Honest Reflections

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 51:54-52:34,Titus 3:1-15, Psalm 100:1-5, Proverbs 26:18-19

Daily Verse: “Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I am only joking!” Prov. 26:18-19

Deceptive speech.

Joking with someone has dangerous aspects. Done with mean intentions, deceiving someone out of jest can cause serious harm. Irresponsible words hurt people, although the jokester thinks it fun. God’s not against joking, but know your audience.

One night out with the girls, I shared a personal revelation about myself. As a child, I misinterpreted some of the things said to me and thought myself worthless. In other words, no one cared about what I had to say. Immediately after sharing, a friend joked, “And we don’t want to hear it now,” then started laughing.

She hurt me deeply. Sharing with the group took courage; her words reinforced the lie, causing me to stumble. Quickly, I realized deep conversations made her uncomfortable and let it go. But the moment stung.

Words carry so much weight; they change worlds. Uplifting and encouraging words cause people to blossom. Deceptive and mean words cause people to wither. Choose your words wisely and bring life to others.

Lord, forgive us our ill-spoken words that hurt others. Please help us use life-giving language all the time. Let our words build others up, not tear them down. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 51:1-53, Titus 2:1-15, Psalm 99:1-9, Proverbs 26:17

Daily Verse: “Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.” Prov. 26:17

Unwanted interference.

Meddling in someone else’s quarrel will get you bitten. Solomon uses the analogy of grabbing a dog’s ears. Not talking about Benji or Lassie, the most beloved dog stars of their day, Solomon’s referring to stray dogs like wild jackals.

During my brief time in El Salvador, one of my vivid memories contains dogs. Walking through the streets and working at the center, neglected, starved dogs lay everywhere. Sad eyes looked up at you in the broiling heat as they lay barely alive. The mistreatment of animals hurt my heart and left a lasting impression. But I knew not to mess with them.

If I had grabbed a dog by the ears, I probably would have contracted rabies from the bite. In the same way, getting into someone else’s business will get you hurt. Knowing when to engage and when to remain silent brings you peace.

Don’t get into other people’s business if they don’t ask for your help. Give others the respect to fight their battles as they wish.

Lord, thank You for these words of wisdom meant to protect us from unnecessary harm. Please help us know when to engage and when to stay quiet. Please give us the wisdom and discernment to see the difference. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 49:23-50:46, Titus 1:1-16, Psalm 97:1-98:9, Proverbs 26:13-16

Daily Verse: “The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly.” Prov. 26:16

Book of Sluggards.

Proverbs 26:13-16, referred to as the Book of Sluggards, exemplifies how lazy people use absurd excuses to get out of work. Lacking self-awareness, lazy people don’t consider themselves lazy, calling themselves realists, not shirkers.

Lazy people can find an excuse for anything. They consider their opinion superior and so don’t listen to sensible advice. Morning doesn’t work for sluggards because they dislike getting up. If lazy people don’t do anything, they won’t get hustled.

Like the parable of talents (Matthew 25:14-30), when the master leaves money to each trusted servant, the lazy servant does nothing. As a result, the man who made the most money for his master also got the sluggard’s talent.

People who want to do something will find a way; sluggards find an excuse—forcing someone to do something they don’t want to do wastes your time. Lazy people will reap what they sew, just like the hard-working person.

Lord, forgive our laziness. Motivate us to work hard and serve You well. Give us the tools we need to accomplish the tasks You give us. Don’t let us miss anything You have for us. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 48:1-49:22, 2 Timothy 4:1-22, Psalm 95:1-96:13, Proverbs 26:9-12

Daily Verse: “Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of fools.” Prov. 26:9

Painful words.

Fools misapply proverbs because they don’t possess the intelligence or spiritual maturity to handle it. The author compares fools’ stupidity to a drunkard with a thorn in his hand. Because he can’t control his movements and actions, the drunk hurts himself like a fool with a proverb.

