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Day 201 – Christmas Courage: The Story of Joseph #1

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Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 201 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Christmas Courage: The Story of Joseph #1

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 201 of our Trek, and for the past five days, we stayed in camp to dig up the nuggets of wisdom that are found in Proverbs Chapter 6. Now through Christmas, we will hike the Christmas trail to learn about some of the key players in the story. It is my hope that we will learn from these stories that bring hope to the world not only during Christmas but for each day of the year. Each story will cover two days, so for today and tomorrow our story is Christmas Courage: The Story of Joseph.  These stories are adapted from lessons taught originally by Raymond van Plesten. If you miss any of our Wisdom-Trek episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.

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The Christmas Trail

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. On Wednesday, we were able to pick up Kip from his preschool and watch him until Chelimo was able to get off work. After that, we had our monthly dinner date with my sister Rebecca, and we enjoyed a meal and time of fellowship together. We both look forward to this time each month to be able to catch up and share. Granny was also able to attend a Christmas breakfast and enjoy additional time with Kip at his school on Thursday. It is important to take time from our busy schedules to enjoy life, relax, and reflect.

With Christmas quickly approaching, we will spend our time together reflecting on the true stories surrounding the original Christmas. Today we will start with our story…

Christmas Courage: The Story of Joseph

If you have seen the movie World Trade Center, you realize how courageous the rescuers were in the days following 9-11. The movie is about a team of rescuers who are searching for survivors in the rubble of the twin towers. The rescuers search through the rubble risking their own lives – they are men of courage – because at any moment the tangled mass of steel and concrete may collapse on them. The movie focuses in on one team of rescuers as they risk life and limb to save two firemen who were trapped in the collapse of the towers. The movie depicts the danger of the situation. The movie shows the risks of everyone involved. But the movie also shows the courage that everyone displays under life threatening conditions.

There is a story of courage that took place at the first Christmas. We often miss it because our focus is on a young mother and a baby. But the character I want us to focus on during today’s hike was in the story too. He heard firsthand that his bride-to-be was pregnant, and it was not his child.  This was difficult for him to deal with, but he wanted to handle the situation properly. As he thought about what to do, he experienced a personal message from God because of the extraordinary event. He stood by the manger where the baby was laid. He provided protection for the mother and child during the early years of the child’s life. The man’s name, of course, is Joseph.

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A Humble Carpenter

What can we learn from Joseph?  Let’s read his story from Matthew [1:18]-25.

This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.  As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.  And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
which means ‘God is with us.’”

When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus. 

Joseph

1.   God gives courage to ordinary people.

In the midst of the story of the miraculous birth of Jesus, we find an ordinary man by the name of Joseph. Many of us don’t view biblical characters as ordinary, do we? Many times we attribute to them almost super-human powers. But folks, that is not the case. They were people just like you and me. They had problems, fears, doubts, and worries just like you and me, yet God is able to use them. In fact, that is a major theme of the Bible.

God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

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Look at how Paul states this fact in 1 Corinthians 1:26-29, “Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.”

Joseph was an ordinary man, but He was a man God could trust to be strong in the midst of crisis. He was strong and resilient enough to protect his family. Matthew says it this way, “He was a good man.” In other words, he was a man of honor. Did he have concerns? Yes, but he was a man, as the Scriptures tells us, that was “good.”

eac63906b41c4d22fce7b1b9a1194767Let’s read the first part of this passage again.

This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.

Joseph was an ordinary man, yet he was a good man. What that means is that Joseph displayed moral courage.

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Joseph displayed the character of God in his own life. That’s tough to do sometimes, isn’t it?

In the movie Cinderella Man, we meet a man like Joseph. It is a story that takes place during the Great Depression. The father is a boxer who has lost everything, and the family is starving to death. His son steals a loaf of bread to help his starving family. The father rebukes his son and makes him apologize to the storekeeper. This God-fearing father may not have been able to fill his family’s stomachs with food, but he was able to nourish their spirits. Joseph was a man like that. He was an ordinary man but a man with moral courage.

