I read once that we will never know until we reach heaven the total amount of evil God has protected us from.  The truth in His word is to be used by us as part of that protection.  Verse 3 says, "Those who are careful about what they say PROTECT THEIR LIVES."  While we could certainly see that happening when we don't, for instance, mouth off to a bully, I think we should go to the other extreme to realize that persons who, say, willfully gossip to the point of even inventing stories in order to watch with glee the resulting havoc their words cause are endangering themselves with God.

I noticed there was a lot about rejecting or accepting good teaching and obeying what we know is right.  Verse 13 says, "Those who reject what they are taught will pay for it, but those who obey what they are told will be rewarded."  Any part of God's truth that we refuse to accept - that we think might not apply to us - will become light denied.  Perhaps we don't want to hear that we are doing something that God considers a sin, and we either don't quit doing it, or we allow ourselves to, say, think about it rather than doing it.  Either way, willfully going against God's truth only serves to build up our reserves against stopping it.  This action may even cauterize the moral wound that God has opened up as the Great Physician, exposing it to His healing light.  Without agreeing with His healing, we refuse it and thus allow spiritual gangrene to set in.  I saw that reinforced in verse 18:  "A person who refuses correction will end of poor and disgraced, but the one who accepts correction will be honored."  The last part of verse 19 really rubbed it in:  "Fools hate to stop doing evil."  The operative word there is fools, for that is what God is calling us when we hate to give up what He does not want us to hold next to our hearts.

Father, continue to examine my heart.  Show me those areas where my stubborn, foolish refusal to give up sinful ways is impeding the healing You so want to bring to me.  With Your Word - Your sword - open up those wounds, expose them to me, and shine Your truth upon them.  Show me the utter foolishness of refusing Your treatment.  I need Your protection over all my life.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

The last verse has become a Christian warning post:  "Doing what is right is the way to life, but there is another way that leads to death."  And how well Max Lucado states it in the sidebar today:

"I do have something against the lying voices that noise our world.  You've heard them.  They tell you to swap your integrity for a new sale.  To barter your convictions for an easy deal.  To exchange your devotion for a quick thrill.  They whisper.  They woo.  They taunt.  They tantalize.  They flirt.  They flatter.  ‘Go ahead, it's OK...' ‘Just wait until tomorrow...' ‘Don't worry, no one will know....' ‘How could anything that feels so right BE so wrong??' "

I've heard plenty of those, and unfortunately I've listened to a few, as most people have.  But Max says we need to listen instead to God's whispers:

" ‘Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'  ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'  There is no chorus so loud that the voice of God cannot be heard .... If we will but listen."

Father, whisper louder when I've let my ears be dulled by the words of this world.  Guide me to remember that forbidden fruit is never as sweet as it looks, for Satan dresses up sin to tantalize, never to satisfy.  Only You can do that for me.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

"Doing right brings freedom to honest people, but those who are not trustworthy  will be caught by their own desires."

One thing we are taught in banking to keep an eye on is the lifestyle of employees and customers.  Because we are privy to income data, we can compare lifestyle to income and determine whether the two match up.  Why would we do that?  Because spending that exceeds income will lead to ruin and possibly to bank losses if loan defaults occur.  Also, if reported income couldn't possibly maintain the lifestyle we witness, that's either an indication of underreported income or possibly illicit income, both of which point to character problems that might eventually catch up with the person in the form of IRS levies or trouble with the law.  You can imagine what would happen to loan repayments then.

As this verse says, honest people have freedom from worry about these things.  There's never the worry about when the other shoe will drop.  But note what the second half of that verse says - they'll be caught by their own DESIRES.  Desires most often express themselves in our purchases and lifestyles, and with so much of today's spending occurring electronically, the paper trail will be there to catch them.

The sidebar in my Bible this morning, from Enjoying The Closeness Of God, talks of two men working for a nonprofit charity helping people in need.  Both started out on mission and with high goals.  But one soon bowed to the pressure of others working there to use his expense accounts to his advantage while on business trips, such as ordering steaks for most meals rather than less costly items.  His fellow workers had complained to him that his expense reports were making theirs look bad, so he caved.  The other man "just goes on, one day at a time, trying to do what is expected of him by God," keeping costs down so the money could be used as the donors expected.  Once someone said to him, "You work hard; you've earned it."  He answered, "I'm paid to work hard.  I am not paid to exploit." 

We live in a world where we all too often hear the whispers of Satan in areas like this.  How very important it is for us to know that God is listening too, and He's very interested in just how we will answer.  For we are to be light to the world.

Father, continue to help me remain keenly aware that any dishonesty on my part robs me first - of my character and of my closeness to You.  Help me to always so no to Satan's whispers.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

In this morning's sidebar, Max Lucado is actually addressing careless words and insensitive slurs that people often think little of, but which do a tremendous amount of hurt.  He says they are the result of egotism, which leads to disregard, disrespect, and disappointment.  Among the weapons Satan uses to cause the hurt are gossip, accusations, resentment, and impatience.  Max said, "God's word has strong medicine for those who carelessly wag their tongues.  The message is clear:  He who dares to call himself God's ambassador is not afforded the luxury of idle words."

In applying this to our lives, it says, "Evaluate the words you have spoken in the past week.  What statements have been sinful or harmful?  Did your words build up or tear down?  Were they critical?  Were they vulgar?  If so, ask for God's forgiveness and seek the forgiveness of anyone you have offended.  Ask for God's help to use words wisely."

As I noted up front, Max was talking about snide comments, cruel jokes, slurs, etc.  But I'm having to deal with this on a different level.  Progress reports from different classes at school began coming home this week, and several grades were less than acceptable.  When I inquired as to what was the problem, the answer was equally unacceptable - "I don't know."  Before the night was over, tears had been shed and reprimands and threats of loss of privileges had been given and no one felt like praying.  To top it off, more grade alerts arrived by email this morning.  All of Solomon's wise words about foolish men and laziness made tempting targets this morning.  His warnings about saying too much stuck out as well.  Yet sometimes things take time.  This morning, God seems to be saying, "This one will be a battle.  But here are your rules of engagement."  He seems to want to make certain that when all this is resolved my boys and I will still be friends.  I do, too.

Father, help me to fight this battle WITH my sons and not against them.  Give me wisdom and understanding and discernment.  Help us to fix the problem and not the blame.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Chapter 8 talks about wisdom from God, yet also we can plainly see Christ in all of this, stated just as clearly as in John 1:1 - "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was God, and the Word was with God."

There is an amazing family portrait painted in verse 30.  Speaking as Christ about God at creation:  "Then I was beside Him as a master workman; And I was daily HIS delight, rejoicing ALWAYS before Him."

My commentary tells us what that shows:

• 1) His activity in creation ... The Lord Jesus was the active agent of creation.
• 2) His position of affection and delight before God. The eternal and infinite love of the Father for His Son increases the marvel that He would ever send that Son to die for sinners.
• 3) Jesus' personal delight before God. This magnifies the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ - that He would ever leave that scene of pure and perfect joy to come to this jungle of shame, sorrow, and suffering."

Chapter 9, verse 10 has priceless advice for us:  "Wisdom begins with respect for the Lord, and understanding begins with knowing the Holy One."

For humans to try and build on any other foundation is an exercise in futility.  Any supposed knowledge and wisdom we think we have attained without God is utter foolishness.

Father, I've seen in my own life how absolutely stupid and ignorant I was when I refused to include You in my decisions.  Other ideas may sound tempting, but they are only Satan's hollow echoes of lies, striving to pull me from You.  Help me to always start first with You, knowing that I can't possibly go wrong by doing so.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford