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Waggling tongues and wanton hearts.

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“Fire goes out without wood, and quarrels disappear when gossip stops. A quarrelsome person starts fights as easily as hot embers light charcoal or fire lights wood. Rumors are dainty morsels that sink deep into one’s heart.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭26‬:‭20‬-‭22‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The wisdom writers have a hot sheet of character flaws in the human heart. And, in these hotbeds of emotions and relational problems, there are warnings and dire consequences. However, we believe we are immune to the poisonous effects because of one of the best excuses is, “well that’s not me!”

Here, we have a classic discussion about the words we spread about like the latest tasty receipt on Instagram. The writer compares gossipy girl/guy to a fire, a fight and a fantasy.

Fire needs three elements to exist – heat, fuel and oxygen. Conflict or revenge can be the heat, gossip is the fuel, and speaking words are the oxygen (we blow air when we talk). In a quarrel everyone knows it takes two to tango. And, a homemade treat is even better when shared, so gossip is given and gobbled down before someone questions the ingredients.

At our core, we are ALL a little soul-pyros, like fire-starters. I’ll be the first to admit that I live and love the world of good and not-so-good tidbits of information. Someone’s pregnant? I just can’t wait to tell everyone. Someone’s gone back into rehab – oh, so sad, I’ll just share that with someone in the guise of prayer. I don’t like to think that I CAUSED fires, fights and fantastic rumors, but I’m sure I’ve done it.

Proverbs calls out my proclivities and holds me accountable to repent and stops me from being a human pyro! I have no excuse. And, I can’t hide under the phrases like, “well it’s the truth,” or “I’m just trying to help,” or worse, “don’t they need prayer?” So it’s out, we’re all susceptible to these destructive sins. I just don’t want to be the chief fire-pyro.

Prayer

Dad,
Right between the eyes! Your Word is a dead shot. I would think I could avoid all these discoveries of my shadowed soul by just avoiding your word, your ways. I could just be happily oblivious to my sin and the damage it causes in all the lives and lives around me. You word, your light shining in the darkness reveals my weaknesses, my propensities, ugh… my selfishness. This is why I am thankful for your word and how your grace comes rushing in after seeing my sins reflected back and my confession coming out, purging my heart. Now, I just need your help to stop gossiping, drop on my knees and roll around in the truth to stop hurting myself and others.

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Shut your trap!

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“Watching for their opportunity, the leaders sent spies pretending to be honest men. They tried to get Jesus to say something that could be reported to the Roman governor so he would arrest Jesus. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you speak and teach what is right and are not influenced by what others think. You teach the way of God truthfully. Now tell us—is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭20‬:‭20‬-‭22‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Wow, things just don’t change all that much in the “set the trap,” let’s catch ‘em in a juicy sound-bite moment. Tisk, tisk, tisk, good luck catching God tripping up on some cheap word-trap and moral dilemma.

Luke gives us such a rich background to this moment. With words like “opportunity,” “spies,” and “reporting,” who wouldn’t be drawn into to this scene?

The guys, supposedly working FOR God, are trying to trap God to get him to quit interfering with their job of protecting God from rift-raft, fakes and false prophets. They never considered, even for a moment, that the REAL messiah, would show up and they would find themselves on the wrong side of truth. Can people get so turned around that they find themselves on the wrong side of truth?

Luke writes “they sent spies,” pretending (hupokrinomai), like actors on a stage, to be earnest in their query. Then they actually try to butter up God by telling him what a great guy he is!

Oh, you’re so honest Jesus.
Oh, people love following you Jesus.
You’re such a great leader Jesus.
What a bunch of DUNG!

It’s all fake flattery, dripping with barbs to trap Jesus into saying something useful, self incriminating and heard by so many. It was an excellent trap that everyone of us has fallen prey to.

The ol’ speak ill of the government trap.

Who hasn’t stepped in this one? The wacky laws, the ridiculous misuse of power and oh, don’t get me started on how they are spending MY tax money! I would have fallen for it and failed.

All Jesus needed to say is, “I can’t stand that Caesar and his wicked, mindless, money-grubbing cronies around him.” “Taxes? I wouldn’t give him one shiny new denarius, he’s a hack!”

