BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit.
In the blink of an eye wealth disappears, for it will sprout wings and fly away like an eagle.” Proverbs 23:4,5 NLT

It seems that this ancient proverb is one that speaks to people today. When I read it, I think of the age old question supposedly asked to the industrialist John D. Rockefeller, “How much money does it take to be happy?” His response, “Just a little more.”

Actually when I read, “Be wise enough to know when to quit” I thought it was a good justification for retirement! However that points to the key issue that we see in these verses and other scriptures. This issue is not financial security, it is our focus in life, it is where we place our trust. “…if riches increase, set not your heart on them.” (Psalm 62:10 ESV)

“Trying to get rich” carries a sense of discontented striving. The focus is on attaining and achieving. It drives individuals to making poor decisions and being taken captive by those who are more than willing to talk them into investments that promise much, but deliver little. I think of hearing of professional athletes who had millions of dollars, losing it all. Paul wrote to Timothy and reminded him, “…true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.” (1 Timothy 6:6 NLT) We also read, “Cease striving and know that I am God…” (Psalm 46:10 NASB)

We also, need to ask ourselves, “why do we do what we do?” Is it just to attain a living, to pay bills, to acquire financial security? Does our work, focus and efforts have more meaning than just the paycheck whenever it comes. A friend of mine, shares financial principles on, “earning money, to make a difference.” As a result, the goal of attaining financial blessing is to be a blessing, not just a higher standard of living.

Finally, trust in the Lord gives the greatest security in our life. Wealth may diminish, health may fail, but we have a spirit that will live on for eternity. Next week, I will lead a memorial service for an elderly woman Debbie and I have known for 40 years. Her children shared with me as she succumbed the impairment of Alzheimers she would say, “Most days, I don’t know who I am, I don’t know where I am, I don’t know what I’m doing, but I know Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior!” Wow! That’s true peace and security.

Prayer for today…  Lord thank You for being our source of life and giving us the ability to attain financial security as we live according to Your Word. Thank You we can live at peace, to rest in Your care and to know that You meet all of our needs.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” Ephesians 3:19 NLT

My friend Tomme Scheffel was sharing at our men’s group on Monday night. As this young man shared a pivotal point in his Christian life, he commented on being able to sense God’s love in a tangible way that he could not understand or explain. At the end of the meeting my friend Rod Carlson, of Living Logos Ministries, who was visiting our group quoted this scripture above in response to what Tomme had shared.

It is interesting that Paul prays that Timothy and all believers would, by God’s power (because it is not through our ability) to “…have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.” (Ephesians 3:18 NLT) God allows us to understand that God’s love is greater than we can imagine, it is higher than we can believe, it is more vast than what the human mind can conceive. 

But the simple reality is that we can experience what we can’t understand. So much of our orientation is accepting through understanding. We can focus on “figuring it out” coming to some great revelation, insight or “break through” that makes the difference. But when it comes to God’s love we can’t understand it. We can’t even make sense of it. It is vast, it is great, it is baffling to our human minds.

That is because God’s love is not a matter of cognition and rationale. It doesn’t make sense, because it is God’s love. It is that which is divine, which is greater, higher, beyond ourselves.

But we can experience it! At times we simply stand in awe, at times we may experience that overwhelming peace and comfort that God’s love provides. At times we simply have to accept it, because it can not be earned.

God’s love is eternal. It is that which transcends this world, this life and will define the atmosphere that makes heaven the reality that it is. God’s love is not to be analyzed and quantified. It is simply to be accepted and experienced. It is the gateway to the “fullness of life and power that comes from God.”

Prayer for today… Lord, how marvelous and wonderful is Your love. Allow us with open hearts to accept what we can’t explain or understand. Thank You for Your love for us.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “Haughty eyes, a proud heart, and evil actions are all sin.”  Proverbs 21:4 NLT

James the Apostle in discussing how easy it is to sin by what we say, says, “We all stumble in many ways…” (James 3:2 NIV) James also, says, “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.” (James 4:17 NIV) Solomon says we can sin with our “eyes” and our “heart” as much as through our actions. Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28 NIV)

Solomon was insightful when he observed, Who can say, “I have cleansed my heart; I am pure and free from sin”? (Proverbs 20:9 NLT) As we have moved through the ages we can see the words the Lord spoke to Cain being applicable to us all,  “…if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4:7 NIV)

It is easy to view the default of our lives as being more free from sin, than being those who are constantly faced with sin. However, we need to understand that the opposite is more true in our lives. Solomon said, “People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their heart.” (Proverbs 21:2 NLT) 

This all shows us the truth of the simple declaration of scripture, “all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory…” (Romans 3:23) We are in constant need of the Lord’s forgiveness and grace in our life. As we see in Solomon’s words and in a variety of scriptures, it is easy to sin. God’s perfect standard is so beyond the reach of human nature, we need a supernatural savior to rescue us from ourselves.

When we understand the propensity to sin, we can better appreciate the position of being “clothed in the righteousness of Christ” because of His forgiveness and grace. Isaiah declared, it, “I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness.” (Isaiah 61:10 NLT)  Paul put it this way, “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT)

The words of the ancient hymn “Come Thou Fount of Many Blessings” capture our propensity to sin and our need to the Lord’s continuing grace and forgiveness:

Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above. 

Prayer for today… Lord, how we need Your amazing grace! Help us to continually be thankful for your forgiveness and to be aware our how easy it is for us to “miss the mark” even in ways that escape our attention. Your love and forgiveness and the position you grant us, enables us to stand in awe of who You are and what You have done for us.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “Better to be poor and honest than to be dishonest and a fool.” Proverbs 19:1 NLT

Wisdom is often seen in how one views “trade-offs” or the result of two different conditions. It is life lived in contract. For example: would you like to be poor and happy or rich and miserable? How would you fill in the blank of the statement, “better_______________, than _____________”

Maybe you have heard, “It better to be safe, than sorry.” Or how about, “It is better to be lucky, than good.” One of my favorites is, “It better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt!”  (that’s a good one for politicians)

It should come as no surprise that Proverbs contains several statements of comparison using the “better______ than ______” approach. Many of these related to character, some relate to putting misplaced focus on wealth and position. Some relate to how we approach a situation.

Here are a few that I found from the New Living Translation. These will be give you sampling and some statements that might cause you to stop and ponder.

Better to be an ordinary person with a servant
    than to be self-important but have no food. Proverbs 12:9 NLT

Better to have little, with fear for the Lord,
    than to have great treasure and inner turmoil. Prov 15:16 NLT

Better to have little, with godliness,
    than to be rich and dishonest. Proverbs 16:8 NLT

Better to live humbly with the poor
    than to share plunder with the proud. Proverbs 16:19 NLT

Better to be patient than powerful;
    better to have self-control than to conquer a city. Proverbs 16:32 NLT

Better a dry crust eaten in peace
    than a house filled with feasting—and conflict. Proverbs 17:1 NLT

Better to be poor and honest
    than to be dishonest and a fool. Proverbs 19:1 NLT

It’s better to wait for an invitation to the head table than to be sent away in public disgrace. Proverbs 25:7 NLT

Better to be poor and honest
    than to be dishonest and rich. Proverbs 28:6 NLT

In reflecting on these it is interesting to know that they came from the observations of life from Solomon. Since Solomon was rich, it is easier to talk about contrasting conditions that are even better for a person than wealth. He experienced much, observed much and the wisdom he shares challenges us in our lives today.

As I look at these proverbs the word “perspective” comes to mind. Also, the word, “contentment.” In all but one of these above there seems to be two competing virtues. For example, patience versus self-control; honesty  versus dishonesty; peace versus conflict. Contentment is in view when we read the contrast between “crust eaten in peace versus feasting in conflict.”

Once again we are reminded that our focus needs to be on the Lord and the principles of His Word that guide and direct our lives. It is easy to covet the condition of others or to just resent the situation in which we find ourselves. Neither is the Lord’s desire for us.

Prayer for today… Lord thank You for wisdom that we need when we face the circumstances of life. Thank You that You call us to “peaceful living.” May our perspective and contentment be shaped by our focus on You.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…  “People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the Lord.” Proverbs 19:3 NLT

Wise living is a choice. We can learn from our own experiences and the experiences of others, but it doesn’t mean that “things” always work out. There are mistakes, there are regrets at times and it is important to recognize that, learn and move on.