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We have just gotten started on our hike for today, but tomorrow we will finish up the story of Joseph. As we reflect on Joseph, we see that he was ordinary but good. He was also a very courageous man that would have to remain good in the face of ridicule and slander. We should all endeavor to be like Joseph in our lives. Tomorrow we will learn how God helped Joseph and, in the same way, is here to help us.  This is a great story. Encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy as we learn how to have a courageous Christmas like Joseph.

That will finish our podcast for today. Remember to listen to your daily dose of wisdom each day. Please share Wisdom-Trek with your family and friends through email, Facebook, Twitter, or in person so they can come along with us each day.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal each day.

As we take this Trek together, let us always:

  1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
  2. Love Unconditionally
  3. Listen Intentionally
  4. Learn Continuously
  5. Lend to others Generously
  6. Lead with Integrity
  7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow!

Day 200 – Proverbs 6:30-35 Lessons for Daily Life #5

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Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 200 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Proverbs [6:30]-35 Lessons for Daily Life #5

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 200 of our Trek, and for one final day, we will stay at camp digging for nuggets of wisdom as we continue our exploration into the book of Proverbs Chapter 6. Yesterday we explored verses 20-29, and today we will dig into verses 30-35. If you miss any of our Wisdom-Trek episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. There has been a lot of work and activities this week, but we continue on each day accomplishing all that we can.

Each day we have the opportunity to impact our world for good, let’s not miss an opportunity.

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If our plans do not change, Paula and I will head to Biltmore Mansion in Asheville, North Carolina on Saturday for our annual Christmas visit. Biltmore is America’s largest home and with its 250 rooms is magnificent to visit any time of the year, but when it is decorated for Christmas, it is a site to behold.  We do look forward to these short excursions that we are able to take, even with a busy schedule.  As I continually try to learn to be a good and wise husband, I am still learning the importance of these times away from our work to spend with each other.

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We will remain at camp for another day as we finish up Proverbs Chapter 6 digging deep for additional nuggets of wisdom that we can digest. As we accumulate this wisdom, it helps us to create that living legacy each day so we can impact our world throughout eternity. Never underestimate the value that you bring into the world with just a single act of kindness.

Never underestimate the value that you bring into the world with just a single act of kindness.

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To use an analogy for our life, gathering together with like-minded people around a campfire is always a reflective time – a time to share stories, to laugh, and to enjoy each other’s company. As I reflect back over this past year, we have been able to accomplish a significant amount by God’s grace and also your support. Today our Wisdom-Trek passes the 200th day of our trek. The time really has rushed by.

I want to thank you for being on this trek of life with me over these 200 days. I have really enjoyed being your guide and your mentor but most importantly your friend. Please leave a comment at Wisdom-Trek.com or email me at guthrie@venturecg.com, and let me know how our days together have impacted your life. Also, let me know how I can improve so the next 200 days bring an even greater impact. Thank you in advance.

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For today, let’s get started and dig for more nuggets of wisdom as we explore Proverbs Chapter [6:30:35]. This chapter in Proverbs is referred to as…

Lessons for Daily Life

Today I will read the entire passage, and then we will break it down into small segments as we dive deeper into our exploration.

30 Excuses might be found for a thief
who steals because he is starving.
31 But if he is caught, he must pay back seven times what he stole,
even if he has to sell everything in his house.
32 But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool,
for he destroys himself.
33 He will be wounded and disgraced.
His shame will never be erased.
34 For the woman’s jealous husband will be furious,
and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.
35 He will accept no compensation,
nor be satisfied with a payoff of any size.

So now let’s do a deep dive into the verses.

30 Excuses might be found for a thief
who steals because he is starving.
31 But if he is caught, he must pay back seven times what he stole,
even if he has to sell everything in his house.

We can understand somewhat the plight of this thief although we should not excuse the actions. This thief is hungry. He has no food. His family would also have no food. So, this thief steals because he is starving. We can sympathize with him. However, there need to be consequences for wrong decisions that we make. In this case, the law will punish him. It is not the laws purpose to forgive this person.  God forgives, and we should also. But the law does not forgive. The law does not ask if he needed food. His punishment is severe. He is to pay back seven times what he stole, even if it takes all possessions that he has.