His comments would have been captured, then reported and bada-bing, no more Jesus. Oh, but God will not be trapped by human traps and schemes. God is still not trapped by human schemes. In fact, God uses our ill-intents and petty manipulations to bring about His will and purpose bringing the reality of the Kingdom of God here on earth!

Jesus doesn’t fall for it. He asks for a coin, looks at it and flips it back to its owner. Cool as a cucumber he asks the owner of the coin, with the crowd waiting to hear the SNAP of the SNARE, “who’s image (eikón), who’s imprint (epigraphó) is on that coin?” The trickster responded, “well, of course it’s Caesar.” Jesus said, “then obviously give him back his coin!” The crowd was stunned, the religious leaders… silenced. This story is famous for this question, “who’s image and imprint does the coin bear?” It’s famous, because we, humans, are the image bearers of God. ALL of us. No one can flip our souls from one side to the other and not clearly see that we are unique and hardly “self-created!” We bear the image and imprint of God stamped on us. No other creature, flora nor fauna carries that same image, because God breathed Himself into our souls. So Jesus words are stingingly accurate even today, “Give to God what is His!”

Prayer

Dad,
I now know that I was bought with a price and I am yours. I know and love the fact that I am more than just a friend of God, like “I know Him!” But, I am your son. I’ve been twice adopted. I am in the family of God and my life bears your image and imprint. I return what “belongs” to you everyday. I am so thankful to bear your name and be your son.

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Happy King, happy kingdom?

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“How the king rejoices in your strength, O Lord! He shouts with joy because you give him victory. For you have given him his heart’s desire; you have withheld nothing he requested.” Psalms‬ ‭21‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There is a common phrase and understanding in many households, especially back in the day, “If momma ain’t happy, no one is happy.” If you go further back in time, way back, you’ll find the original concept, “if the king ain’t happy, no one is happy.”

Psalm 21 is a song of thanksgiving. It focuses on King David at a time in his life when things were going well. The interesting point to this imagery of a king is this, the king is often credited with being an example of the moral state of a kingdom in the Old Testament.

The Psalms were all written to be a foreshadowing of the coming messiah. And in the messiah’s arrival would come a final season of peace, prosperity and justice for all the wrongs done to Israel. The messiah was definitely projected to be the inevitable, invincible conqueror! So when Jesus showed up as a baby and did everything contrary to any Jewish leader before him, the Jews were naturally suspicious. What kind of conqueror lays down his life, seemingly ending his rule and reign. And Jesus had no heirs! What kind of leader was this?

I wonder if this Psalm 21 characteristic turns out to be true in leaders today? When a leader is happy, the followers are happy. When a leader ain’t happy… well we’ve all seen plenty examples of this on a global and local stage. My take away isn’t exactly about a king or a momma. As a leader, a shepherd, a servant I see the absolute necessity in guarding and protecting my own heart to more or less stay in a place of calm, you could call it a “guarded gratefulness.” There is a lot of chatter and situations that can cause a perpetual state of unhappiness and I end up seething AND seeding a whole batch of angry, frustrated and divided crops of unfruitful and unfulfilled trees! A king, a momma or a leader needs to find a place of perspective and peace to not perpetuate the “ain’t no one happy” culture in their kingdom, home or organization.

Prayer

Dad,
I try and try and try to remember these concepts and work hard to not take the bait to become bitter. It is so very hard. My mind triggers my emotions and they just ramp up faster than I can coral them back into place. I need to seek and ask far more questions before flying off into unrealistic scenarios that end with poor behavior or words that can not easily be retracted or rescinded. Help me seek you first before I fire up the whole emergency response mechanism in my head. Thank you for your grace and mercy when I blow it.

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Our environment wants justice.

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“The earth mourns and dries up, and the land wastes away and withers. Even the greatest people on earth waste away. The earth suffers for the sins of its people, for they have twisted God’s instructions, violated his laws, and broken his everlasting covenant.” Isaiah‬ ‭24‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Isaiah picks up on this theme of of extreme eco-disasters coming to earth because of the sins of its inhabitants. Earlier, he had said that God would “destroy the earth and make it a vast wasteland. He devastates the surface of the earth and scatters the people.” Human sin and our selfishness has deep and irreversible effects on our souls, our kind, plus the entire animal and plant kingdom of the world.