Slapstick comedy does an excellent job of portraying fools. The Three Stooges, Larry, Curly, and Mo, constantly found themselves in foolish situations. Don Knotts, also known as Barney Fife in the highly acclaimed Andy Griffith Show, had irrational tendencies. And Tim Conway, a fan favorite on the Carol Burnette show, played fools well.

One of my favorite scenes involved Tim Conway playing a dentist. Trying to give anesthesia to his patient, he kept poking himself instead of the person in the chair. Eventually, he numbed his entire upper body without once injecting the patient.

Fools can’t handle wisdom and do not portray it in their actions. They may speak a proverb, but that doesn’t mean they understand it.

Lord, thank You for giving us the wisdom to apply to our lives. Forgive us for acting foolishly. Help us continue to learn from You as we use Your proverbs. In all things, let us honor and glorify You.  IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 44:24-47:7., 2 Timothy 2:22-3:17, Psalm 94:1-23, Proverbs 26:6-8

Daily Verse: “Like one who binds the stone in the sling is one who gives honor to a fool.” Prov. 26:8

Inappropriate honor.

Glorifying foolish actions has no benefit. Unable to understand or comprehend the accolades, a fool honored causes more harm than good. Like tying a stone in a sling, it does no use and helps no one.

People who accept honor understand the work and privilege that comes with the reward. Watching professional athletes receive the trophy at the end of a tournament exemplifies the difference. Wise athletes humbly accept their awards, congratulating their opponents and thanking their team for the support that helped them win.

Foolish athletes do the opposite. They take all the credit themselves, disrespecting their opponents and alienating their teams. Ego leads the way, and they can’t see past their selfishness. Fools remain fools, but wise people continue to grow.

Honoring fools doesn’t accomplish the goal. Fools remain fools no matter what the situation. Unteachable, they cannot learn and grow. Glorifying the simple does no good and only wastes your efforts.

Lord, please give us the wisdom and discernment to honor those who deserve the accolades. Don’t let us encourage foolishness by honoring those who can’t handle the reward. Let us use our time wisely serving You. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 42:1-44:23, 2 Timothy 2:1-21, Psalm 92:1-93, Proverbs 26:3-5

Daily Verse: “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself.” Prov. 26:4

Engage wisely.

Immediately following today’s verse comes a contradiction:

“Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.” Prov. 25:5.

Picking your battles means knowing when to say something and when to stay quiet. When teaching a tennis lesson, I have students who refuse to listen because they think they have the game and their technique figured out. Fools don’t take instruction, and I’ve learned not to waste my breath in these situations.

However, I engage when a student gets too big for his bridges because of folly. Fools think they can’t lose. Putting them against a player that easily defeats them humbles the fool. Answering with words does no good, but responding with action does.

Know when to engage and when to stay quiet. Arguing with fools draws you down to their level. However, sometimes, you must engage with fools to keep them from thinking too highly of themselves. Seeking God’s counsel will help you know the difference.

Lord, forgive us for not seeking Your guidance when engaging with fools. Please help us know when to say something and when to stay silent. Please give us the discernment we need to deal with the fools in our lives. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 39:1-41:18, 2 Timothy 1:1-18, Psalm 90:1-91:16, Proverbs 26:1-2

Daily Verse: “Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight.” Prov. 26:2

Undeserved curse.

Sparrows flit from place to place, never staying in one location long, flying around exploring the world. Undeserved curses do the same thing: never landing, flying away, not causing harm.

One of my favorite proverbs; I think of it often when people say untrue things about me. People make up narratives when they don’t know the whole story, filling in the gaps with what seems logical.

People made up stories when I moved to Virginia for a second start in life after flunking out of college in Pennsylvania. Co-workers at the restaurant where I waited tables to earn tuition for school declared me pregnant. I learned about the rumor after months passed with no sign of a growing stomach. Like a sparrow flitting about the world, the curse did not land on my head, truth prevailing.

Sometimes, the truth takes longer than others to come out, but it always does. Undeserved curses don’t stand the test of time and never take root. Trust in God’s truth to always reveal itself.