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Some people do wrong actions because they hate God. Other people sincerely want to do good things, but they still do evil things. Before we become too judgmental, we need to realize that everyone must trust in God because everyone does wrong actions. James 2:10-11 tells us this clearly, “For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.  For the same God who said, ‘You must not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘You must not murder.’ So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law.”

Let’s move to exploring verses 32-35. These three verses are actually a comparison to the previous two. Although we feel that stealing is reprehensible, there is another type of wrong choice that is even more so.

32 But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool,
for he destroys himself.
33 He will be wounded and disgraced.
His shame will never be erased.
34 For the woman’s jealous husband will be furious,
and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.
35 He will accept no compensation,
nor be satisfied with a payoff of any size.

While the thief stole to satisfy his physical appetite of hunger, the man in this passage makes wrong choices to satisfy his sexual appetite. Both are wrong. While we may feel sympathy for the thief, God calls the man that is unfaithful an utter fool. That is pretty strong language, but it shows the heart of God about purity. In addition to being a fool, a person who commits adultery will have a worse punishment. In this passage, this man had sex with another man’s wife. He receives a double punishment because his actions were foolish and wrong. There is a strong possibility when he is found out, he may also receive punishment from the angry husband. While many times in our “civilized” society we don’t see as much physical violence from the offended spouse, but we sure see the wreckage of broken homes and kids. The punishment is severe to many more than just those physically involved.

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The Bible says that God will be angry. If we choose to make unwise and wrong decisions, then God is angry about our wrong behavior. He is angry when our actions are unfair. He is angry with us if we turn against him. A man’s anger may be terrible. God’s anger is much worse because God’s anger is a righteous anger.

We are utter fools when we choose wrong behaviors. We should not be fooled about the consequences of our continual wrong actions if we do not turn back to God, as is explained in Ephesians 5:6, “Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him.”

God is angry, but he also loves us. Here is Micah’s prayer to God in Chapter 7 verses 18 and 19.

18 Where is another God like you,
who pardons the guilt of the remnant,
overlooking the sins of his special people?
You will not stay angry with your people forever,
because you delight in showing unfailing love.
19 Once again you will have compassion on us.
You will trample our sins under your feet
and throw them into the depths of the ocean!

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Today we dug up more important wisdom nuggets. There is such a treasury of wisdom found in the pages of Proverbs. We will make it a regular habit to dig for those nuggets throughout our trek of life. Let’s learn to obey God’s commands and make wise choices each day of our life. One of those choices is to live an impactful legacy each day in your world.  As you make wise choices also encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy. Between now and Christmas, we will turn our focus to gain wisdom by learning more about the rich and satisfying life that Jesus brings to us. That is the reason to celebrate.

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That will finish our podcast for today. Remember to listen to your daily dose of wisdom each day. Please share Wisdom-Trek with your family and friends through email, Facebook, Twitter, or in person so they can come along with us each day.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal each day.

As we take this Trek together, let us always:

  1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
  2. Love Unconditionally
  3. Listen Intentionally
  4. Learn Continuously
  5. Lend to others Generously
  6. Lead with Integrity
  7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow!

Day 199 – Proverbs 6:20-29 Lessons for Daily Life #4

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Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 199 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Proverbs [6:20]-29 Lessons for Daily Life #4

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 199 of our Trek, and for this week, we will stay at camp digging for nuggets of wisdom as we continue our exploration into the book of Proverbs Chapter 6. Yesterday we explored verses 12-19, and today we will dig into verses 20-29. If you miss any of our Wisdom-Trek episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. I know that Christmas is close when I make my world famous caramel corn. At least it is famous in my little world. I made 12 batches total with some batches including either pecans, almonds, or walnuts. We give most of it away to siblings and neighbors but do keep some of the delicious, mouthwatering treat for ourselves.  These are a few of the huge walnut bowls where I place the finished product.