I’m sure environmentalist would quickly agree that, as humans, we misuse and abuse our own home. Isaiah’s point goes much further than our carbon footprint, plastics addictions, or pulling far too many precious metals out of the earth. Isaiah says the earth suffers because of our sins against God, not the planet!

I for one believe that believers in Christ should be the very best at caring for the planet and ecosystems of our world. We were in fact given that job back in the garden of eden. We have a responsibility as good stewards. But I would also be the first to say, in no way should our care for animals, plants and natural resources take priority over human life. I’m not a fan of saving whales and sea turtles only to end the life of infants in the womb. This is a gross misunderstanding and results of our sin. Isaiah states what much of our world has lost site of, God is the creator, is good and He alone dispenses justice and truth.

When we are in line with God’s laws, the planet, even in our sin, fares much better. The end is coming though. The finality of this planet, in anticipation of a brand new one, is approaching as each moment of time passes us.

It’s coming. Our culture senses it and it shows up most often in our entertainment of movies and shows. If someone were to map the amount and frequency of apocalyptic books, movies and shows, you’d clearly see that everyone believes there is a end coming. Some are some very dark, like “the walking dead,” or the Terminator or Matrix franchises. Others are oddly utopian in nature, thinking of some strange technological advancements that help humans achieve and neurochemical enlightenment of some kind. The movie, Moonfall finally told us some truth. People are ridiculously gullible, untrusting and turn back into base animalistic behaviors when the end finally comes.

All of these fantasy projections either resolve in perpetual misery or happily received annihilation. God’s story is very different. The planet will be destroyed and remade. Human life, our souls and bodies will not end in annihilation. We will find ourselves living in eternity in one of two places – heaven, where God continues to rule as He always has done. Or hell, a place of eternal separation from God and in that, a forever tortured soul in misery of never ending loops of pain, blame of selfish lonely conversations with themselves. I ask myself, “who wants that?” The possible answer, people who would rather live in misery than bow heart and knee, submitting to God’s authority and rule.

Prayer

Dad,
It is so interesting that you were speaking through Isaiah, thousands of years ago about all the events (Christ, the messiah coming and a lot of end times) that would take place in the future. I remember hearing that the prophecy had to make sense to people then and now. What a challenge for those back them. I’m pretty sure their world was more violent than even ours today. I would make sense to the listener back then. I don’t look forward to the world ending, but I do look forward for the finalizing of your plans for the Kingdom of God on earth to be here.

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Don’t pour iodine in an open wound of the soul.

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“Singing cheerful songs to a person with a heavy heart is like taking someone’s coat in cold weather or pouring vinegar in a wound.” Proverbs‬ ‭25‬:‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

What is it about making everyone feel good or constantly being positive? The wisdom writers pitch a counterintuitive idea. How about NOT cheering someone up?

When I am down or processing difficult, even unpleasant situations happening in my own life, it’s not that I WANT to be negative or depressed. I’m not a masochist when it comes to suffering. However, I am trying to unravel, decode or possibly solve the reasons behind the heaviness, grief or big emotions. And when I am working hard to sift through the whole situation, whether it’s about me or not, the last thing I want is some fluffy, quick, trite, pick-me-up to instantly try to snap me back to feels-good. And, yes, it makes it worse when someone gives me, in that moment, a Bible verse about how I should feel. A Philippians or a “count it all joy,” comment is not helpful.

I know, I know, I know, people are just being kind and I absolutely have friends who live on the amazing promises of God that got them through the darkest moments of their life. I don’t want to be rude and brush them or their comments off. I just want people to try to understand the difference between being a friend who just sits in a really crummy moment with me and someone just trying quippy up because of the uncomfortableness of grief, pain or sorrow. Those emotions are very real and very necessary at times.

Jobs’ friends in 2:11-13 did something very right, “they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words.” Job was devastated by what happened to him and his kids and his friends, at this point, behaved bravely stellar!

Proverbs isn’t against cheering someone up or dispensing hope at appropriate times, it’s just asking folks to read the situation before saying something that would bring more pain. When grief or suffering can be like a warm coat in the cold of night, a friend comes along, singing a Mary Poppins tune and steals the one thing they need to bare the moment – a heavy heart. This is similar to another Proverb (27:14) about loudly greeting a neighbor in the morning. It’s just bad timing! So what is appropriate? Silence. A permission side-hug. A commiserating look of sadness. Even the simple words of consolation, “I am so sorry.” Maybe a quick prayer of God’s peace, his Shalom over them, would be nice. The last thing I want to do to a friend or have done to me is have Mercurochrome poured into an open wound of the soul.

