Category Archives: Walk with Jesus

Spiritfire, Proverbs 25:26, The Way – turning Muddied Springs into Living Water

“Like a muddied spring
          or a polluted well
     is a righteous man who gives way
           to the wicked.”
 
At the outset, my kids knew what to do.  After the prayer, declarations, and intro., they did their best to explain the seed of wisdom in this Proverb.  They did it so well, I found myself nodding in agreement as each offered another insight.  A fresh spring would normally be an answered prayer to the thirsty.  A muddied spring would only hold frustration.  My kids knew who to trust and who was not trustworthy.  Who gives way to the wicked?  Even my Bible in its notes pointed out why – bribery.  This would then make the righteous man willing to trade his righteousness if the price was right.  We talked about the saying, “Everyone has a price,” and explained it like on a set of scales.  Righteousness doesn’t make money in this world.  It is of a different currency whose cashed-in reward comes from God alone.  However, there is another who would trade your righteousness for the coin of this world.  It is all he can offer, and it was enough for Judas, Matthew 26:15.
 
This brought us to my favorite part, answering the question, “How did Jesus fulfill this proverb to make us into new creations?”  Again, this proverb points out the loss.  The righteous man is no longer trustworthy who accepts a bribe.  Jesus, before He was betrayed, prayed, “Not my will but Yours be done.” Luke 22:42.  This was the opening of a greater way than of yielding to the wickedness of the wicked that the bribe purchased which parted the righteous from their righteousness.  This was the opening of the Way, the Truth and the Life, John 14:6, purchased by His Blood shed for us which paid our price, 1 Corinthians 6:20.  For as Paul said in Romans 3:23-24, “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” so a way had to have been opened for us.  It was through Jesus, the Righteous One, 1 Peter 2:22, that such a Way was made, Isaiah 43:19.  One that would part the wicked from their wickedness and be made new restoring hope for the lost, Luke  15:5.  One that made our muddied spring into one of Living Water, John 7:37-39.

To watch how Jesus fulfilled this proverb, read John 4:4-26. To see how the woman’s polluted well became a source of living water, read John 4:39-42.

More from Him

I have been asking God for more from Him. Over the last two days this has been our walk:
 
When I find myself inspired to speak in tongues, I rarely remember a phrase to test my theory:  “I’ve been wanting to see if Google Translate can figure out what I’m saying.”  *Spelling is very subjective. The phrase I said over and over was something like: “Haesanjiya Hashuwana”.
 
I have yet to figure out what “Haesan” means, but if it is spelled Hyesan, pronounced the same way, it is a city in North Korea.
 
Maybe “Jiya Hashuwana” is HAUSA, a west and central African dialect, for “Yes My Passion”. Now I don’t know what that means but it was interesting.  I think I’ll pray for the people of Hyesan tonight.
 
 

Spiritfire Proverbs 25:20-22, “Let them take our coats.”

“Like one who takes away a garment
          on a cold day,
     or like vinegar poured on a wound,
     is one who sings songs to a heavy
          heart.
 
If your enemy is hungry, give him
          food to eat;
     if he is thirsty, give him water to
          drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning
          coals on his head,
     and the Lord will reward you.”
 
After our prayer and declarations, we dove right into a war between the verses. On one side, we have a description of what ‘they’ do. This is a view of the tortured existence that is for those inside Folly’s house. The youth that lacks discernment and is mislead by the adulteress, finds himself lost in the grip of those whose joy comes from bullying others. Taking away a kid’s coat during recess in winter time or pouring vinegar on a wound typically won’t kill anyone. Their tactic may fall short of federally recognized illegal activity, but on the playground, the bully makes the rules.
 
Upon reading this proverb, my daughter asked the question raised by many, “Who would do such a thing?” Those of us who have had our coats taken, we know the terms. If we want it back, we have to capitulate to their demands. Maybe, it was lunch money, maybe, it was a dare. Maybe, like a local fisherman on the South China Sea, you have to give way lest the larger ships put you under. Either way, the solution is to relinquish your freedoms, dignity, or your coat, to reveal the power struggle at hand. At the foundational level of the book of Proverbs, that is how Folly’s house gains: To steal, kill, and destroy. And as the saying goes, “The house always wins.” But does it?  What do ‘they’ really win?
 
