Various Proverbs from Around the World

Here are little tidbits of truth, condensed into small sentences, that still stand up to scrutiny even after translation.  No wonder Solomon wrote, almost 300 years ago, "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver" (Prov. 25:11).  May God fill us with His Word and with His Spirit so that we are able to give proper responses to those around us.

• Words are like eggs: when they hatch they have wings.  (Madagascar)
• A thorn defends the rose, harming only those who would steal the blossom.  (China)
• There is no shame in not knowing; the shame lies in not finding out.  (Russia)
• He that will not look forward must look behind.  (Gaelic)
• If you want your dreams to come true, don't over sleep.  (Yiddish)
• If you destroy a bridge, be sure you can swim.  (Swahili)
• Many will show you the way once your cart has overturned.  (Kurdish)
• Goodness speaks in a whisper, evil shouts.  (Tibetan)
• No one says his own buttermilk is sour.  (Afghanistan)
• If luck be with you, why worry; if luck be against you, why worry?  (Afghanistan)
• Among the blind the squint rules.  (Hindu)
• A handful of patience is worth more than a bushel of brains.  (Netherlands)
• After all is said and done, more is said than done.  (United States)
• To bend a bamboo, start when it is a shoot.  (Malaysia)
• Even the crude person pleases if he has money.  (Latin)  Ovid, Ars Amatoria, II, 276
• The brave man may fall, but not yield.  (Latin)

All Things Work Your Will

All things work your will, oh God,
   for You control all things;
the smallest flower obeys your call
   and glory to You brings.
  
All things do your will, oh Lord;
   creation works Your law—
all things bend to do as you deign
   and glory in Your awe!
  
All things are Your creation, Lord,
   all things Your will obey,
Your summons comes, Your will be done—
   creation then does Your way!

 - D. Benning

He Giveth More Grace

...for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.  I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.  I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Phil. 4:11 - 13

Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15:5

The key to our being able to do all things is to be remaining and abiding in Christ.  Our strength will fail.  His strength is infinite!

He giveth more grace
When the burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength
When the labours increase.
To added affliction
He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.

Chorus
His love has no limit,
His grace has no measure,
His pow'r has no boundary
Known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,
He giveth, and giveth,
And giveth again!

When we have exhausted
Our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed
Ere' the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our
Hoarded resources,
Our Father's full giving is only begun.

Chorus

In View of Current Events

I have been numb.

Mind bendingly numb.

The events of the last few days capped off an insane news cycle so as to leave the mind wondering which end might be up.  There is no sense to the travesty of justice and the carnage of innocent lives.  I can't begin to explain it on a normal, 2D sort of level.  So I won't even try.

I thought about the joy of seeing flower bloom and rivers flow down their mountain channels to where they widen out into a broad confluence of many waters.  I smiled remembering a gorgeous sunrise over the hills with mist rising up in splendor at the first kiss of the sun's touch.  I also recalled with joy as I first held our children minutes after their arrival in this world—so fragile, so helpless, so full of potential. 

I almost introverted and went full "Ecclesiastes," saying that it's all meaningless and a huge vanity—what's the point of it all since evil is advancing!?

However there are some other things that I keep coming back to.  God is still God.  He has not abdicated nor given up.  He is not pacing back and forth in heaven worried over this latest development.  No, He who called the stars forth by name is still calling all the shots in this grand game of life.  Evil may think that it holds an advantage and seemingly has the upper hand, but our God is still Sovereign and in control.

(No, God does not sanction evil nor condone bad things to happen.  Yet because He has given His creatures choice and free-will, all that they do is their own choice and out of their own desires.  He permits and human kind commits.  Yet God limits and mutes the full force of evil's intent.)

So I can rest in the security of a Sovereign God who is completely in control and completely good and totally loving.  I can trust His promises that He will do all to make me conform to the image of His Son and thus make me ready and fit to dwell with Him forever.

This world is not my home; I'm just passing through.  All the things of this earth are growing strangely dim as I view them through Heaven's lens.

That is not to say that I have given up on this world—if fact, quite the opposite.

It is because I see Heaven and God's kingdom that I also see the one solution that is necessary for this poor, dispairing and wretched world.  The solution is Jesus Christ.  We all need to submit to Him and repent of our sinful, selfish ways.  Our society has become more and more out of wack by throwing God out of the equation. 

Some would say, "Oh, there' always been murder and hate around."

Yeah.  But at this level of craziness?  When in the history of the USA have there been multiple instances of people targeting police throughout the country in the same week?  What about the other sorts of violent crimes that seem to rise up in the news feed?

No, things are out of wack because we are not right with God.  Our society has not based its rubric on God's standard.  In fact, God's standard is pretty much thrown out and despised.

So I will say it again.  The only solution to our national problem is to repent, confess our sins and then forsake all of our sins.  This means reading the Bible to see what God says are sins.  It also means giving up selfish definitions of autonomy and personal control. 

God commands it.  Repent.

The consequences are becoming more and more dire if you do not.

Remove the Dross

Remove the dross from the silver,
    and the smith has material for a vessel;
remove the wicked from the presence of the king,
    and his throne will be established in righteousness.

Prov. 25:4 - 5

Removing dross is equated with removing wickedness and as one produces material that is worthy of making something honorable, so removing wickedness makes the kingdom that much more honorable.  Thus God, the Great King, is removing evil from us.  We see Him removing evil from every corner of His kingdom too!

As deputies in God's kingdom we are to participate in this clean up.  We participate primarily by subduing the sin and fleshly desires within our own hearts and then by exerting influence on our spheres of influence around us.  We see this is done in this chapter by:

• vv. 6 - 7 — Not being proud; not exalting self.  Selfishness is the largest source of dross.
• vv. 11 - 12 — Having apt and fitting words.
• Col. 4:6 tells us to make sure that our words are filled with grace and seasoned with salt.  Salt is something that adds good flavor to a bland taste or even helps cover the bitter taste.  Salt also stops or slows the rot and helps preserve the food.  In the same way our speech should give a pleasant flavor to the conversation and stop or slow down the evil, moral rot of society.
• Whatever is of good report and is noble we are to think on—and out of our thinking our words are to flow.  This helps extend God's kingdom and removes the dross from society.
• v. 13 — Be trustworthy.
• v. 21 - 22 — Aid those all around us.  Be friendly; don't be stingy.
• v. 23 — KJV:  "The north wind brings forth rain; and a backbiting tongue, angry looks."
• The north wind drives away rain.  Therefore you do your part to drive away and check evil speech.  Do not be part of it and do what you can to stop it and let it be known that you will not countenance such evil manners.  It may only take a sharp look or a frown to remind a friend that their tongue has veered off into sin.  But you much be ready to back up that disapproving look with sharp words if necessary.
• v. 28.  Finally, it does little good to drive evil out if your own walls are broken down.  Therefore, be self-controlled and guard your heart well, for it is the well-spring of life.  Self-control is listed in the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22 - 23) so it is no stretch to say that being self-controlled is really being Spirit-controlled.  The surest way to guard your heart and to ensure that your walls are well fortified is to make sure that you are filled with the Spirit and are listening to what He tells you.

Do this and you will be a faithful deputy in God's kingdom, ruling in your small arena and purging evil from your sphere.  Especially from within your heart.