Prayer

Dad,
It’s nice to know that grief, suffering or just awful traumatic experiences are just a normal part of life on this planet. I want people to be thoughtful to me and I to them when it comes to being vulnerable enough to share in these weighty moments. I am sure folks are well-meaning in their quick-fixes. I just don’t want to miss or mistake these moments for a light way to politely avoid awkwardness. Love can be awkward right? Thank you for your peace and comfort and our ability to enter into someone else’s pain to sit and join them for awhile.

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Confidence without cockiness.

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“One day as Jesus was teaching the people and preaching the Good News in the Temple, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders came up to him. They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?” Luke‬ ‭20‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus was teaching and preaching IN the Temple. This is the pro league if religion were a sport (and to the religious leaders, it was). It was written elsewhere that Jesus spoke with authority and the common folk noticed and liked it. The religious leaders, comparatively, had the authority to speak, given by long-standing rights and privileges passed down to them and conveniently given the stamp of approval by their mentors.

The religious leaders, of which three power-groups are mentioned, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law and the elders approached Jesus. Sounds intimidating right? What were they asking? And why were they asking? There were systems and steps that one had to go through to gain the right to speak in the temple, or even a local synagogue for that matter. Those steps were incremental and had the guidance and blessing of a “master” Rabbi so to speak. That master Rabbi would have been well known and approved by others himself. Ray Vander Laan writes, “Jesus seems to be a type of rabbi believed to have s’mikhah or authority to make new interpretations. Most of the teachers were Torah teachers (teachers of the law) who could only teach accepted interpretations.”

I can almost see these powerbrokers of the temple getting together and trying to figure out who was Jesus’ master Rabbi. Was it Nicodemus? Was it Gamaliel? These religious leaders could not connect Jesus with any known Rabbi, yet he spoke with “authority.” Jesus not only quoted other Rabbi’s from time to time, he also did something extraordinarily rare, he interpreted the law and the prophets making application from the entire Old Testament passages. Who gave Jesus that authority? Who gave Jesus this right to interpret? God himself!

Jesus answered their own question with a brilliant question. He said, “Let me ask you a question first,” he replied. “Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?” Ah, yes! There was another Rabbi who spoke with authority and interpreted scriptures as well – John the Baptist. Jesus knew how much religious leaders STILL couldn’t stand God’s spokespersons (Prophets). And Jesus knew how the locals, the “people” loved hearing the pure truth of God spoken with power.

This power group, approached Jesus to shut him down and ended up being scolded for not recognizing the Spirit of the one they were supposed to be working for! Jesus flat out told them, “I’m not telling you who gave me my credentials.” Most of them ended up referring to Jesus as Rabbi from that point on.

I understand that leaders can start out being protective, like a good shepherd should. Knowing who is speaking on behalf of and leading others in the ways of God. But when it twists and turns into controlling others, this is where it goes badly. Power and authority is to protect NOT to control!

Prayer

Dad,
Help us, as leaders, as “religious” Rabbi’s so to speak, always lean towards protecting and not controlling others. Help us to be servants, humble and meek, taking every opportunity to love and give and reflect the true nature of a shepherd to those who believe. Help those in positions of influence be careful to lead, only reflecting Jesus and not themselves. Help us gain back the trust we squandered in the past.

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Enemies and snares oh my.

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“Praise the Lord, who did not let their teeth tear us apart! We escaped like a bird from a hunter’s trap. The trap is broken, and we are free! Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Psalms‬ ‭124‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Certainly in ancient times the world was a delicate balance of violence seeking peace or peace just in the edge of violence. In my world and in these times, I do not face a neighboring country or people who want to tear us apart and enslave us. That doesn’t mean it isn’t happening around the globe. I’m fact it is for many countries and people groups. It may be the norm!

Who are my enemies that present a real and present danger? At one point, about five years ago, I had one. Yeah, just one I could identify, but with the help of God I was able to escape with just my ego and bank account bruised. These enemies, David wrote about were very real and persistently trying to kill him. I do not have anyone trying to hunt me down and kill me.