The following verses give a different picture, a different view than that of the tortured existence in Folly’s house. Right off of the bat, we see the other side, the dwellers of Wisdom’s house already at work giving away their coats. They are preempting Folly’s house by feeding the enemy as they hunger and thirst. For at the foundational level of the book of Proverbs, that is how Wisdom’s house gains: Vengeance is the Lord’s and He will reward you, Deuteronomy 32:35.
 
When I asked my kid’s, “How did Jesus fulfill these proverbs to make us into new creations?” they didn’t have to look very far. Near the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in Matthew chapter 5, He gives us the teaching of the beatitudes which revealed a better solution. He helps us to see that like Wisdom’s house our reward is in God’s hands.  For to those who hunger and thirst, Jesus is the bread and water of life, John 4:1-42, 6:35-40. Jesus had His garment taken away and vinegar was offered while He was on the cross, Matthew 27:34-35. Through Him, our burdened hearts find peace, Philippians 4:7.
 
Jesus gives us a greater reward than the one received by the dwellers of Wisdom’s house, our salvation. Through Him we have an inheritance that will never perish, spoil, or fade, 1 Peter 1:3-5, 5:5-7. We gain a greater robe than our coats here could ever be, the robes of Jesus’ righteousness, 2 Corinthians 5:21. So we can say, “Let them have our coats. We have a greater one coming that can’t be taken away,” Romans 12:9-21. To the bully along with the wicked we can say, “Enjoy those coats, and that lunch money.   They will be your reward here. They will fade, and without coats and cash to steal where will you be? Under the wrath and judgement of God.  Better to give your stolen coats and cash away to gain better ones that won’t fade than to be cast naked into the outer darkness where the worm does not die and the flame is not quenched.” Isaiah 66:24, Mark 9:48

Spiritfire – Proverbs 25:19, “Is there a Doctor in the house?”

“Like a bad tooth or a lame foot
     is reliance on the unfaithful in
          times of trouble.”
 
It doesn’t take long to hear Wisdom’s call of, “Don’t do it!” when considering this proverb’s advice.  This warning, along with many others, was given to protect the student from harm.  For those who read this, and have had a similar experience, understand where the blame truly lies.  They knew better.  Why rely on those who believe in nothing?  Where will they be in times of trouble?  Lost in utter darkness and without hope.  That is the location of all who lose their step on the way to Wisdom’s house.  “Keep your robes clean of them or you too will be lost!”
 
When I asked my kids “Where is Jesus?  How does He fulfill this proverb to make us into new creations?”  With thoughts of Jesus’ mission – “To seek and save the lost,” Luke 10:19, they went into the depths of that darkness and shined His glorious light, Matthew 5:16.  “He would heal the lame foot and bad tooth, Dad,” my son said.  “Like He did for the lame man.” Luke 5:17-26, I agreed.  “He would give the unfaithful something to believe in!” said my other son.  “Like He did when He fed the 5,000.” John 6:1-14, again I agreed.  “He would save all those who didn’t make it to Wisdom’s house, and would restore their hope,” said my daughter.  “Like in His parable of the good samaritan,” Luke 10:25-37, I sited.
 
This proverb, in its warning, spelled out the very mission of Jesus.  For when it comes to the wisdom taught in the book of Proverbs, He is the Doctor in this house.

Spiritfire Proverbs 24:30-34 “The Sluggard’s Redemption”

I went past the field of a sluggard,
    past the vineyard of someone who has no sense;
thorns had come up everywhere,
    the ground was covered with weeds,
    and the stone wall was in ruins.
I applied my heart to what I observed
    and learned a lesson from what I saw:
A little sleep, a little slumber,
    a little folding of the hands to rest—
and poverty will come on you like a thief
    and scarcity like an armed man.

