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Speak For Those Who Can’t

January 31, 2023January 17, 2023 krisshetter

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
    for the rights of all who are destitute.  Proverbs 31:8

It’s interesting that in the three major monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) equality between rich and poor is a major theme. Not only are the wealthy on equal footing with the needy in God’s eyes but those who “have” are admonished to help those who “have not.” And although God doesn’t challenge believers to eliminate poverty, He does challenge us to ease the suffering of those experiencing it. Jesus, Himself, reminds us there will always be the poor. He also gives us the great command to love one another as He loves us. We are, ourselves, living in the full poverty of sin. Yet He loves us immensely.

This last proverb we are looking at in this series, 31 Days of God’s Wisdom, isn’t just about helping and loving those who are destitute. It pushes us to speak up for those who cannot. A person need not be poor in the traditional sense to require a champion. A group of people who come to mind, especially these days, are children. They own nothing. They have no power. They have no influence.

Prior to Jesus’ days many children were seen as property or even slaves. They were used as pagan sacrifices and for sexually immoral acts. They were traded and used like cattle. When Jesus came He told those who would listen to be more like children. To be innocent and curious. He allowed the children to come forward and listen to His words. He asked us to have a child-like faith. These people who had nothing to their name, He wanted us to emulate.

God’s world, if you haven’t already discovered, always seems to be an upside down version of the world of the flesh. He requires us to love the unlovable. To be humble when challenged. To speak up in the face of adversity for those who cannot. To take courage in the unseen, not the seen.

If there’s ever a time to heed God’s words it is now. When I read and write about how children were treated in years gone by, I have to ask myself, “Are we really any better now?” Are we protecting our helpless children from sexual immorality? Are we providing for all of their basic needs when so many have been abandoned? Are we protecting them from death starting even in the womb and then in the streets?

Friends, as we arrive at the end of the Book of Proverbs, we see chapter 31 in two parts. The first tells us to stand up for those who have no voice. The second, more famous part, describes the Proverbs 31 woman. But Proverbs 31:10-31 could be about a man or a woman. A person who takes the responsibilities of life laid out throughout proverbs seriously. Who places protecting family front and center. A person who works hard to keep from being on the poverty rolls. A man or woman who respects their bodies and their relationships. If we were to take on at least half the roles outlined in these last verses I’m sure we would have the beginning part covered. Let’s look in the mirror today and ask the person looking back at us if we are doing our part to be upright enough to stand for those who cannot.

Gracious Lord, you remind me over and over that I live among equals. Equally loved by you but not equally treated by this world of the flesh. Help me to stand among those today who speak up for your children and others in need. Amen

God’s Flawless Words

January 30, 2023January 17, 2023 krisshetter

“Every word of God is flawless;
    he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.”  Proverbs 30:5

In January 2020 I embarked on a faith journey of which I am still on today and will be for the rest of my life. It was a simple journey, for which I only needed one book and the desire to converse with God. I added a few new friends and a few old timers who understood God a lot better than me. And so began my study of the infallible Word of God, the Bible. I appreciate the way one of the “old timers” I’ve had with me describes this amazing book.

We have a more sure word of testimony, a rock of truth upon which we rest, for our infallible standard lies in, “It is written.” The Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible, is our religion.”
Charles Spurgeon

What I found, having researched the Bible’s origins and its mind-boggling consistency in truths over thousands of years and multiple writers, is that God is never wrong. He’s never been mistaken. He has never told a lie or broke a promise. Most “confusion” over His Word is typically because we humans can’t understand a being that loves us so much that He hates sin. Other issues with His Word abound because we don’t take the time to place the stories in context of the times or within their original language.

More importantly what I have found is comfort, peace, joy and hope. Comfort that He never leaves us and is always teaching, guiding, encouraging, forgiving. Peace in that He wants a relationship with us free from strife and He shows us how to live in this world knowing of the beautiful eternity to come. The joy He brings is through His love of this place we call earth. His creation is so gloriously beautiful and intricately woven together. And of course, the hope that Jesus gave through the forgiveness of our sins. Knowing that when the day of judgment comes, He will welcome us into the New Eden with open arms. Hope that sees no pain or suffering. No sadness or despair.

