OUR FATHER IN WHOSE HANDS ARE OUR TIMES

From Psalm 31

I take refuge in you Lord, Don't let me be put to shame

You are my fortress and my rock, my guide for the sake of your name.

You saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul, You saved me

I trust in you;  I say, “You are my God.”

I will be glad and rejoice in your love

My times are in your hands; Lord deliver me 

Save me in your unfailing Love; Let your face shine on me.

You saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul, You saved me

I trust in you;  I say, “You are my God.”

I will be glad and rejoice in your love

OUR FATHER WHO GIVES US WISDOM TO LIVE BY

Proverbs chapter 4 verse 3 says this;

For I too was a son to my father, still tender, and cherished by my mother.

This verse points to the identity of the author of this chapter.

He offers wisdom to his sons telling them that he gives sound teaching because he too was a son who learned from his own father.

He describes how he was called by his father to learn wisdom while he was still young and cherished by his mother.

The Lord Jesus is the narrator of this chapter because it indicates that He had a mother and a father which the Lord did and as well,  the rest of the chapter speaks of how He was given wisdom by His Father that were He to follow, would result in Him being exalted and receiving a glorious crown. These two factors converge to make it clear that the author is the Lord Jesus. As it says in Proverbs chapter 4 verses 8 - 9 of wisdom;

Cherish her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you. She will give you a garland to grace your head and present you with a glorious crown.”

This certainly sounds like the Lord Jesus being crowned as King of kings after He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven.

As well, the wisdom that the author says was given to Him, sounds very similar to the things that the Lord Jesus taught His disciples.

One example is the instruction to keep His words because his words were life  as found in John chapter 6 verse 63 which says;

The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.

Proverbs chapter 4 verses 20 - 22 also says that words of the narrator are life.

My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

The Lord Jesus heeded the wisdom of His father all the days of His life even unto death and was raised again to glory because of it.

Let us heed the words of wisdom our Lord gives us for He will lead us in paths of righteousness.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO CARES FOR HIS SERVANTS

Proverbs chapter 12 verse 10 says this;

The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.

This proverb attests to the fact the righteous are attuned to those arround them who are vulnerable.

In this case, animals are often at the bottom of the list of priorities and are easily  neglected but the righteous keep track of those in their care and attend to the things they need.

To correctly care for animals requires sensitivity and understanding and the righteous, being soft-hearted, carefully consider the things that pertain to the health, comfort and happiness of their animals.

The wicked, on the other hand, pay little heed to the delicate balances that are needed for the proper care of animals and so even when they think they are being kind, they are actually subjecting their animals to cruelty.

Any living creature, man or beast, in our care, needs attention to the details of the things they need to live.

1 Timothy chapter 5 verse 18 says this; 

For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker  deserves his wages.”,  

The apostle Paul said the law against muzzling an ox that was treading grain pertained to the ministers of God doing the work of the gospel having the right to draw a living from the gospel.

From this, we can infer that our proverb, which is also about the welfare of animals, is adjuring us to pay attention to the welfare of those in our midst who serve as the Lord's ministers.

Any minister serving the Lord should be cared for with at least as much tenderness and love that the righteous expend on their animals.  

Amen.

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OUR FATHER GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE

Proverbs chapter 14 verse 9 says this;

Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright.

This proverb contrasts the conduct of fools with the conduct of the righteous in regards to the making of amends for sin.

In the company of fools, any contrition for sin and  attempts to make restitution are met with derision and mockery.

On the other hand, among the righteous, repentance for sin and making amends are welcomed and received warmly.

The righteous follow the example set by the Lord as described in Psalm chapter 51 verse 17 which says;

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO CHOOSES A PEOPLE TO BE HIS WITNESSES

Isaiah chapter 43 verse 10 says this;

“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.

This verse speaks of our primordial purpose for which the Lord chose us.

We were chosen as witnesses and servants so that we may know God, believe God and understand that He is the only God.

In this verse, the Lord Himself gives witness to the profound fact that there was no god in existence before Him and there will be no god following after.

In saying that there is no god before or after, the Lord reveals that He is eternal with no start and no end. 

This mystery is not readily apparent to finite  men and thus a cadre of people is chosen by the Lord to make it their central drive to pursue the knowledge of God and then to believe and trust Him and then to understand His absolute primacy.

It is these people who can then serve as witnesses to others of the Lord's unchallenged supremacy and His worthiness to be sought and believed.  In this witness of the Lord greatness is the message of the Lord's goodness and His ability and willingness to save us from our sin and from death.

As Isaiah chapter 43 verse 11 says;

I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO RESTORES US TO STRENGTH AND WISDOM 

Proverbs chapter 30 verses 1 - 2 says this;

The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle. The man declares, I am weary, O God; I am weary, O God, and worn out.

Surely I am too stupid to be a man. I have not the understanding of a man.

These proverbs, which are inspired utterances of Agur, start with the author describing his condition as being weary and worn out.

The proverb's author then declares himself to be mentally deficient to the point of being subhuman and that he did not have the intellectual accuity  to be a human being 

Continuing onto verse 3, the author gives the reason why he is in this condition saying;

I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.

These first two proverbs in chapter 30 could be seen as a summation of the human condition in our fallen state.

We, of the human race, are weary and worn out from the toil in the dust of the earth and we also suffer from incomprehension of both ourselves and our world.  Both of these are  the result of the curse on mankind after the fall and as such, we operate far below the levels at which human beings, who are made in the image of God, are supposed be operating at. 

Separated from God, we have not learned wisdom and we have no knowledge of the Holy one and thus we are left weary and senseless.

The gift of God, which is salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross where His  blood was shed to pay for our sins, is able to bring us back into communion with the Spirit of God who is wisdom as well as back into the knowledge of God.

We can then be renewed in strength and guided by the  wisdom of God.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHOSE SPIRIT IS THE SPIRIT TRUTH

Proverbs chapter 13 verse 5 says this;

The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked make themselves a stench and bring shame on themselves.

Thes righteous being referenced here but through the prism of the new covenant, are those who are under the Lordship of Jesus and being led by the Spirit of God having been made righteous by the blood of the Lamb.

In John chapter 16 verse13, the Spirit of God is called the Spirit of Truth and to be led by the Spirit of Truth automatically puts one into diametric opposition to that which is false. Bearing false witness, deception, fraud and false doctrine are among the things which are under the category of  'false'.

The righteous will find themselves convicted in the spirit if they engage in such things and will repent of them and oppose them. They will discern them and  root them out so that they do not take hold in them or in their communities.

On the other hand, the wicked, being those who are led by the spirit of this world, get trapped in the things that are false with no discernment to warn them of the encroachment of falsity in their lives and they have no resistance or remedy to it.  They are then covered with the stench of shame from the consequence of operating in falsehood.

This proverb declares that one of the hallmarks of righteousness is the hatred of what is false.

May we always be alert to falsehood so that it does not infiltrate our lives.

Amen.

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