The sluggard once again proves a truth.  One cannot be a sluggard and receive what only the farmer reaps: a harvest.  This is a truth that finds itself in the very order of the universe, fallen though it is.  Genesis 3:17-19 reveals how it became so.  Before the Fall, humankind walked with God in the Garden.  How can there be a Garden without a Gardener?  The “work” then was accomplished by God’s presence and it was through intimacy that the harvest was given.  Because of Adam’s disobedience, the Fall cursed man to instead earn his food by “painful toil” and “the sweat of ‘his’ brow”.  Is the core then of the sluggard’s folly ignoring the plight and punishment, the fate of humankind?  What does one expect when “Cursed is the ground because of you” and “It will produce thorns and thistles for you”?  It should be no surprise then as Proverbs 24:31 reveals the inheritance of the sluggard.
 
After my daughter reminded us of the comedy of folly in 22:13, we looked closer to answer ‘Where is Jesus?  How did He fulfill this proverb to make us into new creations?”  A restoration of intimacy with God was the goal, when His very presence – His holy order arranged and did the ‘work’ of the Garden.  It is of this intimacy that is spoken of in John chapter 3 as believers are ‘born again’ by their faith in Jesus.  Compare both Proverbs 24:30-34 with John 3:1-21.  It is because of Jesus and our faith in Him that gives us a mirror to see our true inheritance: eternal life.  He wore the thorns on His brow, Matthew 27:29.  He turns the weeds into blessings that give strength instead of stealing it from the soil, Hebrews 6. The stone wall that was once in ruins is built anew by Jesus’ blood.  He is the Repairer of the Breach (Isaiah 58:12), and is the Cornerstone (1 Peter 2:4-8) of the spiritual house of the people of God.
 
In the mirror, Jesus stands opposite of the sluggard. His work was in perfect obedience with God, Romans 5:18-19. Even the sluggard is made righteous along with the other inhabitants of Folly’s house should they choose to be made new. As many could see Jesus’ neighbor on the cross to be a sluggard as he chose his last living minute to ask Jesus to remember him when He came into His kingdom, Luke 23:40-43.

Pause and Reflect

Well, we are two letters into this alphabetical journey. For those who have joined with my family and I on this 182 day expedition, how is it going? Does it make sense? The point of the Family Edition is to make it available to everyone. So if there is anything you can add or ask, please feel free.
For example: I am using the form of a septet for each word. 7 lines or sentences that have almost a haiku feel to them. It helps me to describe each word’s reason for being chosen. Sometimes it rhymes, sometimes it doesn’t but narrates a prayer – a conversation with the Holy Spirit.
 
“Aurora Borealis
1-You make me look up.
2-Your distractions become my focus.
3-Life becomes the distraction – life IS the distraction.
4-This fading life in this ending world mislead and betray me from the path You lead me on.
5-Mere moments left to make me misstep my vows made to give value.
6-Your colors dazzle me.
7-You leave me transfixed like a deer caught in the headlights, but instead of the deer about to be dead, You leave me in awe and fill me with life.”
 
Psalm 19:1-3

Erosion

EROSION
 

I don’t want the erosion of my prayers to be my story.

Distractions that take my focus from You.
I’m after something so much more than my fading appetites.
SomeOne that can make my desires submit.
 
You made me, You know me.  I am Your child.
My thoughts betray the trust You have shown me.
I need Your strength to carry me beyond
where my legs are unwilling to go.
 
You went there.  Your light makes bare the path.
I surrender my resolve for Yours.
Your legs are so much stronger than mine.
You lift me to heights I would never know.
 
The peace You give, even the crumbs, are worth more
than I could ever earn.  I have nothing to bargain with.
My robes are rags, my glory is fading.
Worth less than a car driven off the lot.
 
Those stars, the work of Your fingers, even their dust
is of heavenly currency.  I have not a penny to offer.
You make my sinking vessel sea worthy.
Nay, You set me to sail beyond the stars.
 