Lord, forgive us for believing rumors. Please help us speak only the truth, and remember, lies told against us won’t last. Remind us of the flitting sparrow when undeserved curses haunt us. Let us always seek Your truth. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 37:1-38:28, 1 Timothy 6:1-21, Psalm 89:38-52, Proverbs 25:28

Daily Verse: “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.” Prov. 25:28

Broken walls.

The book of Nehemiah tells the tale of rebuilding the walls around Jerusalem. Solid and sturdy barricades protected the city from its enemies during that period.  Upon hearing of the need for repair, Nehemiah prayed for God’s guidance, got permission from the king who destroyed the walls to repair it, and did so with the help of his people.

Lacking self-control tears down the walls of protection in our lives.  Gluttony, a sin of excess, happens when we don’t limit the things in our lives.  Setting boundaries on how much we eat, drink, spend, etc., helps us live within our means.  But when we cross those boundaries, we destroy the walls of protection and leave ourselves open to the enemy attack.

Like Nehemiah, pray and ask God where you have lost control.  What walls need repairing, and how do you do it?  Like He did Nehemiah’s, the Lord will answer your prayer and help you restore the boundaries required for healthy living.

Don’t let gluttony keep you from living life to the fullest.  Live a controlled life with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Lord, forgive us for not controlling our actions.  Please give us an extra measure of self-control for today and always.  Help us avoid the sin of gluttony by setting reasonable boundaries that allow us to live life to the fullest.  IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 35:1-36:32, 1 Timothy 5:1-25, Psalm 89:14-37, Proverbs 25:25-27

Daily Verse: “Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.” Prov. 25:25

Good news.

Receiving positive information refreshes the soul. Nothing brings life faster than listening to stories of God’s blessings. Google “encouraging stories of faith,” and many blogs will appear with inspirational stories to uplift your soul.

In a world that emphasizes the bad, look for the good. Become a person who tells good news. Find uplifting and encouraging stories and share them with others. Help build their faith by sharing inspirational tales.

I ask God not to let me miss any divine appointments each week, and He never does. Running into a friend on my way to teach tennis; he shared all the fantastic news in his life with me. His family downsized, able to buy a new place with cash, no longer having a mortgage or a yard to mow, his joy overflowed to me. Good news from a friend nourishes a thirsty soul.

Ask God to help you find the good in life. The Lord will answer your prayers and give you a new perspective in a damaged world. When we seek the Creator’s goodness, we will find it.

Lord, forgive us for focusing on the negative. Please help us find the good in life, sharing inspirational stories with others and quenching their thirsty souls. As we view life through Your lens, align our hearts with Your will. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 33:1-34:22, 1 Timothy 4:1-16, Psalm 89:1-13, Proverbs 25:23-24

Daily Verse: “It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.” Prov. 25:24

Peaceful family.

Solitude wins over strife. People don’t want to come home to bickering and quarreling. Living on the corner of the roof alone brings more tranquility than living with a nagging spouse.

Not nagging takes work. Husbands tend to ignore to-do lists, especially things they don’t consider a priority. Wives can do the same thing. Men and women don’t share the same priorities. A wife finds loading the dishwasher a top priority, but her husband may consider proper air in the tires of the family’s car higher importance and ignore the dishes.

Husbands and wives have different roles, and every marriage differs. After eleven years of marriage, Ron and I have found a good balance in sharing the chores. I know what he doesn’t like to do, and he knows mine; we each pick up the slack for the other. 

Instead of nagging, look for solutions that work for the entire family. Ron doesn’t turn out lights, and I don’t close cabinet doors. Guess what? I turn out the lights, and Ron closes the doors I leave open. Peaceful solutions centered around compromise make for a loving home.

Lord, forgive us for nagging our spouse. Please help us find peaceful solutions to our issues in our homes. Show us how to create an atmosphere of love that welcomes everyone and glorifies You.  IJNIP. Amen