March 20, 2008

Today's Reading - Proverbs 20
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Following Scripture Verses

1. Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
2. The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul.
3. It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.
4. The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.
5. Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.
6. Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?
7. The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.
8. A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes.
9. Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?
10. Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the LORD.
11. Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.
12. The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them.
13. Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.
14. It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.
15. There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
16. Take his garment that is surety for a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.
17. Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.
18. Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.
19. He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.
20. Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.
21. An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.
22. Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.
23. Divers weights are an abomination unto the LORD; and a false balance is not good.
24. Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?
25. It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry.
26. A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them.
27. The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.
28. Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upholden by mercy.
29. The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head.
30. The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of the belly.

Today's Pathway:
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"Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?" - Proverbs 20: 6

The old adage says, "Actions speak louder than words." In this passage, Solomon shows his agreement with that concept. He opens by stating the obvious: most people are very happy to tell you just how good they are. When you meet the unsaved and try to talk to them about the Lord, they normally respond that they are "good enough", and don't need to repent. This is very disheartening to hear, but it is also discouraging to hear it from those who have received Christ as Savior. In the first place, to proclaim one's goodness shows an inappropriate level of pride. Second, we are instructed in Scripture to let others praise us and not exalt ourselves (Prov. 27:2).

Perhaps the saddest part of the verse is the truth of the second half: it is very difficult to find faithful people. Even many of those Christians who seem to think that they have a great relationship with the Lord are hard to count on at their local church. They rarely come to the mid-week prayer meeting, and are hit-and-miss at other services as well. They are even harder to find at special meetings that occur outside of the regular schedule. They give financially when it is convenient, they are never seen at outreach programs, and they can not always be counted on to fulfill their ministry responsibilities. I wonder, if a person is unfaithful in his public life, how faithful can he be in the areas where only God sees him? If other Christians find him to be unfaithful, what must God think?

Are you the faithful man that the Lord can count on? Or are you all talk?

Pastor Mark J Montgomery