Spiritfire 24:28-29 “The Proverbial Doughnut, I mean Do Not”

“Do not testify against your neighbor without cause,

or use your lips to deceive.
Do not say, “I’ll do to him as he has done to me;
     I’ll pay that man back for what he has done.”

Here we have a pair of ‘doughnuts’, I mean ‘Do Nots’.  The proverbial ‘Do Nots’ always stand as warning signs along the pathway to Wisdom’s house.  Only those who wish to avoid the traps and be left for the “Do not” maker’s cart, heed them.  The “Do Not” maker looks familiarly like a doomsday Swedish chef from the Muppets.  If you happen to witness him as he goes about his work you will see that he pushes what looks like a large lopsided bakery cart.  His business is to retrieve the trapped foolish pilgrims that have fallen into the cages the signs warned to avoid.  He would then load them onto his cart.  He only has one stop after he picks up all his passengers, Folly’s house.  If you listen closely as he passes by you will first hear the odd song his cart plays as its wheels turn.  Then you will hear him boisterously sing to the music, repeating the sayings of past “Do not” warning signs.  “Do not lie in wait…”

As we read this pair, I offered that we should look at them separately to be used for two Spiritfires.  To me, they seemed to be speaking to separate audiences regarding two separate warnings along the path to Wisdom’s house.  My daughter disagreed.  Over the years, I have learned to listen to her as her thoughts are often sharper than my own.  “She has an ‘old soul,’” people would say who knew her.  They don’t know the half of it.  So, I stopped and looked at the proverbs again and saw how both could be applied to the same person as a complete thought.  In an offense/defense sort of play, or to keep with the doughnut metaphor, half of it has chocolate frosting, the other vanilla:  The first warning is what may have been done to you, the second what you may want to do in return.  This was demonstrated the most obviously in the answer to my favorite question, “How did Jesus fulfill this proverb to make us into new creations?”

At the end of Jesus’ days among us which culminated in His crucifixion, death and resurrection, there were those who testified against Him and made false accusations about Him.  They didn’t fulfill this proverb as much as fell into it by disobedience, Mark 14:55-59.  The music of the “Do Not” maker’s cart could be heard as Jesus’ accusers were stuck fast in the cage of the first proverb’s warning.  The “Do Not” maker then loaded them onto his cart bound for folly’s house.  As previously stated, their lies lead to Jesus’ crucifixion at which point the 2nd proverb found its fulfillment by obedience, Luke 23:34.  By offering His attackers forgiveness instead of retribution, we see the great love accomplished there for the salvation of those who repent and believe in Him, John 3:16.  The “Do Not” maker’s surprise was genuine as he looked over at the empty cage of the 2nd proverb.  At that moment, Jesus not only escaped the clutches of Folly’s house, where the dead lie, but He offered a new ride to a new House, one not made by human hands, 2 Corinthians 5:1.  

In another light, we find how these two Proverbs’ receive fulfilled reflections in the character of Jesus.  “Tell your neighbor, whom I love, use your lips for Truth,” John 4:39.  Or again, “I’ll do for him what he can’t do for himself; I’ll forgive him all his debts.”  In this way, we see how “An eye for an eye” – Leviticus 24:19-21, becomes the healing of both eyes and man, John 9:1-12.  Each of the “Do nots” become “Do’s” and are a foretaste of God’s Kingdom instead of traps headed for Folly’s House, that precursor of Hell.  We see the invitation given by the sharing of the Truth.  It opens them up to repentance and the redemption offered by Jesus’ blood on their behalf.  The “Do not” maker is given a new task.  Now he posts lights upon the way to God’s Kingdom as He sings of His amazing grace.

Spiritfire Proverbs 24:27 “The Master Plan”

Finish your outdoor work
     and get your fields ready;
     after that, build your house.
 