The only enemies I can identify are more spiritual in nature. One is certainly Satan himself, the deceiver, liar and very real threat. The other one is sadly my own mind. I struggle with what Daniel Amen calls, ANTS – automatic negative thoughts (brainmd.com). Just an overwhelming sense that there is always more to be done and I’m not skilled enough to do it all. After going through a series called “Content,” and focusing on the word “enough” instead of “more,” I’m realizing that God has ALWAYS been good to me and that He is enough in my cravings for more, but also I am simply “enough” in who He made me to be! I can only be me and can only do me. To keep those healthy boundaries, I have to remind people around me, “I am not you,” in other words, I can’t approach problems or fix them like someone else. And, “I can’t be great at everything!”

Life and leadership sometimes feels like it moves too fast for me to process what is happening, in real time, around me. And when I’m overwhelmed I just freeze up! I shut down. I get stuck. So between the devil lying, manipulating and just mucking up my life along with my own brain betrayal, telling me I can’t do certain things well – the snares are set and I step right into both of them.

David’s war-cry declaration is just as valid now as it was for him in ancient times – Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!!! The snare is broken and we can escape.

Prayer

Dad,
I desperately need your help to reframe all that is going on in my life and in our world. I need to see and feel your perspective, your plan, your will and desire. With expectations piling up around me and having to address old fears of failure, my own social delays and pure lack of leadership experience – I need you and cannot accomplish eternal things without your Spirit. Break the snares and traps set to stop me. Free me to be who you created me to be and do the work you called me to accomplish. I am yours, always and forever.

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Hebrews hall of famers!

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. Women received their loved ones back again from death. But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection.”Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭32‬-‭35‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Chapter 11 is filled with the famous faithful, and here the author just summarizes the more known stories that we still tell today. All of this was because of faith, their faith. Faith is extraordinarily critical in the life of Christ followers. It was then, before details of the plan was revealed, and it is now. Notice how small this list is when compared to the thousands of years it represents – it is just a few.

When Hebrews mentions “and all the prophets,” he was writing about the many unnamed major and minor prophets, spokespersons for God. And, because most of those prophets were warning Israel, begging them to turn from sin, as God was already setting the stage for their discipline, those folks were the ones mentioned towards the end. These were tortured, not just for their faith, but their words delivered to the leaders, and the people of God. No one wanted to listen to those words, so they killed them. Hebrews goes on to mention a few of those we know about. “Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated.” Isaiah was the one stuffed in a hollowed log and cut in half!

Faith, as glorious as it may seem in the results and endings of these stories, was very costly and frightening to trust and obey God. Faith always includes huge risks. There is just no other way to do it. All of it, for the folks who believed long before the plans of God became reality in the son of man, son of God, was “credited to them as righteousness.” The phrase, shows up often in the Bible; in Genesis 15:36, Psalms 106:31 and Romans 4:22-23. Faith is still required and still effective to “credit” any of us with righteousness. It wasn’t just for them “pre-messiah,” the Apostle Paul says, “for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.” The new spin on this faith is revealed as not just credit towards our salvation but also the best way to please God – 11:6. Our names may not go down in history, but in and with faith they will be recorded in God’s book of life!

Prayer

Dad,
This faith that pleases you has always seemed to come with great risk. Oddly enough, it always looked so glamorous when reading and reflecting on the stories of old. Yet, in the moments when I face faith and the decisions to trust and obey you – well it has never felt all that appealing. It felt like hard work, like swimming in mud, like groping forward in the dark. Faith does not come natural to me at all. When faith is talked about it always sounds so fun and exciting. But in reality it’s pushing against all the senses telling me not to do it. It’s odd that it’s so hard to believe. Maybe that’s just me?

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Bending towards evil.

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“And the Lord was pleased with the aroma of the sacrifice and said to himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of the human race, even though everything they think or imagine is bent toward evil from childhood. I will never again destroy all living things. As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.” Genesis‬ ‭8‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Starting over, but still with broken, evil people who will always bend towards evil. God Completely annihilated the human population at the time of Noah, and yet still sin and evil was not permanently drowned with the massive, twelve month flood over the earth.

