(This
reading is based on Proverbs 18 and is read in accordance with the
Revived by His Word initiative of the General Conference of Seventh-day
Adventists.)
Without
apology Jamaicans love food. The idea of going to an all-you-can-eat is
always a great idea. So imagine my delight when I first landed in
California that the first place I was taken to was an... you know what.
Fortunately for me the plates weren't that big so I couldn't pack them
too much. And just as well, because I couldn't eat that much anyway; I
would have been embarrassed. There was just so much food! As I continue
to be amazed with the depth and breadth of the book of Proverbs, I'm
today reminded of my all-you-can-eat experiences in the US - such a wide
variety to choose to put on your plate of daily focus and meditation.
Here are my pickings from Proverbs 18:
1. "A fool has no delight in understanding, but in expressing his own heart," (verse 2).
With two eyes to read and observe, and two ears to listen, it is illogical to talk more than one would carry out the previous functions.
With two eyes to read and observe, and two ears to listen, it is illogical to talk more than one would carry out the previous functions.
2. "A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul," (verse 7).
I once heard a saying that in essence said, "A fish wouldn't get caught, if it'd only keep its mouth shut."
I once heard a saying that in essence said, "A fish wouldn't get caught, if it'd only keep its mouth shut."
3. "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe," (verse 10).
This verse has the feel of a psalm, where instead of a contrast between the wise and the fool, God is the subject. Granted, it may be deduced that the "righteous" here refers to the wise.
This verse has the feel of a psalm, where instead of a contrast between the wise and the fool, God is the subject. Granted, it may be deduced that the "righteous" here refers to the wise.
4. "The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, but who can bear a broken spirit?" (verse 14).
Dwayne was my work supervisor for the student job I had while I studied in the US. His wife was a cancer survivor; an outcome that one of his co-workers did not experience when his wife was diagnosed at just about the same time that Dwayne's had. But as you heard how both situations were handled you could readily understand why Dwayne's wife survived, and possibly why his co-worker's wife didn't. Dwayne shared that he fully supported his wife through the ordeal to the point that when she did chemo therapy and lost her hair, he and their daughter shaved the hairs on their heads too. Dwayne's wife was never alone. When I met her she was cancer free, and you'd never guess she had cancer. Apparently Dwayne's colleague, though a Christian for many years, seemed to have battled more with the thought of why would God allow his wife to get cancer, instead of just supporting her. And what can break ones spirit more than a feeling of abandonment by one you look to for help.
Dwayne was my work supervisor for the student job I had while I studied in the US. His wife was a cancer survivor; an outcome that one of his co-workers did not experience when his wife was diagnosed at just about the same time that Dwayne's had. But as you heard how both situations were handled you could readily understand why Dwayne's wife survived, and possibly why his co-worker's wife didn't. Dwayne shared that he fully supported his wife through the ordeal to the point that when she did chemo therapy and lost her hair, he and their daughter shaved the hairs on their heads too. Dwayne's wife was never alone. When I met her she was cancer free, and you'd never guess she had cancer. Apparently Dwayne's colleague, though a Christian for many years, seemed to have battled more with the thought of why would God allow his wife to get cancer, instead of just supporting her. And what can break ones spirit more than a feeling of abandonment by one you look to for help.
I'm
glad that unlike the all-you-can-eats where after a while you're
expected to leave, we don't have to leave to book of Proverbs (or the
Bible for that matter). Thank You for Your provisions Father. Amen.
To read and/or listen to Proverbs 18 and to read other related blogs, please click here.
Photo Credits: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/calculate-california-restaurant-tax-10524.html
No comments:
Post a Comment