“Do not say, ‘I will repay evil’; wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.” (ESV)
When was the last time something unjust or even simply deeply inconvenient happened that prompted you to think, “I’ve got to do something about this”? Did you follow through on that thought? How did that go? Read the rest…
“Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
We live in a day in which the physical is everything. Spiritual matters are forgotten or ignored. We apply this trend not only to things, but to people. We are told over and over again–mostly subliminally through the images we are surrounded with on a daily basis–that how we look is the most important thing about us. Sure, we throw a bone at the idea that the inside matters, but this is routinely just lip service. What the Scriptures proclaim, though, is something different. Read the rest…
“An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
The Scriptures are often pegged as being anti-woman. They create a world in which women are expected to be submissive to their men, serve their men, support their men, and basically go with and do whatever they say. They are not to have any roles in the church, but are to be there and be silent. They aren’t seen as leadership material at all either. At least, that’s how the narrative often goes. And then you actually read what it has to say… Read the rest…
“Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings. It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink. . .Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
Do you want to live like a king? Who doesn’t? And yet, what exactly does it mean to live like a king? Most cultures certainly have an answer to that question. It means getting to be wealthy. It mean getting to have whatever–or whomever–you want. It means getting to do whatever you want. It means getting to go to neat places and meet amazing people. It means getting to live like…well…a king. Read the rest…
“Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.” (ESV)
If you could ask anything of God, what would it be? Agur here asks for two things. He firsts asks for God to make him honest, to take all falsehood and lying away from him. We can understand that. Now, that may not be the first thing we would think of if we had a blank check from God, but it’s a pretty good thing if you think about it. He’s basically asking for God to help him live a life that is consistent with reality all the time. Most of us could probably use a little more reality in our lives. Living with fantasy may feel nice for a while, but eventually it runs out and usually leaves you lower than you were before you sought the fantasy high in the first place. This is a good thing. We get this one. The other thing…after the beginning…not so much. Read the rest…
The Nexus 