Monday, March 18, 2019

Proverbs 25:16 says, Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.  Just because we find honey, or any other good food, doesn't mean that we are to over indulge in it.  As followers of Christ, we should always act in moderation in all things material, though I don't believe we can ever over indulge in the spiritual aspects of life.  Verse seventeen says, Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour’s house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee.  I believe this would be another way of saying that we shouldn't overstay our welcome.  We should never become a nuisance to our neighbors.  Verse eighteen declares, A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.  Bearing false witness against a neighbor, or anyone for that matter, is just as deadly as using some weapon against them, and as followers of Christ we are to never be guilty of this.  In this day of lies and false information being shared by social media, we must make sure that what we share is true.  Verse nineteen states, Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.  We need to be careful who we put our faith in.  If we put our faith in the wrong person, and then trouble comes, we will find ourselves without help.  Verse twenty says, As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart.  Matthew Henry says this refers to attempting to simply bring joy to a person who is grieving instead of emphasizing with them.  Verse twenty-one proclaims, If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:  We are not to desire for our enemies to go hungry and thirsty.  Once again, this goes against what the world teaches today, which is that we should want our enemies to suffer as much as possible.  God holds His people to a higher standard, which calls for us to love our enemies.  Verse twenty-two adds, For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.  Being kind to our enemies will be as coals heaped on their heads from their point of view, but will be reward by God.  Verse twenty-three states, The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.  Matthew Henry says this means that we are to show our displeasure at those who back bite, or speak ill of others.  By doing so, we may stop them from continuing to do so.  Verse twenty-four says, It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman and in a wide house.  This idea of being better off alone than with a brawling spouse has been stated earlier.  Verse twenty-five declares, As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.  As an Ann Murray song stated, we sure could use a little good news today.  We as followers of Christ have the good news of the gospel to share with others, but we often share the bad things of the world more quickly.  Verse twenty-six says, A righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring.  Matthew Henry says that this can mean that it is wrong for the righteous to fall into sin before the wicked.  It can also mean that it is wrong for the righteous to be abused by the wicked, and even more so for the righteous to fall in fear before the wicked.  We must stand firm in our faith.  Verse twenty-seven states,  It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory.   Just like honey, which is good and good for us, should never be eaten in too great of a quantity or it will make us sick, so it is with self glory.  True glory brings honor to God and not to an individual.  Verse twenty-eight proclaims, He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.  If we cannot control our spirit, or our relationship with God, we are without any defence when we face the evil in the world. We must submit ourselves spiritually to God to have His everlasting protection.

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