Faith's fundamentals in a rare and extraordinary book

When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever. Proverbs 10:25



What a great promise and hope we have from God that he will keep us close to him as our anchor...our soul firmly grounded in his love forever no matter what storms life brings. But what sorrows come to those who are swayed and distracted and take their eyes off of him, and when the worst of life sweeps through, there is nothing left of them but defeat. Thanks be to God he will stand by us when the storms of life are raging!



My friend, Rebecca, and I have been reading Proverbs for some months now. Proverbs has 31 chapters, so it lends itself to reading one chapter each day...give or take for those months with 30 or 28/29 days. We re-read the Book of Proverbs every month for new insight, so this is our seventh month for this study. Rebecca and I meet at least once each month--usually more.



It's amazing how much insight there is for the day from the wisdom of Solomon--the wisdom that comes from God, which is the wisdom that has been here for all time. There is a verse each and every day that will be an absolute nugget that will hit at the heart of where you are, and I encourage you to try this "experiment" along with us.



Grab a few different translations of the Bible to use for different readings, or click on the Bible Gateway link and get those translations online. And perhaps get a commentary. Rebecca and I have used the Crossway Classic Commentary Series, The Book of Proverbs, by Charles Bridges (1794-1869). The description of his commentary says:



"With Bridges' stimulating insights as a guide, you will find Proverbs to be a rare and extraordinary book that impresses on your heart:

• the importance of faith's fundamentals,


• the value of self-discipline, and


• the impact of bringing everything under the Word of God.

So grab your Bible, a commentary, and a friend, and know that Rebecca and I will be reading Chapter 11 of Proverbs along with you on Saturday!

What's the big idea?

What do you do to keep your focus on Jesus Christ each and every day? Wow. That one was out of the blue, wasn't it? But really, if you could make an actual numbered list of how you "live the life of faith," what would be on that list?

We know how to make a list for what we need to get at the grocery, we know the errands to run, we know how to schedule ball games, haircuts, play dates, sleepovers, swim lessons, home repairs, outings, lunch with friends, weekend getaways...well, you get my point. All these require their own level of detail, time, focus, interest and desire to see through. But do we give the same time and attention to how we focus on Christ and live our life for Him?

Perhaps it comes down to making Him first in your life, then letting all other actions and words be formed around His guidance. Simple, huh? Maybe not when the world starts closing in around us wooing us to compromise our beliefs. If you're struggling with this like everyone else, call on the simple words of love from the Bible that Jesus distilled from a very complicated set of rules for living.

Start with: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." Mark 12:30 NIV. This is what has been called through the years as "The Great Commandment" (part of it!) It condenses lists upon lists of how to live, move, act and be that were in place when Jesus walked among us. But he gently handed them to us in this one beautiful way to prioritize our life.

That's the big idea. And it's so simple.

I'm so glad you're here...

If you're reading this, that means you're reading my very first blog! It's amazing what responsibility you feel when posting a few words under your own pen on an Internet that has millions and millions of addresses and links. I guess it shows that nearly everyone has something to say whether we ever see them or not.

Which brings me to my first nugget to ponder: Do you see persons for who they are or for what they can do? And further, what they can do for YOU? Do you see them as "filling in the blanks" for things you don't want to do, or things you just think someone else should do?

Or do you say, "How can I lift that person up today? How can I honor God when I talk and relate to this person? How can I work with this person so that we each feel fulfilled in Christ?"

I have observed persons who can turn someone's day around by "loving their neighbor" and seeing people the way Christ sees them. But I've also witnessed those who have only one mindset--what can YOU do for ME? You can visibly see the recipient of that attitude become downcast and lacking in any ability to relate or be a friend.

It's simple..."love your neighbor as yourself." But have we really learned to love ourselves?