Learning from experiences, good and bad, is a key to success. I recall a business man sharing about his efforts to find funders for his business concept. With each failed proposal, he and a partner asked themselves, what did we learn, what do we need to do different? After going through that process about three or four times, they learned and refined their business plan until they were successful in finding someone who helped provide the funds for their start up business.

Proverbs 19:25 (NLT) says, “…the simpleminded will learn a lesson; if you correct the wise, they will be all the wiser.” However, there are those who always view themselves as victims and want to shift the blame to others or make excuses for failure or a lack of desired results.

When the “way of wisdom” is ignored and we operate according to our own wisdom (e.g. foolishness) things don’t go well. Solomon says the most egregious response is to blame God for what is our own fault. I recall the “poetic wisdom” of a sports coach who reminded me, “if you are looking for an excuse, you can always find one.” We could say, “if you are looking for some one to blame, you can always find some one.”

Proverbs gives some “advice” on how to be wise and successful in our endeavors. We are to give thoughtful consideration to decisions that we make and take the needed time. “Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good;
 haste makes mistakes.” (Proverbs 19:2 NLT)

Success comes when we seek counsel and learn from others. “To acquire wisdom is to love yourself; people who cherish understanding will prosper.” (Proverbs 19:8 NLT) A friend of mine recently wrote in his blog about the value of seeking time with successful people and learning as much as possible from them.

We can shun responsibility and blame God or others when things don’t go well; or we can seek wisdom and apply “God’s principles” for successful living.

Prayer for today…. Lord, thank You for the wisdom that You provide through Your Word and presence in our lives. Help us to be people of wisdom and understanding and to trust You, not blame You when life is difficult.

Today we had a visit from former Rep. Spence Swalm and House Sargent Leon Brandli. It was great to reconnect with these friends and to make our first visit to the new Foothills Shopping Center. We are enjoying great fall weather. I am becoming a fan of global warming.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY... “Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish.”  Proverbs 18:13 NLT

The ability to keep from rushing to judgment and the ability to ask good questions about an issue is an important “skill set.” It is easy to hear an argument or a case presented on an issue and to quickly adopt a position and state a conclusion.

I have certainly learned that in my work and background as a legislator or serving on various government boards. Being able to hold your tongue and wait to form an opinion is often the best approach. Once again we find a matter that is related to human history going back thousands of years.

Solomon warned about “spouting off” before listening to all the facts. It is not only foolish, but can create shame as well.

There are three Proverbs in chapter 18 that relate to this issue. Another that we find says, “Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions.” (Proverbs 18:2 NLT) This can be viewed as, “listen first, speak second.” I have the opportunity, such as it is, to work on issues that create a degree of controversy, where people have some strong opinions. It is interesting to see how people hold an opinion that is not founded in facts, but refuse to be open to understanding and constructive dialogue. 

A verse that I had printed, framed and hung in my legislative office was this one, “The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.” (Proverbs 18:17 ESV)  While this verse is set in the context of a trial and listening to witnesses, I found it appropriate when lobbyists or various individuals representing an issue sat across my desk to discuss a particular legislative issue. Many issues are not, “black and white” and it is important to hear “both sides” when taking a position or making a decision.

In our lives, we find ourselves making decisions and forming opinions on all kinds of subjects. Solomon’s advice in these and other Proverbs gives us the ability to act with wisdom.

Prayer for today… Lord, thank You for showing us how to be people of wisdom. This is no more important than in the opinions that we shape in our life. Give us insight and the ability to ask the right questions, to the right people at the right time. Help us to listen and gather facts first, before we speak.

Today I was in  Denver. I had the opportunity to connect with my son, Christian. He celebrated a birthday yesterday. I also made a stop by the new  180 Ministries/Teen Challenge office and the men’s center. It was great to see how well the program is doing. Daniel Petruska has served Teen Challenge of the Rocky Mountains for over 10 years and know in the role of CEO, he has taken the organization to a new level of stability and effectiveness.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24 NLT

In my book, “The Longest Campaign” I open a chapter entitled, “Help from Unexpected Sources” with this observation: “If you want to discover faults you didn’t realized you had, face unjust criticism, and deal with “fair weather” friends, run for political office. But if you want to discover true friendship, loyalty and unconditional love, see who surfaces during a crisis.”  