My friends, don’t let the unbelieving world define God’s Word for you. Read it for yourself. Study it with all your heart, mind and soul. There is nothing else that will bring you such comfort and hope. There is no other book that will tell you as much about the world, its people and its creator as the Holy Bible.

Thank you, Lord God for your infallible Word. Speak to me in my confusion, my pain, my sadness, my joy and my hope through the pages of your book. Amen

Final Justice

January 29, 2023January 17, 2023 krisshetter

 
Many seek an audience with a ruler,
    but it is from the Lord that one gets justice.  Proverbs 29:26

I am an avid reader. In fact, by the time you read this post I will have probably finished about six books this year. Since I was a child, I devoured mystery and spy novels. My flashlight and I were well acquainted with Nancy Drew’s escapades! But I suffer from one big issue when reading mysteries. When the champion of the story finds him or herself accused of the murder or some other terrible crime, I frequently jump to the last few pages of the book just to make sure all ends well for the hero.

I’m not sure where my deep sense of “justice” evolved. I struggle watching movies where the good guy is shamed and blamed for something they didn’t do (although now with Netflix I can also zip to the end!). This justice-driven thinking spills over into my relationships as well. I stand up for friends and family who feel uncomfortable or unwilling to defend themselves. On the negative, I also will argue my side of the story ad nauseum, seeking justice for myself.

Here’s the problem with always seeking justice, not only for myself but for others: sometimes true justice just isn’t possible. The person from whom you seek justice may not have the ability, emotionally, mentally or physically, to repair what you feel needs doing to receive forgiveness. The situation may even be grander, say an injustice by a corporation or government has occurred. Although money may salve some wounds, true justice from such behemoths is unlikely.

Friend, we can wish, hope, prod, complain, sue, fight all we want to try and get justice for ourselves or those we care about. In the end, we must seek a satisfactory result that we know to be imperfect, and then forgive. We can forgive because we have been forgiven yet still slap God in the face every day with our sinful behavior. We can forgive because we know true justice is waiting on the other side. We should forgive because “those people” won’t be the only ones being judged. God wants us to stand up and for those who can’t. He wants us to defend the innocent. But we cannot give up our peace and joy when the results aren’t everything we hope for in this world. An account is being written in the heavens. And courts will be in session with the Lord comes again.

Holy God, help me to understand when to seek justice in this world and when to just step back and forgive. I thank you Lord for the mercy you have already shown me with my transgressions. When you come again, I know you will judge the living and the dead and I thank you for this promised justice. Amen.

Your Sin Is Known

January 28, 2023January 14, 2023 krisshetter

Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper,
    but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Proverbs 28:13

Not too long ago I heard a pastor give this advice when praying, “Ask God to reveal your sins that may be hidden from you.” Our sense of righteousness and pride can sometimes cloud over sins that only the Spirit can bring to full, bright light. But then there are those other sins. Those sins that we know we indulge. We think we are keeping them secret. The unforgiveness, or even hatred, we hold in our heart (because they deserve it!). The hoarding of our treasures (because I need it!). The partaking of bad behaviors (because I deserve it!).