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It is great to have traditions in our lives which are part of our living legacy. I know that our grown kids will be looking forward to some fresh batches of caramel corn when we celebrate Christmas with them on January 9th.  They won’t be disappointed.

As we remain in camp for this week in our study of Proverbs Chapter 6, it reminds me of several years when Paula and I took our kids, and usually many of their friends and church youth groups, for a week of primitive camping at a music festival in the hills of Pennsylvania called Creation Fest. We all have many fond memories of our times there. It is my hope that you and I are forming those fond memories and friendships as we share together each day on our Wisdom-Trek.

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Let’s get started for today and dig for more nuggets of wisdom as we explore Proverbs [6:20]-29. This chapter in Proverbs is referred to as…

Lessons for Daily Life

Today I will read the entire passage, and then we will break it down into small segments as we dive deeper into our exploration.

20 My son, obey your father’s commands,
and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.
21 Keep their words always in your heart.
Tie them around your neck.
22 When you walk, their counsel will lead you.
When you sleep, they will protect you.
When you wake up, they will advise you.
23 For their command is a lamp
and their instruction a light;
their corrective discipline
is the way to life.
24 It will keep you from the immoral woman,
from the smooth tongue of a promiscuous woman.
25 Don’t lust for her beauty.
Don’t let her coy glances seduce you.
26 For a prostitute will bring you to poverty,
but sleeping with another man’s wife will cost you your life.
27 Can a man scoop a flame into his lap
and not have his clothes catch on fire?
28 Can he walk on hot coals
and not blister his feet?
29 So it is with the man who sleeps with another man’s wife.
He who embraces her will not go unpunished.

So now let’s do a deep dive into the verses.

20 My son, obey your father’s commands,
and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.
21 Keep their words always in your heart.
Tie them around your neck.

We should love wisdom. Wisdom should be in our hearts and in our minds. We keep wisdom in our minds or hearts by constantly being aware of the choices that we make. Wisdom should be so evident in our lives it is as if we are wearing a very noticeable necklace. We should always live in a wise manner.

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22 When you walk, their counsel will lead you.
When you sleep, they will protect you.
When you wake up, they will advise you.

This is a theme of Wisdom-Trek…Life is like a journey. Wisdom will guide us each day. Wisdom will help us to make the right decisions. At night when we sleep, our wise decisions will protect us. As we wake, we can think about wisdom.

The relationship between God and us must be like this. God will guide us to make good decisions every day. The Bible will teach us the right way. At night, God watches over us. He protects us. As we wake, we should think about God’s word.

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23 For their command is a lamp
and their instruction a light;
their corrective discipline
is the way to life.

This is similar to Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” God will provide us a clear path to each day of our trek.

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24 It will keep you from the immoral woman,
from the smooth tongue of a promiscuous woman.

25 Don’t lust for her beauty.
Don’t let her coy glances seduce you.

Solomon is writing about sex in these verses, but it can also be applied to other evil actions. It seems like sex drives so much of society, and it has in every age since creation. It stems back to the Garden of Eden where Adam and Eve desired the forbidden fruit more than they desired to obey God.

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Sometimes an idea about an evil action attracts us, or some other compulsion we may have. Sometimes we want to do evil things. It is our forbidden fruit.  But we should refuse to do evil things. Solomon has taught this lesson to us before in both Proverbs 2 and 5. He will also explain the same lesson in Proverbs 7. He repeats the lesson because it is important and so prevalent in every culture and society. As Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 1:9, “History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.”

In Proverbs [6:25]-29, Solomon explains about punishment. A husband will punish the man that sleeps with the husband’s wife. In the same way, our evil behavior leads to punishment. God will always punish our evil behavior, either directly or through the consequences we may suffer because of our unwise choices. There are punishments in this world, for example, either physical prisons or prisons of addictions that we find ourselves trapped in. The Bible teaches us about heaven and hell after we die. Everyone has done evil things, so everyone must turn to God. We all must trust God because only God can forgive us. When Jesus died, he suffered our eternal punishment in our place.

When Jesus died, he suffered our eternal punishment in our place.

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26 For a prostitute will bring you to poverty,
but sleeping with another man’s wife will cost you your life.