There is a lot questions and mystery concerning the flood that God doesn’t seem to be worried about nor interested in addressing. When Noah offers a sacrifice to God (which I believe God showed Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel how to do) from selected animals on the boat, God is pleased. Why? Because Noah understands the association of substitutionary death of an innocent animal to temporarily cover his and his family’s sin. This is an act of humility, obedience and best of all faith. God makes a unique promise, “I will never…” He says. The earth’s ground, in totality, will never be cursed because of US. Then God adds the perpetually sad commentary, “even though everything they THINK or IMAGINE is bent!” And it’s bent from childhood on.

In Chapter nine, God gives Noah and all humans thereafter a permanent sign of this promise (contract) – the rainbow. “Then God said, “I am giving you a sign of my covenant with you and with all living creatures, for all generations to come. I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth.” Genesis‬ ‭9‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬. I love that God makes a permanent, declarative and obvious sign in the skies that show up when it rains or the rays of the sun catch the mists of water just right. These moments make for a beautiful array of splendor and delight wherever and whoever you are. Sadly, the rainbow, which is intended to be a contractual observance of promise, has been abused by so many to represent anything but a promise and nothing to do with God.

Prayer

Dad,
This whole post apocalyptic, global flood story is fascinating. Noah and family, with their miracle boat ride for an entire year. Then the days leading up to the landing an evacuation of water. So amazing. This picture/object lesson of Noah making a sacrifice is epic because it completely takes place well before the law, and well before the Abrahamic Covenant. This super old story is still all about faith and obedience – not perfection. Noah and his family were certainly not perfect and did not have perfect children. Yet, they knew the situation concerning their sin and gratitude for saving them. Bravo 🙌🏼.

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Rich memories of home.

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“A house is built by wisdom and becomes strong through good sense. Through knowledge its rooms are filled with all sorts of precious riches and valuables.” Proverbs‬ ‭24‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Such an odd little proverb about building a house with wisdom, good sense and knowledge. Of course, the wisdom writers can’t be talking about buildings, even though it states the rooms are filled with riches. If Proverbs was a curriculum package for young men, I could see how this would begin to teach and sway them to seek wisdom to have happy homes and rooms filled with riches. Still, this isn’t a promise, it’s a principle.

Building a solid family does take wisdom. Using good or common sense does build character in the family members in the house. And, the most precious riches and valuables I have experienced in the “rooms,” are the incredible memories made there. Once you’ve moved out of your family home, especially the one you grew up in, most never get a chance to return and just re-live the memories that took place in each room. I have returned to my Aunt & Uncle’s home several times as an adult and every thing always seemed much smaller than I remember. That is a general rule in childhood, because we were once small ourselves and the world was SO big. The house was huge, the walk to school was long, the street and the block you lived on seemed like miles of sidewalk. We (our family) spent 25 years living in one house. That was long enough to go from birth to High School graduation or beyond for our older sons. Just driving the street and alleyway brings back lots of memories.

The wisdom writers could have been making a duel purpose statement when referring to riches. One, there are priceless riches in memories and each space filled with love. Plus, the actual benefit of being in a house, having a roof over your head and little worries about food or shelter. Our childhood memories, our origin stories are powerful enough to frame our attitudes and outlook on life for many years. A good childhood yields good memories and a healthy, positive sense of being able to replicate that when you become an adult. Contrarily, a tough childhood, filled with chaos and instability has quite the opposite effect on our outlook and perspective of adulthood especially when it comes to family.

Robin has wonderful memories of houses, homes and family growing up. Me, not so much. Many of my homes had trauma and uncertainty attached to them. Twice, my adopted mother had to pack up my sister and I to flee from dangerous husbands (one my adopted father, the other a wicked stepfather). Not so good on the ol’ memories of home.

I love the fact that Proverbs teaches young men and women about the value of godliness with character traits such as wisdom, knowledge and good sense. A good foundation doesn’t guarantee good results in building a home, but it gives some just as important- HOPE.

Prayer

Dad,
Not knowing any of these principles growing up, I think you did a good job of teaching me personally. It took a lot of work and I had a hard time catching up to anything considered to being normal or good. Even though I was ALWAYS on edge and fearful of doing the right thing, I was determined to trust you and do my very best at being obedient. Eternal thanks for your patience in teaching and mercy in times of failures.