Charles Spurgeon once gave a powerful sermon on the folly of secret sins. Here’s an excerpt:

“Pretender, thou art fair to look upon; thy conduct outwardly upright, amiable, liberal, generous and Christian; but thou dost indulge in some sin which the eye of man has not yet detected. Perhaps it is private drunkenness. Thou dost revile the drunkard when he staggers through the street; but thou canst thyself indulge in the same habit in private. It may be some other lust or vice; it is not for me just now to mention what it is. But, pretender, we say unto thee, thou art a fool to think of harbouring a secret sin; and thou art a fool for this one reason, that thy sin is not a secret sin; it is known, and shall one day be revealed; perhaps very soon. Thy sin is not a secret; the eye of God hath seen it;”

Friend, we fool ourselves if we think God doesn’t know what’s going on in your private life. He doesn’t take days off or turn His face away even for a minute. He knows your heart and your mind. He knows if you’ve truly forgiven that person or not. He sees what you are doing with your body, always. He is like an x-ray into your heart. To truly renounce that sin start with the help of the Spirit to give you strength to turn it over. He will forgive you each time you struggle to rid yourself of the hold it has over you.

Merciful God, shine a light on my sinful ways, both ones I know about and the ones that seem hidden from me. I know you will love me with grace and mercy. Amen

The Great Destructive Force

January 27, 2023January 13, 2023 krisshetter

Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming,
    but who can stand before jealousy?  Proverbs 27:4

When I delved into research about envy vs. jealousy I came across this interesting view from Psychology Today:

“Although jealousy is a painful emotional experience, evolutionary psychologists regard it not as an emotion to be suppressed but as one to heed—as a signal or a wake-up call that a valued relationship is in danger and that steps need to be taken to regain the affection of a mate or friend. As a result, jealousy is seen as a necessary emotion, because it preserves social bonds and motivates people to engage in behaviors that maintain important relationships.”

Jealousy, unlike envy, is about emotional needs within relationships. Be it between spouses, children and parents, or even between co-workers and a boss. “My mother loves my sister more than me.” “My wife pays too much attention to our neighbor.” “He’s always playing up to the boss for compliments.” These are all situations where a person is seeking to fulfill emotional needs through the wrong outlet. When we feel jealousy arise in our hearts it should be a warning to evaluate where our prideful hearts are seeking to fulfill all its needs.

In the books of Mark and Luke a scene unfolds wherein the disciples argue amongst themselves who is the greatest of them. They all want to be seen as the “top dog” alongside Jesus. Who does Jesus love more? Who does He rely on the most? All signs of a strain of jealousy woven among them. And true to Jesus’ ability to cut through the sin of man He reminds them all that they are to be the “least” among men. To accept His love as little children, with innocence and grace. James later reminds us of jealousy’s dangerous results: “You desire and do not have so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel.”

Friend, as Samuel Rutherford once wrote, “There is so much in our Lord’s pantry that will satisfy His children, and much wine in His cellar that will quench all their thirst.” He admonishes us to live on Christ’s love alone. When we place all our emotional needs in one human relationship we are sure to be disappointed. And disappointment can lead to jealousy. As Rutherford goes on to say, “Let those who love this present world have it; Christ is the more worthy and noble portion; blessed are those who choose Him.”

Loving Lord, thank you for being a fountain of love that never runs dry. A place I can return to over and over to refresh me. Help me to seek your love above all so I can place my earthly relationships in the right place in my heart. Amen

Repetitious Folly

January 26, 2023January 13, 2023 krisshetter

As a dog returns to its vomit,
    so fools repeat their folly.  Proverbs 26:11

We’ve all heard the famous quote, “The definition of insanity is making the same mistake over and over and expecting a different result.” It must have its roots in today’s graphic version of the illogical idea of continuing to beat your head against a wall (or beating a dead horse). My version of this wisdom was telling my softball players that if you keep practicing something the wrong way, you’ll get really good at doing it the wrong way.

I have to think there’s so many versions of this admonition because we humans struggle with both breaking bad habits and the fear of the unknown. You’ve probably heard the saying, “It’s better to live with the pain you know than the pain you don’t.” If, as a Christian, this speaks to you let me put what you are doing into a faith perspective. You aren’t trusting God to take care of you. God doesn’t desire for you to live downtrodden and joyless. It’s why there’s proverbs like this one. It’s why Jesus came to us. He came to shake us up from our repeated follies. It was time to take a different approach to life.