If a man has sex with a woman, she might use him to her advantage. She may require money for her services. Spending money for sex will bring a person to poverty, and it can become an addiction. She might put him in danger of diseases also. If you have an affair with a married person, it could cause such anger from the offended spouse that even if physical death does not occur, spiritual death could. The analogy follows in the last three verses of this segment.

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27 Can a man scoop a flame into his lap
and not have his clothes catch on fire?
28 Can he walk on hot coals
and not blister his feet?
29 So it is with the man who sleeps with another man’s wife.
He who embraces her will not go unpunished.

Fire is dangerous. It can burn you. Use fire carefully!  Sex is also dangerous when it is outside of marriage. You should only have sex with your husband or wife and only within the confines of marriage. Otherwise, it is dangerous. Be careful!

Our evil actions are dangerous. Escape from evil things! Don’t partake of the forbidden fruit, which is anything in our lives that is contrary to God’s precepts in His Word. Trust in God!

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Today we dug up more important wisdom nuggets.  Let’s learn to obey God’s commands and resist the forbidden fruit of sin on our daily trek of life.  That is the only way that we will find true peace and joy in our lives. Let’s ponder the wisdom in this passage and also encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy as we continue to dig for those nuggets of wisdom from Proverbs [6:30]-35.

That will finish our podcast for today. Remember to listen to your daily dose of wisdom each day. Please share Wisdom-Trek with your family and friends through email, Facebook, Twitter, or in person so they can come along with us each day.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal each day.

As we take this Trek together, let us always:

  1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
  2. Love Unconditionally
  3. Listen Intentionally
  4. Learn Continuously
  5. Lend to others Generously
  6. Lead with Integrity
  7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow!

Day 198 – Proverbs 6:12-19 Lessons for Daily Life #3

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Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 198 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Proverbs [6:12]-19 Lessons for Daily Life #3

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 198 of our Trek, and for this week, we will stay at camp digging for nuggets of wisdom as we continue our exploration into the book of Proverbs Chapter 6. Yesterday we explored verses 6-11, and today we will explore verses 12-19. If you miss any of our Wisdom-Trek episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.

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We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was nice to be able to attend church services on Sunday with our local gathering of Christ followers. Since we were in Marietta the last several weeks, it had been about a month since we were in Charlotte on a Sunday. On Sunday evening, we went on our annual shopping date at Ollie’s Discount Store to pick up a few items for the grandkids. They have one evening a year prior to Christmas when all toys are 25% off and everything else is 15% off, so Paula and I have set this time aside for several years. Both of us are rather frugal by nature, so this is an enjoyable time together, especially knowing the prices are extra low.

We did get a call from our renovation contractor on Friday about the work they are doing in The Big House, and we were glad to hear that they are making good progress. With us being out of the house and the fact that we prepared the two front rooms, the foyer, and downstairs hallway, they were able to get most of the drywall on the ceilings, start patchwork on the cracks in the walls, and fix a pocket door that had a broken track. We are excited to return on Christmas Eve to see the progress.

Let’s get started for today as we remain at camp sitting around a nice warm fire. Visualize the smoke’s gentle wisps in the air and the flames that leap from the logs burning brightly. I find staring into a campfire almost mesmerizing. In the same way, if we are not careful of who we associate with, we can become mesmerized by their philosophies. Let’s look for this today as we dig for more nuggets of wisdom as we explore Proverbs Chapter [6:12]-19. This chapter in Proverbs is referred to as…

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Lessons for Daily Life

Today I will read this segment, and then we will dive deeper into our exploration.

12 What are worthless and wicked people like?
They are constant liars,
13 signaling their deceit with a wink of the eye,
a nudge of the foot, or the wiggle of fingers.
14 Their perverted hearts plot evil,
and they constantly stir up trouble.
15 But they will be destroyed suddenly,
broken in an instant beyond all hope of healing.