For a long time, the fulfillment of the wisdom of God was a concept I had not fully realized.  I believed Jesus was that fulfillment, but to see how He did so in such a practical manner when applied to the book of Proverbs is breathtaking.  The Gospel of Jesus has become even more vividly clear when seen through that book’s fulfillment.  I had only vaguely heard about such an OT appropriation from a seminarian professor who sarcastically told me about Origen’s comparison between the arks’ wooden floor boards and Jesus’ saving power.  I feel I must make something clear, I didn’t read ahead and prepare what we would talk about before our time together.  We would pray and invite the Holy Spirit to fill us and our home and open our eyes as we read.  It was a simple prayer, but has become filled with excitement as the Holy Spirit would show up and answer us every time.
 
Again, I didn’t research or prep myself in any way.  We would simply read the proverb, then I’d ask my kids what it meant.  We’d talk about it and Betsy and I would answer any questions, or look up stuff in case we couldn’t.  For this one, we looked at it from the perspective of farmers, which we are not.  The proverb showed that they have an order to their work, and we spoke about the wisdom of it.  If we finished our outdoor work, and got the fields ready, then built our house, the fields would grow as we would build.  Then harvest time and a finished house would converge!  If we did it the other way and built our house first before we got the fields ready we’d miss the window by not planting the crops in time.  It’s probably much more practical than this and is about money.  Sell the harvest then build because now you can afford it.
 
Then, I asked the question, “How did Jesus fulfill this proverb to make us into new creations?”  That is when this proverb got interesting.  My kids each took their turn seeing this as Jesus’ master plan.  “Finish your outdoor work” could be applied to His ministry among the disciples.  “Get your fields ready” could be applied in a similar way as Jesus’ statement in John 4:35, “Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields!  They are ripe for harvest.”, or as He said in Luke 10:2, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”  His work of guiding His followers to a better way through his teachings by parables helped to clear the fields so they could receive His message. Miracles, signs, and wonders also helped to plant the seeds of His Kingdom.  “Build your house” could be seen as in John 14:2, “In my Father’s house are many rooms.  If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?”  And as said in 2 Corinthians 5:1, “For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.”  Hebrews 13:14 also states, “For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.”
 
As it is written in 1 Corinthians 1:24, “Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God,” we see Jesus as the Master Gardener using this plan as recorded here as His plan for His ministry among us.  Growing us as His new crop, 2 Corinthians 5:17, clothing us in His righteousness, Galatians 3:27, and preparing for us a home in Heaven, Hebrews 11:16.

Spiritfire Proverbs 24:26 “The Honest Answer”

An honest answer
is like a kiss on the lips.
 
When we looked into the window of this proverb to gaze upon the seed of wisdom it contained, we were met with a vision; a journey already begun, and we found ourselves looking deeper in to discover its mysteries. I looked to my kids and asked, “What do we need to have before we have an answer?” They thought it over for a second, then Caleb announced, “A question!” “Yes! Now we’re getting into the thick of it. And what is the question?” As I asked this my daughter made the curious whine of the Skeksis Chamberlain from the Dark Crystal. We spoke of the courtroom scene many of the proverbs find their meaning and application within. We discussed again briefly the previous verses 24:23-25 and my son Jack summarized by asking, “Are you guilty?”
 
We created a scenario of a father who stole bread for his starving family. Yes, he was guilty, but the answer he gave to the judge was an honest one and had a really good reason. Now it was the baker, honest or corrupt, who needed recompense. In that scenario, and in this proverb, we realized it wasn’t a ‘guilty’ or ‘innocent’ verdict that was desired but an honest one.
 
Then I asked, “Where is Jesus? How did he fulfill this proverb to make us into new creations?” We were eventually lead back to the question, “Are you guilty?” Romans 3:23 states clearly that no one is perfect, all are guilty. Jesus, then, is our honest answer. As in the preceding and following verses, Romans 3:21-26, Jesus is our righteousness through our faith in Him. We are justified not by our actions but by His, Romans 5:1. For it was by God’s wisdom that the earth was made, Jeremiah 10:12, and it was fulfilled in Jesus, 1 Corinthians 1:24. Now, because of Jesus and what was accomplished through Him on the cross, we are made into new creations, 2 Corinthians 5:17. May His name be praised!