Jesus told us to stop hating our enemies. Stop being filled with vengeance. Stop viewing others within a hierarchy. Stop giving over our bodies and minds to immorality. Stop hoarding our wealth. Stop being afraid. Stop returning to our own vomit. And start living for His Kingdom. Start looking towards the New Eden.

My friend, if you feel stuck ask yourself what do you keep doing over and over expecting a different outcome? Turn your issue over to God. Listen to His answer which will come either through His Holy Word or through the most unexpected way. And then take new action. Start a new habit. One that God will infuse with joy and goodness.

God, you know my habitual ways. You have a better plan for me. I lift up my repeated sins to you. Please show me a different path and guide me with your Spirit. Amen

Reliable Friends

January 18, 2023January 4, 2023 krisshetter

One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24

She is the sweetest person I have ever called “friend.” A gentle and kind woman who doesn’t have bad things to say about anyone. And she was always late. That is, if she didn’t cancel the morning of or an hour before we planned to meet up. I knew the second we scheduled a lunch date to not be disappointed when she gave me the “oops” text. Sweet and completely unreliable. And although I tried not to let it bother me it did.

When we are younger, automatic friend groups pop up because of school, work, volunteering or your kid’s activities. As I grew older, I found myself realizing that not all but many, friends were out of convenience. Many of them weren’t ones I could truly rely upon.

It all came to a head one day when I was desperate for someone to take me to the doctor. I had gotten word that my knee injury was in fact a serious fracture and I was urged to get to the orthopedic doctor immediately. My husband was out of town. I contacted my mother and was turned down (a longer story for another time). Then my “best friend” who also turned me down. I asked yet another friend and was told no. Instead, I found myself driving home from a doctor’s appointment with a hip to ankle brace and crutches. To this day I’m not sure how I made it home without crashing. It was my “ah ha” moment about my lack of reliable friends.

I spent the next few days alternately feeling sorry for myself and evaluating the people in my friend sphere. I realized there were people around me that were reliable. I just hadn’t cultivated them as good friends. After prayer and putting together an action plan I set about changing this situation.

Friend, since that time I’ve had a number of friends tell me they wish we were friends back during that time of my injury. They tell me they would’ve dropped everything to help me. They are my new sisters, most of whom are also sisters in Christ. Isn’t it time to make sure you have a few reliable friends too?

Holy God, you are my first and foremost reliable guide, friend and helper in my life. I thank you for the reliable people you have placed around me. Please always help me be on the lookout for other, earthly friends with whom I can walk through this world together. Amen

Prune Strife

January 17, 2023January 13, 2023 krisshetter

Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife. Proverbs 17:1

I’ve never understood the fascination with the show Real Housewives. You watch as a group of glamorous women gather week after week to go on vacation together, dine in expensive restaurants, shop for beautiful clothing. And fight. And gossip mercilessly about each other. And cry and scream. I suppose it’s like rubbernecking. Watching a disaster unfold seems to hold our attention. Anytime one of my adult children has turned that show or similar ones on at our house all I can hear is bickering and complaining. It feels so stressful just watching it. I have to go to another room and close out the strife.

While we may not all bounce around with the rich and glamorous each week in our real lives, how many of us maintain friend groups that cause similar chaos? That one friend who always picks a fight with the waiter. The friend who demands to have the group plans change to accommodate them. The two friends who revel tearing up each other behind backs. It’s understandable to feel the need to invite a close relative to an all family event who acts this way. But why do we insist on voluntarily bringing that lack of peace into our lives?

Maybe we worry about our social status, being left out, not being “in the know.” Or maybe we keep these folks around because we think it helps our children or spouse. Stepping back however, any strife we purposely allow into our midst will affect the rest of our lives and family.

As I’ve grown and matured, God has pruned out a lot of people from my life. One’s I called dear friends at the time. Some of that pruning felt painful. Now, I look at the beautiful women He has brought into my life because I have learned from His Word about humility, pride, trustworthiness, and sacrificial love. I ate a lot of “dry crust” for a bit waiting for His work in me to show me what was important in who I choose to spend my valuable time with.

