Author: Aaron Hufty

Aaron Hufty is the Associate Pastor for Worship and Music at FBCSA.

For Your Own Good

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 13:24 (day two) He who withholds his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently.

Correcting someone can be difficult, especially if you are close to them. But the truth of this scripture bears out time and time again; we don’t do people any favors by not correcting actions, decision, or behavior that are contrary to what is good and true. The temporary discomfort caused by having to redirect or correct someone pales in comparison to allowing behaviors to go unchecked only to blow up somewhere down the line.

 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Hebrews 12:11

Correct Those Who Understand

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 9:1-18 (day two) Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser, Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning. Vs. 9

Any John Bunyan fan’s out there? Pilgrim’s Progress is a rite of passage for many who love classic Christian literature. In the spirit of full disclosure, it’s not my favorite, but I do have an appreciation for its place in teaching generations about the journey each person makes in their faith. When I re-read Psalm 9, I was struck by how Bunyan-esque it felt. Wisdom and Folly become personified and have interactions with all who walk past.

I was struck by verses seven through twelve. How we teach and talk to people must be directly proportional to their ability to understand. Truth doesn’t change, but the method of delivery is not the same for someone who follows Jesus, and one who has yet to follow. We must take great care when using wisdom as a weapon. Let him who has ears to hear, hear. This is another instance where we can pray for discernment as we love people where they are.

Honor

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 3:9-10 (day two)                                                         Honor the Lord from your wealth                                                                                       And from the first of all your produce;
So your barns will be filled with plenty
And your vats will overflow with new wine.

When we talk about giving, tithing, or offering we often use words like obedience. We are commanded to give, and so we should. The Lord looks at the heart of the giver, and he likes a cheerful one. But how often do we use words like honor? When we give to the Lord from the first of what we have it honors him. Language like that makes it sound like we are participating in a royal ceremony, and why not? We are honoring the King of Kings. As you give, try thinking that your gift honors the Lord. How does that change your perspective. Whether or not your barns fill up, your heart surely will.

DIY Wisdom

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 3:5-7 (day two) Do not be wise in your own eyes vs. 7a

As I look over this text, it strikes me how often I have written about this very issue. Not for your sake, to be sure, but for mine. Please forgive me as we retread a familiar tale: Don’t worry God, I’ve got this. Perhaps some reading this will understand. It’s not that I don’t want God’s wisdom, but there are areas where I figure he doesn’t need to mess with. Places where I’ve seen him work before, therefore I can probably handle it this time. Areas where I simply want to work it out for myself because, I’m a smart guy.

You can probably figure out where this line of thinking gets me…back on my knees in repentance and seeking God’s wisdom after all. The problem is, I don’t suffer from lack of wisdom; I suffer from lack of God’s wisdom. Whatever has ‘worked’ in the past is not an indicator of success unless it is seeking after the will of the Lord. There are plenty of DIY fixes for household projects, for cars, and hobbies, but not for our walk of faith. No amount of worldly ‘wisdom’ will compare with the truth of God.

Repetition

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 3:1-4 (day two) 

Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart. Vs. 3

Your word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11

These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:6-9

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 20 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, Deuteronomy 11:18-20

How do we learn? Experience, sure, it is valuable and often necessary. There are some things, basic, fundamental that are taught over and over by a remembering, a recitation, a liturgy. These foundational truths are spoken of again and again throughout scripture. It is how the ancients learned the ways of Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus. The told and retold. They recited and shared. If the God knows human nature, and he does, the amount of references to this kind of learning and instruction should be a clarion call to all of us to study more, to talk of scripture more, to be comfortable hearing these words repeated. How can we follow the Word if we don’t know it?

Active Pursuit

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 2:1-15 (day two) 

Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding; vs. 2

Solomon makes clear if you truly desire wisdom, it is an active pursuit. It is not enough for us to pray ‘Lord, make me wise’ and then sit back and hope for the best. There is quite a bit of housekeeping that must be done in your heart, your mind, and your daily pursuits. Chapter two of the book of proverbs is a necessary baseline for all who would pursue the wisdom of God. We must constantly be in pursuit. There should be a hunger to know the will and word of God. Beyond that knowledge we should implement those teachings into how we think and how we relate to others. This is a wholesale shift in how we look at life’s challenges. The lens of wisdom requires a submission of the heart.

Instruction Manual

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 1:1-7 (day two) 

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Vs. 7a

Do you read instruction manuals, or do you simply go as far as you can before doubling back after unsuccessfully going it on your own? I think there is a real case study in humanity here, but I will leave that to others. I confess, I am in the latter category, and time and time again I get to a place where I realize I am out of my depth. This requires a bit of humiliation, more time than I allotted, and ultimately, a reference back to the instruction manual that was sitting there the whole time. Solomon is giving us a perfect framework for the study of Proverbs. What are you wanting to get out of this study, or any study of scripture? It may be wise to put these verses close by and ask the Lord what he is revealing as you study.

Know wisdom

Discern sayings

Receive instruction

Give prudence

Acquire wise counsel

Understand Proverbs

Authority

Re:Verse passage – Matthew 7:24-29 (day two) When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes. vs. 28-29

A good teacher will understand his students and know what they need to hear. Whether by his actions or by his words, Jesus was an excellent teacher. Perhaps you have sat in a lecture where you have been captivated by the teacher so much it seemed like a privilege to hear them speak. The last verse of our reading sums it up fairly well. Jesus had authority. He wasn’t regurgitating facts. He was the author and perfecter of our faith.

We may not be able to sit on a hillside and listen to Jesus teach, but we can trust the accounts of those who recorded these stories. Jesus’ words still have authority. He still speaks through the scriptures, through the Holy Spirit, and through the testimony of others. Our foundation should be founded upon Christ alone.

Discernment

Re:Verse passage – Matthew 7:15-23 (day two)  You will know them by their fruits. vs. 16a

Discernment is a skill set unsuited to our current cultural psyche. We don’t have to truly determine value and worth because there are so many other voices doing that for us. Speeches are “fact checked” in real time, and then are dissected the instant they are finished. We speak of the damage social media does to our society, and we all have several different forms on our devices. How many of us truly walk away from the constant ‘noise’ of those feeds?

Discernment is not a sound bite you can fit into a post on ‘X’. Discernment will not be found on any ‘Insta Influencer’s’ posts. When trying to determine truth from deception you will need a longer attention span. A bruised fruit and a bad fruit are not the same. We all sin, that is our fallen nature. The difference in Jesus’ analogy is that he is asking you to weigh the teaching over time, against all that you know of God. Is truth found there? Does it hold up? Truth doesn’t tell you what you want to hear. It is truth. Let us pray for discernment as we make decisions for ourselves, our families, our church, and our world.

Only the Penitent

Re:Verse passage – Matthew 7:13-14 (day two)  

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Are you a fan of the Indiana Jones series? Well, I certainly am, and my favorite of them all is “The Last Crusade”. At the end of the movie, and I hope I’m not spoiling this, Indy has to face various trials in order to reach the Holy Grail. The scene cuts between Indy and his dying father. The trial is called “The Breath of God” and the father keeps muttering the phrase “only the penitent man will pass”. Indy realizes that a penitent man is humble before God and must, therefore, bend the knee. I will stop there, as it is a work of fiction.

As I re-read verse 14, I am struck by the visual image Jesus creates. Small and narrow are the words he chooses. If we take this idea of someone looking for these gates, you get two different pictures. The broad gate is easy to find. You don’t have to look hard, you will practically run in to it. The small, narrow gate requires you to seek after it. Jesus’ words create a picture, in my mind, of one who is humble, penitent, aware that something will be required for entry through this gate. The requirement is our very self. We must be prepared to humble ourselves and search for the untrodden path. Jesus will be found when we are penitent of heart.