Sometimes, an evil person is easy to identify, but other times, we must be careful. There are many that have perfected the practice of lying to the point it is even difficult for that person to realize it.  Jesus was very stern when he described such a person.  In John 8:44, Jesus was confronting the group of people that did not believe He was God’s son. Jesus said, “For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

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The basic nature of evil people in Proverbs 6:12-15 says that they are liars.  They are dangerous to associate with because their evil plans are secret. His signals are small, but these signals might help us to identify him. In Matthew 7:15-20, Jesus  tells us to be careful when we are around them, so we do not become influenced by them. This is what Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.”

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If we see a poisonous tree, its fruit is poisonous. If we see a good tree (for example, an apple tree), its fruit is good.

Consider the actions of the people in Proverbs 6:12-15. In verse 12, he speaks false words. Such behavior is not good. It warns us about their true character. In verse 14, they plan, or plot evil.  It does not just happen. It always begins in the mind, and is revealed in actions. This type of person’s behavior is evil. We should not trust them. We have to be careful that we do not become like these people.  God is just, and His justice cannot be mocked as is told to us in Galatians 6:7-8, “Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.”

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Let us continue to dig for the nuggets of wisdom found in verses 16-19.

16 There are six things the Lord hates—
no, seven things he detests:
17 haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that kill the innocent,
18 a heart that plots evil,
feet that race to do wrong,
19 a false witness who pours out lies,
a person who sows discord in a family.

Verses 16-19 use a different style of poetry. The poet writes a list of things that God opposes.

This style is also in Proverbs 30 and in the Book of Amos. The numbers in these lists are not important. However, the subjects are important. Here the poet tells us that God hates these evil actions.

  • Verse 17

“Haughty or proud eyes” – The poet is describing someone who is proud. He mentions“eyes” because we see other people with our eyes. How we think about others shows in our eyes. Proverbs 27:19 says, “As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person.” The evil person thinks that he is greater than other people. Perhaps he even thinks that he is greater than God. God opposes proud people. God wants us to be humble.  Once again we see this person is a liar, and when you have hatred in your heart for others, it is a short step to murder.

How we think about others shows in our eyes.

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  • Verse 18

Remember, in Scripture “mind” and “heart” mean the same. God knows our thoughts. He knows our secret plans.

  • Verse 19

Once again this person is pointed out to be a liar – that is his very nature.  It is not wise to be a person who is constantly planting seeds of strife, especially within families. Contrast this verse with Psalm 133:1, “How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!”

“Brothers” does not only mean family members here. It can also mean neighbors and friends. It could even mean nations. Peace is good – it is God’s gift. Sometimes a war might be necessary if, for example, atrocities are being committed in the same way as with the Nazis during World War II. However, even in war, we must look after people and try to work for peace. We should always pray for peace.

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Today as we remained in camp and dug up more wisdom nuggets, we learned to not be the type of person described here. Also, we need to not spend a lot of time with this type of person. As we consider these wisdom nuggets, associate with like-minded people that will encourage you and help you to grow. In the same way, encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy as we continue to dig for those nuggets of wisdom from Proverbs Chapter [6:20]-29.

That will finish our podcast for today. Remember to listen to your daily dose of wisdom each day. Please share Wisdom-Trek with your family and friends through email, Facebook, Twitter, or in person so they can come along with us each day.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal each day.

As we take this Trek together, let us always:

  1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
  2. Love Unconditionally
  3. Listen Intentionally
  4. Learn Continuously
  5. Lend to others Generously
  6. Lead with Integrity
  7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow!

Day 197 – Proverbs 6:6-11 Lessons for Daily Life #2

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Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 197 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Proverbs 6:6-11 Lessons for Daily Life #2

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 198 of our Trek, and for this week, we will stay at camp digging for nuggets of wisdom as we continue our exploration into the book of Proverbs, starting with Chapter 6. Yesterday we explored verses 1-5, and today we will explore verses 6-11. If you miss any of our Wisdom-Trek episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.

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We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Saturday Paula and I were able to finish up with a few Christmas decorations in the house which turned out simplistic but are a nice touch. The remainder of the day was spent working on financial transactions for our Arizona construction project.  The project is significant in size, and we are catching up from a delay due to computer issues on the site.  Although we initially had set aside the day for 2016 business planning, this project was certainly a top priority for Saturday. I am trying to learn the lessons from Proverbs 16:9, “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps...”

