Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Aug. 17 - Prov. 17

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity
Proverbs 17:17

I love the sense of humour, seasoned with a good dose of sincerity in Proverbs chapter 17. 

The chapter begins with one of the great one-liners of the Bible (Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting with strife). It ends with one of those “ah-ha” moments that causes me to reflect (Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue). These verses are funny; that is, unless you find yourself in one of those situations.

Then there are verses that ring true – like verse 17 – that make you thankful for the people around you. That is, unless you find yourself in a tough situation where there is no friend to walk with you in one of the valleys of life. 

Then you find yourself falling to your knees and asking God to send someone like that into your life.
As you read the Proverbs you will have one moment when you are laughing, followed by another which leads you to deep reflection. You will laugh at yourself if you consider what is said, but also see yourself in the word pictures that the author paints. You find yourself agreeing with the truths that are presented, but affected by the sublime ways that it reaches down and touches your soul.

This is because the Proverbs deals with the real stuff of life. Topics like family, money, pride, sex, truthful speech, arrogance, and joy are all mentioned in a smorgasbord of pithy sayings and advice. What this teaches me is that God is concerned with all of life. He’s not just interested in making an appearance once a week on Sunday morning. The Holy Spirit, who lives in and through those who are followers of Jesus Christ, walks with us in all of life. This is both my prayer for today – that He be seen in me – and my cause for thanksgiving.

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