I often said during my political years, that my greatest challenge was to, “keep from making enemies our of friends I didn’t have.” In other words, I wanted to make sure I didn’t alienate someone who could be a friend and supporter of my cause before I even had a chance for them to know me personally.

Friendships, relationships are part of life. Some have many friends, some have few, but everyone has someone they consider a friend. Someone who will “be in your corner” when tough times come and some one who will serve as a source of encouragement and relationship along the journey of life.

Friendships need to be valued and cherished. They need to be guarded and protected. We also read in Proverbs 18, “An offended friend is harder to win back than a fortified city. Arguments separate friends like a gate locked with bars.” (Proverbs 18:19 NLT)

We all have many acquaintances, but not everyone has a close number of friends.  Solomon “hits the nail on the head” when he says, “a real friend sticks closer than a brother.”

A friend has the freedom to “speak into our lives.” We may not want to hear what they have to say, but they are willing to speak that which will help us even if it is difficult, “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.” (Proverbs 27:6 NIV)

Being friendly, promotes friendship. The New King James Version, translates the first phrase of Proverbs 18:24 this way, “A man who has friends must himself be friendly.” I think of a friend who told me that when she was in elementary school, she met a girl with the same name as her’s. She asked her, “do you want to be my friend?” The two developed a friendship that lasted through high school.

Sometimes that is what it takes. A willingness to step out, to connect and to be a friend. One of Jesus’ most intimate statements to his disciples was, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends…” (John 15:15 NIV)

Prayer for today… Lord, thank You for being our friend and showing us what real friendship is like. Help us to experience, practice and cultivate, true friendship.

Yesterday, I had a final visit from my palliative care nurse. She came to inform me that they were discharging me from care, because of my improvement. So another marker of progress in my recovery.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “For the despondent, every day brings trouble; for the happy heart, life is a continual feast.” Proverbs 15:15 NLT

I hate the “is the glass half empty or half full?” question. I usually want to ask, well, what was it before there was only half? Was it empty or was it full? I know it really doesn’t matter, because the point is to reveal how one views life. Is there a natural bent toward being positive or negative. I think the “half full” vantage is suppose to be more positive, but I’m not sure why.

But what we know is our attitude or disposition does make a difference in our approach to life and our enjoyment of life. Proverbs 27:19 (NLT) says, “As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person.” Then we read, “A glad heart makes a happy face; a broken heart crushes the spirit.” (Proverbs 15:13 NLT) So we see our mood is often reflected in our face.

Author and Bible Teacher, Jeff Lucas, is from England. He comments on how friendly Americans can be. He says it was unusual for him to have people say, “have a good day!” He compares that to the attitudes of Brits. If you say that to a Brit, Lucas observes, you are likely to get the response, “I will, bloody well, have the kind of day, I want to have.”

If you are down, constantly discouraged and always looking on the “dark side” you will find your fill of trouble and sorrow. Have you met those who seem to go from crisis to crisis and always live in some kind of perpetual trauma or heartache?

In contrast, Solomon observed thousands of years ago what we see today, “For the happy heart, life is a continual feast.” These are those who can greet each day with, “Good morning, Lord!” opposed to, “Good Lord, it’s morning!”

Anticipation of what lies ahead is possible when we realize that God is with us and for us. The Lord does not forsake His own. He promises to give strength for each day and victory for each battle. He is the God who meets our needs and is the ever-present help in time of trouble.

Our attitude can be contagious and be a source of encouragement to others. At the end of Proverbs 15, we read, “A cheerful look brings joy to the heart…” (Proverbs 15:30 NLT) In the midst of the challenges of life, we need to focus on the Lord of life and be encouraged in who our God is and follow the admonition of Hebrews, “…encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” (Hebrews 13:3 NIV)

I am reminded of the words, “Look at others and you will be distressed, look at yourself and you will be depressed, but when you look to Jesus, you will be blessed.”

Prayer for today… Lord, You are the glory and lifter of our heads (Psalm 3:3). Help us to focus our attention on You and who You are and what You do for those who place their hope in You.