Year 2, Day 307: Proverbs 16

Of Course I Make Sense … To Myself

Proverbs 16:2 begins us with a haunting truth: all of the ways of a person are pure in their own eyes.  I think that this is something that causes me incredible trouble!  You see, I live in my head every waking second of every day.  I see every visual influence that affects me.  I hear every audible influence that affects me.  I know my train of thought.  The danger of all of this is that at any given moment, everything I do makes sense to me.  I think this proverb really has much in common with the human ability to justify and rationalize.  My actions – although sometimes clearly wrong – always make sense in my head at the time that I am doing them!  Our ways always seem pure in the moment.

Thankfully, most of us are also able to see in hindsight.  We can recognize the error of our ways.  With time and distance, we can question the choices and realize how we arrived at the wrong decision.  With the help of trusted spiritual friends and mentors we can move beyond our mistakes.  But that doesn’t change the fact that in the moment we often do the very thing that we do not want to do!  {See Romans 7:14-20}

This proverb also tells us that the Lord weighs the spirit.  The Lord knows our purity level.  The Lord knows our heart – and the very conflict that lies within.  The Lord knows those times when I want to do good but can’t as well as the times when I can do good but won’t.  He knows the times when I want to do evil but don’t as well as the times when I could do evil but choose not to do it.  He alone weighs the spirit.  In many ways, this proverb reminds of Proverbs 15:3 – which I blogged about yesterday.  Only He can be the true righteous judge because only He sees everything as it truly is.

Abomination To The Lord

Proverbs 16:5 is another proverb that spoke to me today, largely because of the culture in which we dwell.  Everyone who is arrogant in the heart is an abomination to the Lord.  Now, let’s pause for a second and make sure we understand these words.  Arrogant = proud = high and mighty = lofty.  Abomination to the Lord = not even allowed into God’s presence = cast away from God.  Heart = soul = the seat of our true person that only God can see clearly.  God considers arrogance so offensive that He calls it an abomination.  God loathes the self-monger.  God detests those who consider themselves better than other people.  God rejects those who think of themselves before they think of others.  God casts away those who boast about their own greatness.  How was it that Proverbs 15 ended?  Humility comes before honor.

It is human nature to boast.  It is human nature to revel in our successes.  It is human nature to smile upon our victories.  It is human nature to become so puffed up with ourselves that we totally and completely forget about God.  Think about it.  How often do you hear a person talk about themselves versus how often do you hear a person talk about God?  Even among Christians nonetheless!  God loathes arrogance because it is the one sure way to learn how to ignore God.  Arrogance and pride are the very bane of our existence because it inherently leads to a breaking of the relationship between you and me and God.

I think Proverbs 16:12 is very appropriate for the next few days in America.  The place of the ruler is established by God.  When the ruler does injustice, it is an abomination.  {Note the repeat of the word in scripture … I’m not in love with the word “abomination” today.}  I wouldn’t want the job of president or king or emperor.  Whether they acknowledge Him or not, God takes injustice that is done under them as an abuse of God’s power.  That’s a heavy burden to bear.  No wonder we are called to pray for our leaders.

Gray Hair

I’m going to end this blog post on a fairly light-hearted note.  Or at least I am going to try.  Proverbs 16:31 is one of my favorite most-often-ignored proverbs.  “Gray hair is a crown of glory.”  Think about what gray hair signifies.  It means a person has managed to be able to escape the ignorance of childhood and the foolishness of youth.  A person is old enough to have been around the block a few times and probably has some wisdom.  Gray hair is a sign of being able to live and not be cut down by our choices!  Gray hair is a testament to our ability to limit the number of really bad choices we have made in the past.  Gray hair is indeed a crown!

So why do so many people in this world seek to cover it up with dyes? 

Could it be that even in this attempt to be humorous we have a true statement on how the world cannot value things as God values them?  When we should be honoring wisdom, instead this world honors exterior beauty.

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