Effie Darlene Barba

I daresay deep within each human heart is an overwhelming desire to be Loved.  The ability and  the desire to love were given to us by our creator, although its power over us can be so mysterious at times.   The depth of our ability to love another, desiring their continuous presence.  Wanting to know everything we can about our beloved.  Never satisfied from our insatiable desire of even just sitting in their presence.  Proclaiming to everyone we meet of how wonderful our beloved truly is.  Yet, in all that, did you ever consider this is but a glimpse of what it is to really know the truest love of all?  A tiny glimpse at best to experiencing the truest love of all! Our human love, at its absolute best is minuscule compared to the love we can really know with Jesus, our dear Lord.

However, what a magnificent God to have created us in such a manner that we might know and experience love here upon this earth.  A foreshadowing, however dimmed it might be, of what it is to know and feel His love above all else.  We tend to believe that love is the ultimate of feelings which can cause our hearts to soar above all of life’s trials, if only for our beloved.  But have you ever considered what it truly is to experience fully the truest love of all?  That is the love God calls us to.  He wants us to love Him with all our hearts, our strength, our minds, and souls; because, He knows therein we will experience the sweetest, most exuberant joy we could ever know.

Hence why He would include this love song in the Bible describing the truest love of all in a story we can comprehend.

A Parable of Sorts

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As we move toward the closing two chapters of Proverbs, we find a clear contrast between the futility of human wisdom and the honor God’s grace gives.  For it is His grace alone that covers a multitude of sin and only He can fill a human heart and mind with true wisdom.  Just as He gave King Solomon wisdom, He promises to give wisdom to all who ask earnestly.  ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, (James 1:5).

As we begun to look at Proverbs, a question arises.  Who is Agur, son of Jaketh.  There are many varying ideas.  Some believe him a descendent of Ishmael.  Others think he is a foreign sage, while notations in other Bible commentaries believe he was a person close to Solomon who gathered the information for Solomon. Yet, perhaps the one I lean most toward is that indeed it was pseudonym (fictious name used by Solomon to hide his identity as the writer).  If so, this would read, “he who first gathered words together, the one who spat out the words of God”.  Then proclaiming, “I am weary, O God, I am weary and faint”.

After all was it not Solomon who grew too comfortable in himself?  He believed he could defy the very wisdom God had given him to proclaim.  Marrying many wives, living a life or indulgence, and thought he would not be drawn away to idolatry.  Yet alas he was.  How befitting it would be King Solomon under the disguise of a pseudonym would write this chapter.

Proverbs 29

Continue reading “How to Overcome the Futility of Human Wisdom?”

We live in such a time of uncertainty.  Financially, politically, and even personally the chaos seems overwhelming.  There amid all the chaos that is our life, there is a voice that cries out to us.  Amongst all the sounds of sorrows, fears, and pains, there is a voice calling out to us.  “God is my strength and power… He makes my way perfect (2 Samuel 22:33).

Not just ok or better but perfect.

This was a song King David sung after having been in places of great trials, running for his life, waiting on God’s promise to him.  You see God had pronounced and declared him to be next King of the nation of Israel.  Yet, King Saul was in pursuit of David, desiring to kill him.  With all the power and force of the nation’s armies, how could David survive?  Furthermore, how was it that David could say, “God makes my way perfect.”  Or how did he later write in Psalms 138:8 “The Lord will perfect that which concerns me.”

Does that mean everything will be perfectly easy in my life? Absolutely not, but it does mean, “all things work together for good, to those who love God to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28).

All things?  Even the trials, pains, and sufferings?  Why?  Because those all things are used by His Hand of Mercy and thereby God Makes my way perfect as He is continuing His work of perfecting me, transforming me into the image of Jesus Christ.

WHERE DOES IT BEGIN?

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In our study of Proverbs, we come to chapters 25 to 29.   The beginning of this section of Proverbs reads: “These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied” (Proverbs 25:1).  Knowing that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16), I wondered why this notation was important.  So, I went in search of those scripture which could tell me more about King Hezekiah.  What I found was that he was a man who obeyed God.  “For he held fast to the Lord: he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses” (2 Kings 18:6). The result? “⁷ The Lord was with him; he prospered wherever he went.” (2 Kings 18:7).

Perhaps that is why we should look closely at which Proverbs of Solomon were dear to him.  Oh, perhaps you would think, after all he was King of God’s chosen people, what could go wrong?  Well, if you think that, you have forgotten the history of “God’s people” who constantly rebelled, chased after idols, and were like lost sheep who could never find their way.  Furthermore, he became King over an exceedingly small nation surrounded by large powerful nations.  His father and grandfather had been very wicked kings, promoting idolatry, making foolish treaties with evil empires, and paying for the treaties with all the money while impoverishing their people.

So, one might think he would be popular among the people?  Well, not so much.  They had grown accustomed to worshipping other gods, desiring the idols and their own sin.  Here came King Hezekiah to tear down all the altars, restore the temple, and to defy the purchased allies.

So, What Happened Next?

Continue reading “Why is Obeying God so Important?”

We looked at how “the name of the Lord is our strong tower, the righteous run to it and are safe” Proverbs 18:10.  Yet, there was one other concept we did not fully explore and that is “friend”.   Some would object to our referring to God as our friend, as though that might cheapen the idea of His authority over us.  But let me explain from scripture why I believe we are to call Him friend and we are to be a friend of Jesus.  This can only be true if we consider Him the wise, all knowing friend, whom we feel so honored to know.  Could it be possible that we are His chosen children and not also be His friend?

 

If we find the concept of God as friend foreign to our thinking, then perhaps we do not fully comprehend the idea of a true friend.   A true friend desires and seeks the best of their friend, is willing to be honest even if it hurts, and are willing to lay down their life to save their friend.  Furthermore, they so desire that others might see you as they do, someone worthy to be cherished and adored.  Do you know have any friends like that?  Are you that kind of friend? Or particularly are you that kind of friend to Jesus?

Proverbs 18:24 reads in the amplified version:

Continue reading “Are You Truly a Friend of God? If so, How?”