Here are a few nuggets from this proverbial gold mine:
- v. 2 "People may be pure in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their motives." We're good at deceiving ourselves, aren't we? The Lord is never deceived.
- v. 9 "We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps." God is in full control over our lives. He is sovereign even over our everyday steps. This is not to say that we should proceed with no planning, but remember that God has the authority to change our plans. See also v. 33.
- v. 16 "How much better to get wisdom than gold, and good judgment than silver!" We know this to be true, but the lure of material things can be pretty strong. We should ask God for wisdom and good judgment and then trust Him to meet our needs.
- v. 18 "Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall." None of us have anything to brag about anyway.
- v. 20 "Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the Lord will be joyful." Think of all the sadness in the world, all the despair and depression. Doctors can help, and medication can get a person over a hump, but long-lasting joy comes to those who trust the Lord. Here is another one worthy of meditation:
Those who trust the LORD will be joyful.
Those who trust the Lord WILL be joyful.
Those who trust the Lord will be JOYFUL.
Lord, help us to trust you.
- v. 24 "Kind words are like honey--sweet to the soul and healthy for the body." No explanation needed here.
- v. 28 "A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends." Why is it that gossip is so tempting to us? We know how destructive it is. Don't be guilty of listening to or repeating gossip.
- v. 31 "Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by living a godly life." I like this one! :)
This passage is hard. Not hard to understand, but in light of our modern society, it's hard to accept. But here it is. We have a holy God and a just one. He cannot overlook sin.
The passage begins by saying that God is angry against sinful, wicked people. They cannot say that they know nothing about God because he has revealed His power and divinity through his vast, beautiful, and complex creation. Through creation God has given some light about Himself to people everywhere. And so they have no excuse for not knowing God. Really they know God but reject Him and choose something else to worship. People in our society have chosen to worship money, possessions, children, beauty, health, fame, sports, etc. The list is endless. The objects of worship are not necessarily wrong in themselves, but they can become idols.
And so God gave them over--those people who reject Him as God--to the natural consequences of their unbelief and actions. v. 24-27 The example Paul uses here is of sexual immorality. The prohibition of the actions described here are not popular, but here they are. Though the example of homosexuality is used here, we must remember that God in His holiness must judge all sin. v. 28-32 mentions many other "things that should never be done." When we read through this list, we have to admit that we too are guilty before God.
Lest you find this too discouraging, I want to remind you that God is holy, and He must punish sin. This is why Jesus had to come and die. If we belittle sin, we must then belittle Jesus' need to die. God accepted Jesus' sacrifice as our substitute. God asks only that we believe this by placing our trust in Jesus and His finished work. As we look back over the list of ugly sins, we realize that Jesus' death was enough to cover all of them! We will see this message over and over in the letter to the Romans, but I didn't want to stop here today and let you think that we are hopeless in our sin.
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