Day 24: Taking a Stand.

Today we are reading Proverbs 24 and Psalm 116-118. Before you read, ask God to reveal something new to you today, or perhaps to remind you of something long forgotten.

-Read Scripture-

Injustice. This is a BIG deal to our Father. Proverbs alone mentions justice and injustice 31 times. I would even go so far as to say that behind accepting Christ, loving and worshipping our Father, and spreading the gospel, this is His main job for his followers. Taking a stand for those he has called us to. Who has he called us to stand up for? The oppressed, voice-less, poor, innocent, needy, broken, abused, and helpless.


"It's wrong, very wrong, to go along with injustice. Whoever whitewashes the wicked gets a black mark on the history books, But whoever exposes the wicked will be thanked and rewarded." Proverbs 24:23-25


Whitewashing is ignoring, to coverup. Those who know about injustices and wrong-doing but does nothing about it, or tries to cover it up to save or protect their reputation will face serious consequences.

"Rescue the perishing; don't hesitate to step in and help. If you say, 'Hey, that's none of my business,' will that get you off the hook? Someone is watching you closely you know- Someone not impressed with weak excuses." Proverbs 24:11-12 The Message

The Voice words verse 12, "If you excuse yourself, saying, 'Look, we didn't know anything about this,' doesn't God, who knows what you are really thinking, understand your motives? Isn't your Protector aware of why you aren't protecting the innocent? Will he not repay you in kind?" 

Ouch. Even living in denial is wrong. We are so guilty of this here in America. It is so easy for us to forget the rest of the world. Thankfully, there is a generation of people coming along that values the fight against injustice, but they are unequipped. We are relying on social media and awareness alone and that is not enough! We have to be willing to get involved. We can not be afraid, we have to be bold!

"The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" Psalm 118:6 NKJ

We can not live in fear. Yes, chances are if you fight against evil, perversion, and wickedness that you will face opposition. However, we are representing the One that has already overcome this world! We have NOTHING to fear! This is our job, this is what God has called us to do. We have already read enough in Proverbs to know that this is a huge part of God's heart. We must not ignore it. We must stop making excuses. After all, God doesn't buy them!

"But He leaned down when I was in trouble and brought His ear close to me. So as long as I have breath, I will call on him." Psalm 116:2 The Voice

This is their cry for help. This is what the people that we are called to protect and stand up for are doing. They are calling to him when they are in trouble and he is leaning down and bringing his ear close to them.

He has heard them. And he has sent you.

Ask God today what he has for you? What are your passions? What gets you fired up? What breaks your heart? What keeps you up at night unable to sleep? The list of those who need our help is endless. Let's get off the couch, stop watching the heartbreak on the news and get involved ourselves!

Abba, thank you for even desiring to use us! Our prayer is short and simple today, here we are. Send us.

Amen.

Day 17: I pity da fool!

Today we are reading Proverbs 17 and Psalm chapters 81-85. Before you read today, ask God to speak to you. Claim Psalm 81:5, "I hear this most gentle whisper from One, I never guessed would speak to me." The Message version.

-Read Scripture-

I don't know about you, but when I read the Proverbs, I tend to pay special attention to the characteristics of the wise. After all, that is the goal right? We are striving to be and learn to be wise. But the truth is, we can learn a lot from the characteristics of the fool. It can be an indication or a red flag that we are on a wrong path. Those proverbs show us our weaknesses and exactly what we need to work on, so we shouldn't glide past them with out taking some time to address them. It's easy to just strive to be wise, we will always be doing that. It's much harder to face your foolishness. And unless we do that, we will not make it very far down wisdom's road.

So I think it's time we face our foolishness and ask ourselves some VERY hard questions. Because once we recognize when and where we tend to be foolish, we can begin to change and replace those tendencies with wisdom.

(I know it's a funny pic, and I couldn't help myself. But, I'd go ahead and get all your laughing out of the way because we's about to get serious!)

Proverbs Top Seven List: 

You might be a fool if...

1. You perk up when you hear gossip. (Proverbs 17:4) Are you ever in a conversation, half paying attention and then your friend mentions your mutual friend who is going through a rough time and you jump back in the conversation full force? Do you "itch" to know what's going on with a situation even though you are not involved? Confession: This is one of my big fool indicators :(

2. You make fun of or tease the less fortunate. (Proverbs 17:5) Do you make fun of your friend's beater car behind their back? Have you ever quit hanging out with someone because you started making more money than them? Do you secretly feel that people who have less are worth less or are inferior?

3. You celebrate another's misfortune. (Proverbs 17:5) This is the one that no one wants to admit, but look within. Do you secretly celebrate when a friend fails? Are you relieved when once, he didn't get that promotion? Or have you ever hoped someone wouldn't be able to achieve something because you couldn't? I am, ashamedly, guilty of this.

4. You repeatedly recall other's past mistakes. (Proverbs 17:9) Do you have trouble letting things go? Even if you don't bring it to that person's attention, do you keep recalling those mistakes in your heart and mind? Do you keep using those past failures to keep your friend/sibling/spouse in check?

5. You pick fights, or enjoy fighting with others. (Proverbs 17:9) This one is harder to see in yourself. Only because when you are fighting with someone, you are right and the other person is wrong! We want to blame the other person for the fight because, after all, they are the wrong one. But if you tend to get in fights often with your family and friends, chances are YOU are the common denominator.

6. You accept bribes or ignore injustice. (Proverbs 17:23) This doesn't have to be the traditional "money under the table" bribe. It could be as simple as looking the other way when you knew something bad was going down. Do you ignore injustices and wrong doing to maintain your status?

7. The glass is always half empty. (Proverbs 17:22) Do you always fear the worst? Do you always see the negative of the situation? Do you bring joy into an environment or do you drain it? Most people wouldn't associate this characteristic with being a fool, but robbing yourself and those around you of joy is most definitely a foolish way to live!

These are some hard questions. If we are honest with ourselves and take a hard look in the mirror, we see where we are a fool. You are foolish, and I am most certainly foolish. But the good news is that once we see it, it becomes easier to recognize and easier to eliminate those tendencies. Once a flaw is exposed, it is hard to ignore!

I've grown a lot this year by learning and recognizing some pretty deep flaws of my own. And I pray that God continues to reveal my weaknesses so I can begin to work on them and grow. So that slowly, I can become more like my master, Jesus.

I pray this for you as well. That we not be content to sit on our flaws and foolish tendencies or accept them as just "the way we are" or "the way we were made." Bull honky. Jesus has called you to be more than that. He has called us to be like him, and that will take us a lifetime. Let's start today by answering these hard questions and taking a hard look in the mirror. Ask God to expose all the foolishness. Then, together, let's ask him to begin to change us!