most of all, the wise writer of Proverbs reminds us that we cannot take money with us.  (27:24)  It is redundant by now to say, “You have never seen a u-haul behind a hearse.”

Are you worried today about some kind of financial issue?  Take a deep breath and re-read Proverbs 23:4 going very slowly with the last part which says, according to the New American Standard, “Cease from your consideration of it.”

Though the individual Proverbs may not be together in the book, it does seem as though there are a few favorite subjects of the Proverbs.  Protection from adultery, the tongue, money, and arrogance are just a few of the subjects that gain heavy attention in this collection of wise sayings.  We read today a few Proverbs about arrogance. “Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.”  (18:12)  Then in 21:4 we read, “Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin!”  Then in 21:24 we read, “The proud and arrogant man—‘Mocker’ is his name; he behaves with overweening pride.”

The last Proverb of chapter 21 gives us the succinct reason that none of us should have pride in our own abilities.  “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the LORD.”

Whatever we have and whatever we have accomplished is attributable solely to God’s blessing on our lives.

The reading plan that I am using for reading through the Bible comes from The Daily Walk Bible, which is produced by Walk Thru the Bible Ministries.  I don’t know if the editors of this particular plan did this on purpose, but isn’t it something that today we read Proverbs 14:34, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people”?

This Proverb gives us a promise and a prophecy.  The promise is that “righteousness exalts a nation.”  The prophecy is that “sin is a disgrace to any people.”  It is too bad that this Independence Day for America finds us realizing more of the prophetic announcement of this Proverb than the promise.  However, I am always hopeful that God could send great revival to America.  I am always mindful that, most of all, revival needs to begin in me.

A story goes that a little girl was in New York and visited with her family the Statue of Liberty.  She heard the guide say, “This torch symbolizes the light of freedom that America demonstrates to the rest of the world.”  That night, the little girl couldn’t sleep for her thinking about that woman and that torch.  Waking her parents, she said, “Mama I keep thinking about that woman with her torch.  I think she needs somebody to help her hold up the light.”

Don’t you agree with the little girl?  Hold up your nation in prayer as we celebrate, as Americans, our freedom.

One of things that stand out in the Proverbs is how many of the Proverbs deal with our speech.  We are not surprised to hear counsel against lying.  Lying, after all, is one of the Ten Commandments.  A Proverb about the tongue that catches my eye is 10:19, “When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.”  Back in Psalm 141:3, we read this prayer, “Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.”

To be sure, there is a time to speak.  Sometimes we are silent when we should speak a word of truth.  However, more times than not, we are probably more guilty of speaking when we ought to be silent.  I have been the mediator of many an argument that could have been avoided if the parties involved would have just simply kept their mouths closed.

Let us all make our prayer today and every day that we would be wise enough to speak up when it is time to speak, but wise enough to remain silent when we have no business speaking.

Where does one start in writing about these Proverbs?  I love this book.  I could read this book every day for the rest of my life and still find something new every day.  You have noticed already in these two days of reading that some of these lines stand alone.  A few times, a couple of verses form a unit.  For each of these days in reading Proverbs, I am going to choose a Proverb that has spoken to me in my reading.

There is a formula in Proverbs 7 that most every person needs to hear.  Verses 2 and 3 give us three things to do:  Guard my teachings, Bind them on your fingers, and Write them on your heart.  The promise of the formula is that doing these things will “keep you from the adulteress.”  We all know a lot of people that have fallen to adultery sometime in their lifetime.  The path of destruction left by this sin is disastrous.

What’s the answer?  We must guard our lives by the Word of God.  Listen to the wisdom given in chapter 8.  “Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.”

Do you set aside some time to listen to God every day?

You have heard it said many times that the book of Proverbs is the most practical book in the Bible.  Every line is flowing with God’s wisdom.  Indeed the book of Proverbs is categorized as a book of wisdom.

 The first 7 verses serve as an unidentified introduction to the whole book.  The introduction helps us to see the purpose of Proverbs, the possibility of Proverbs, and the ultimate path or (goal) of Proverbs.

The Purpose of Proverbs  (1:2-4)
1.    To attain wisdom and discipline
2.    To understand words of insight
3.    To acquire a disciplined and prudent life
4.    To give prudence to the simple
5.    To give knowledge and discretion to the young

 The Possibility of Proverbs (1:5-6)
            We are promised that if we apply these Proverbs we will become increasingly wise.

 The Path of Proverbs (1:7)
            The ultimate aim of these Proverbs is to “fear the Lord.”  This phrase is the most repeated phrase in Proverbs.  The Fear of the Lord begins (1:7) and ends (31:30) the book.

This final group of Psalms is fittingly called the Hallel Psalms for the Hebrew word hallel.  You can hear echoes of our English word “hallelujah” in this Hebrew word.  Each Psalm begins and ends with this phrase “Praise the LORD.”  The organization of these Psalms in this way ought to remind us that the beginning thought and the ending thought of everything is “Praise the LORD.”

Today, I praise the LORD that for another year I can say that I am reading through the Bible.  Today, I can praise the LORD that I have a few friends who are reading along with me.

I hope today finds you wanting to “praise the LORD.”

I read the other day the devotional thoughts of a friend of mine on the book of Proverbs—our next book.  My friend wrote how instead of reading large sections of Scripture (as is our current method in order to read the Bible in a year), he had been setting his heart to meditate on just one or two verses every day for an extended period of time.  His plan makes equal sense to our present way of reading.  The book of Psalms and Proverbs especially call us to exactly that—meditate on just one verse.

A verse like Psalm 143:8 calls us to meditate on just one thought.  “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love.”  As I contemplated this one thought I am reminded of how waking up with the Word every morning could immediately bring us into an awareness of God’s unfailing love.

I challenge you today to find just one verse or just a phrase of one verse on which to meditate for a few moments.

Next week we will begin reading the book of Proverbs.  Proverbs, as we will find out, is a compilation of wise sayings.  Sometimes, these Proverbs are not tied to one another in any way.  At other times, several Proverbs may be tied in some kind of topical fashion.

As we have read the book of Psalms, I have noticed that there are some Proverbs in Psalms.  They are sprinkled throughout the book in no particular sequence.

For example, Psalm 111:10 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding.”  Psalm 112:1, in part, says, “Blessed is the man who fears the LORD.”

Psalm 37 has some of my favorite Proverbs.  Go back today and read this Psalm again.  Discover the wonderful Proverbs.

I will give you my favorite:  “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.”  (Proverbs, I mean, Psalm 37:4)

Do you see any other Proverbs in Psalm 37?  Look for others as we complete our reading of Psalms in these next two days.

I listened to a friend of mine preach a sermon not long ago on what he called “Praising God in the ‘Whoa’ Moments and the ‘Wow’ Moments.”  The sermon was his testimony of how God had brought him through some incredible highs and some incredible lows.  His point was that all of us face those times in life when we say, “Wow, God!” but also those moments when we say “Whoa, God!” He preached that we must be willing to give God praise for both the “wow” moments as well as the “whoa” moments.

I thought about that sermon as I read the Psalms in today’s reading.  Much of the reason for the Psalmist’s praise deals with the “wow” moments.  However, Psalm 137 recounts some of the “whoa” moments of Israel.

May it be that we are able to praise God for both the good and bad of our lives.