Friend, your peace should not be up for sale to people who cause strife. Bring the people in your life to God in prayer and asks Him to show you where you need pruning.

Heavenly Father, reveal to me the people and areas in my life where strife abounds. Help me to prune those areas, even it means eating dry crust for awhile. Amen.

Who Rules Your Day?

January 16, 2023January 3, 2023 krisshetter

All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord. Proverbs 16:2

We’ve all had the opportunity to be arm-chair decision makers while watching a movie. You just know that she should not, absolutely not, open that door and peer into Pandora’s Box. But because their curiosity or desires are so great they ignore every good sense they should have. The 1988 movie, Indecent Proposal, must have had movie goers at the edge of their seats shaking their heads in exasperation. A married couple meet a billionaire while in Las Vegas. He offers $1million to sleep with the wife for one night. After deliberating, the couple agrees to the proposal. I mean, it was a million dollars! That kind of money can paper over any possible issues that might arise, right?

Even though this scenario was fantasy on the silver screen how many of us make decisions every single day thinking we know better than God? We see the immediate benefit of our choice. Our desires and emotions outweigh or even obscure the possible consequences. This is especially dangerous when the consequences may not be seen for years – say through the actions of our children.

I heard a pastor recently break down how to live at peace – with our decisions, the world swirling around us and more. First, seek God’s help, advice, and intervention. Then don’t take it back. That’s what Abraham’s Sarah did. She prayed for children then decided she probably could handle the problem better. She had her husband sleep with Hagar. And like the results of the decision in Indecent Proposal, people’s lives were ruined and changed forever.

Friend, God doesn’t need you to ask permission for everything in life. If you stick close to Him, you’ll know the right and wrong in most situations. But when it comes to the big stuff or situations where emotions and desires are strong we need to submit them to God. We need our heavenly Counselor to give us better advice than what our flesh is telling us. And then take it.

Lord, I can get blinded by my explanations for why I need to do things my way. Please shine a revealing light on those times where I need to fully commit my choices to you. Amen

Cleave From Fools

January 14, 2023January 13, 2023 krisshetter

Stay away from a fool,
    for you will not find knowledge on their lips. Proverbs 14:7

I imagine today’s wise advice has everyone shaking their heads in agreement. If a spotlight were pointed at your gaggle of friends, however, would there be that one person you know you should limit your time around? The one always making bad decisions, dragging you into uncomfortable situations, struggling in their marriage because of their behavior, and the list goes on and on.

Why do we keep these folks on our Christmas card list or included in our party invitations? Unfortunately, some are a bit too close to home as relatives. But those other ones, those are head scratchers. Maybe you think they are funny, your kids are on the same sports team, you’re in a Bible study group with them, or they are a neighbor. As Christians aren’t we to show kindness, compassion and grace?

Yes, to all of the above. However, nowhere in scripture will you find the Lord advising to bring into your close sphere a fool. As scripturally well-informed Christians we should be able to spot fools fairly quickly and make wise choices about boundaries. According to an article in Sharper Iron, look for these traits: arrogance, overconfidence, lacking shame, braggart, reckless with words and choices, self-indulgent, quarrelsome, and insulting. It doesn’t matter that they also have an amazing talent for scrapbooking, working out, wine collecting, or whatever mirrors some hobby or interest of yours. Stay clear. Smile and wave. Be kind and gracious. Protect your heart, mind, family and wallet.

Friend, a fool is no friend. In the end, you will most likely look the fool along with them. Take what they say with a discerning ear. Surround yourself with people you can trust and help you on your sanctification journey. God will cleave the fools. You just need to let them go. He will place the people you need in your path.

Holy Father, open my eyes to the foolish people I have held on to in my life. Help me to be discerning with my time and boundaries concerning them. Bring me wise mentors into my life. Amen