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As we enjoy the time at camp and around the campfire today, let’s start digging for those precious nuggets of wisdom as we explore Proverbs Chapter 6:6-11. This chapter in Proverbs is referred to as…

Lessons for Daily Life

Today I will read this segment, and then we will dive deeper into our exploration.

6 Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones.
Learn from their ways and become wise!
7 Though they have no prince
or governor or ruler to make them work,
8 they labor hard all summer,
gathering food for the winter.
9 But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep?
When will you wake up?
10 A little extra sleep, a little more slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
11 then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit;
scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.

Now let’s dive into the individual verses starting with 6-8.

6 Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones.
Learn from their ways and become wise!
7 Though they have no prince
or governor or ruler to make them work,
8 they labor hard all summer,
gathering food for the winter.

As Christians, you should work at the tasks that God has given to you. You might have a job or work for yourself. You might stay at home and take care of your families. You might work for a church or other non-profit organization. Regardless of what you do, it is your ministry before God, and you should work on it with your full attention and do your very best. Whatever we do, we should not be lazy.

Whatever we do, we should not be lazy.

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Solomon writes about the work ethics of ants. If you have ever studied how ants work or had an ant farm when you were young, you understand how very hard they do work. Ants work together in groups with no discernable leader except the instinctive behavior God made them with. They are wise because they store food. They do not waste their time, and they are very industrious.

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Dealing with lazy people is as old as creation.  In 2 Thessalonians 3:10-13, some Christians refused to work. The church gave food to them. Paul told the church not to do this. “Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: ‘Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.’ Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business. We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living. As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good.”

“Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.”

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Paul obeyed this lesson himself. Daily, he spoke about God to the people. However, the church did not provide Paul’s wages. Paul deserved money because he spent time ministering God’s Word. Although Paul deserved money, he did not accept money from the church. Instead, he decided to work. He made tents. He earned enough money for himself, and also for other Christian workers. He worked very hard. Paul did this because Jesus taught the same as is written in Acts 20:3, “And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

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We also must work to help other people that truly are in need as James 2:14-17 states, “What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, ‘Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well’—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?  So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.”

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These are some very strong arguments to work hard and do good to others.

Now let’s dig up verses 9-11.

9 But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep?
When will you wake up?
10 A little extra sleep, a little more slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
11 then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit;
scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.

Solomon continues emphasizing that we must not be lazy. When it is time to work, we must not sleep. In verse 9, Solomon asks the sleeper how long he will sleep. In verse 10, we hear what the sleeper thinks. He does not want to get up. However, he must wake. It is time to work. It is as if a thief is at the door. The sleeper must act responsibly. Otherwise, he is in great trouble. He might lose everything because of his laziness.  As with all bad habits if we neglect our duties of the work that God has provided for us then we will be robbed of the rich and satisfying life that God intends for us.

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A similar analogy is made to be alert and ready for Christ 2nd coming.  Since no one knows when that will be, we need to be working to build God’s kingdom each day and not be lazy and unprepared. 1 Thessalonians 5:4-8 states, “But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.”

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Today, the wisdom nuggets encourage us to work hard and be industrious like the ants. We are not to be lazy or to love sleep.  If we do, we will end up in poverty. In the same way, we are to be alert, ministering to others as we wait for Christ’s return. As we consider these wisdom nuggets, I ask you to be diligent in sharing Wisdom-Trek with your friends and family. Encourage them to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy as we continue to dig for those nuggets of wisdom from Proverbs Chapter 6 verses 12-19.

That will finish our podcast for today. Remember to listen to your daily dose of wisdom each day.  Please share Wisdom-Trek with your family and friends through email, Facebook, Twitter, or in person so they can come along with us each day.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal each day.

As we take this Trek together, let us always:

  1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
  2. Love Unconditionally
  3. Listen Intentionally
  4. Learn Continuously
  5. Lend to others Generously
  6. Lead with Integrity
  7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow!