The Everyday Prayer

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 15:15-17 (day seven)  

Better is a little with the fear of the Lord
Than great treasure and turmoil with it. vs 16

We might look at this and be like, “Easy for you to say Solomon. You were the richest and wisest of all the kings of Israel. Did you actually ever live with little or was everything handed to you on a silver platter?” Yet, Solomon was not perfect. He actually ended up chasing after a life of worldly pleasures. He had hundreds of wives and concubines. He sacrificed and made altars to their pagan gods, all out of the allure of grandeur. 1 Kings 11:6 tells us, “Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not follow the Lord fully, as David his father had done.”

Today’s scripture puts all of this in perspective. Solomon looked back and saw that it was not worth it. We see him similarly in Ecclesiastes 1:14 say “I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind.” Solomon chased after the world, but the world could not give him what he truly needed: an intimate relationship with the Lord.

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 15:15-17 (day six)  

What does it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul?-Jesus, Matthew 16:26

I have come to give them life and life abundantly. -Jesus, John 10:10

Jesus wants us to have an abundant life, all that life has to offer. That can be hard to believe when the world tells us daily that the key to an abundant life is MORE-more money, more stuff, more security. King Solomon, much like Jesus, wants us to know what truly makes for an abundant life. A truly abundant life is found in loving God (fearing the Lord) and loving others.

After all, that is what we were made for. When we know and are known, we experience an abundance of joy. Knowing is also the antidote to the daily temptation to chase after MORE. Beholding God always puts everything in its proper place, especially money.

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 15:15-17 (day five)  

Some honest questions that sometimes creep in to my heart and mind… What does all this “wisdom speak” look like in real life?  Are these platitudes that people never personally deal with?  How do they really work and function?

These verses seem to be declaring that a heart set on wisdom (fear of the Lord) will somehow experience and process real life in a different kind of way. Ok, but how?

I love it when scripture clarifies and illustrates other scripture. A great picture of this “Wisdom Principle” is seen in the Apostle Paul’s life and writing.  “Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬-‭13)‬  Looks like the way of Godly Wisdom to me.

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 15:15-17 (day four)

We might read this and think, “Easy for you to say, Solomon.” He is one of the wealthiest figures in the Bible. But we can’t dismiss his advice here for several reasons. God gifted Solomon with supernatural wisdom. Yes, he also had incredible material blessings, but his life’s focus was on obtaining godly wisdom. This wisdom led him to the conclusion that wealth is meaningless when compared to a life lived in the presence of Yahweh.

This wisdom is echoed throughout Scripture. Paul offers a similar sentiment in Philippians 3:7-8, “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…”

Solomon knew the love of God, which led him to have a proper view of worldly things. How much more do we, living on the other side of Christ’s earthly life, death, and resurrection, know the love of God and the fellowship of the Spirit? May our lives be shaped by the surpassing value of knowing Christ.

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 15:15-17 (day three)

Better is a dish of vegetables where love is
Than a fattened ox served with hatred.

Riches are not evil in and of themselves. Much good can come from the beneficent use of wealth. Ailing loved ones can get premium care; adverse circumstances don’t turn into catastrophic losses; and so on. But riches cannot fill the need for love, welcome, nurture, and safety in the presence of people who are important to you. Financial abundance is a poor substitute for human touch and empathy. It can serve as a distraction from the absence of those things for a while, but eventually, emotional starvation will make itself known, with extremely distressing outcomes. When you apply money to circumstances to make life better, will you also apply love?

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 15:15-17 (day two)

All the days of the afflicted are bad, But a cheerful heart has a continual feast. Vs. 15

How desperately do we want that ‘continual feast’ to be material? Car, job, bank account, etc. So often we read that kind of verse believing that if I’m ‘happy’ enough, things will work out. I am a big believer in positive attitude, but that is not what scripture is calling us to here or in other passages like this.

It seems to me that we must constantly re-define the concept of ‘joy’. ‘Happy’ should not be our end game. Do I want that for you, for me, for my family? Absolutely! But an honest assessment of the human condition reminds us that our fallen sin-filled world robs many of happiness. Scripture is replete with stalwart believers who are walking a dark and lonely journey. What scripture promises is the assurance of God’s presence in those circumstances. This is joy, this is a feast; to know the Lord has not left you. Let us continually seek joy in all situations.

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 14:34 (day seven)

Righteousness exalts a [family],
But sin is a disgrace to any [home].

“Wait Rick, you can’t just change the Re:Verse text like that! Did you not get enough parenting last week?” Let’s unpack why I made this change.

We have a national epidemic, and it’s not covid or some sort of illness. America is becoming Biblically illiterate. Only 18% of the United States population is considered Scripture Engaged according to the American Bible Society’s State of the Bible. Scripture Engagement is defined as “consistent interaction with the Bible that shapes a person’s choices and transforms their relationships with God, self, and others.” If we want America to become more righteous, Scripture Engagement must become a priority.

An affinity for Scripture starts in the home. When children see that you make scripture a priority (do you read publicly and consistently?) and they see that it makes a significant impact on your life (do you exemplify Jesus?), they too will want to engage with  scripture. We might not be able to solve America’s Biblical illiteracy through a sermon or a program, but if each family would do their part to make scripture and prayer a priority in the home, we can begin to help America heal from this epidemic.

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 14:34 (day six)

The most basic understanding of the first half of this proverb is that the people prosper under godliness. The implications are clear enough: godly leadership has a profound impact.

Godliness is never stagnant; it always spreads. Just as a single light can illuminate the darkest room or one seed yield a bountiful harvest, so it is with godliness. One godly person can ignite a chain reaction, profoundly impacting their peers as their godliness spreads.

Godliness is never a quiet personal experience. It never keeps to itself. It only knows one direction; it travels.

(And for those reading  this post on a Saturday [wink, wink], thank you for your commitment to Re:verse and loving your pastoral staff.)

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 14:34 (day five)

“Righteousness exalts a nation,
But sin is a disgrace to any people.”

Have you noticed the stark contrasts that  Proverbs clearly depicts?  One that fears God and one who despises God. The wise and the foolish. And in our text this week, the righteous and the sinful. The exalted and the disgraced. The chasm seems to grow wider and wider between the two sides. Is there no middle ground?  Kinda this or mostly this. No, there is no room for half hearted devotion. No place for mediocre obedience. The options are either righteousness or sinfulness. And the results and consequences of each, are clearly spelled out so that the choices and decisions of individuals and nations are evident. The good news is that we can still find righteousness personally and corporately when we fear the Lord, love His Word, turn to Him in humble repentance, and trust His promises.