January 2010

Did you see that?

I have a friend who works security. One of his jobs is to watch all the camera feeds that come into the office. Most of the time the job overnight is relatively boring. Once in a while he sees things like a person who forgot where the bathroom was and decided to use the lawn. Security cameras have a tendency to see everything that goes on. Somewhat like God does. Consider Proverbs 15:3
 
The Lord is watching everywhere,
keeping his eye on both the evil and the good.
 
Nothing escapes God! He sees everything. No conversation, no e-mail, no comment made on the internet, no thoughts, no attitudes. Nothing that we think is secret. God sees it all. I guess, that means I better live like God sees it all and nothing is hidden.

Why didn't I think of that?

A couple years ago, I was trying to install an electronic fence around my yard approximately ¾ of an acre.  I was trying all kinds of things. The instructions said dig the trench an inch deep all the way around and then put the wire in the trench by using a paint stick to push the wire in the trench.  Let’s just say it didn’t work. I would get about 3 feet of the wire in the trench and then move a little bit and pull it right back out. This was turning into a weeklong project. My dad saw what I was doing and said, I’ll be right back.” He appeared a few minutes later with a silicone tube sliced so the wire would go through it and so I could use the tip to force the wire into the trench. Worked amazing. I was amazed at the amount of time he just saved me and wondered why couldn’t I think of that.
 
There seems to be little insights in just about every field. From the teacher who is able to keep 20 kindergartners under control and learning, to the mechanic who has little secrets that enables them to finish a job well.
 
It reminds me of Proverbs 14:8, which tells us this:
The prudent understand where they are going,
but fools deceive themselves.
 
Wise people know what they are doing and why they are doing it. At times I watch in amazement at the solutions that people come up with. They know all along what they are doing and I think they have lost their mind. But really they know exactly what they are doing. Wise people know reality and live life with purpose.
 
Contrast that with the end of the verse, which talks about fools. Fools are marked by the fact that they lie even to themselves so much so that they deceive themselves. And because of the deception have no idea where they are headed.
 
I think the best option is being wise and prudent.

The Most Important Thing

In football, often times the most important thing to do is, stop the run. Something the Broncos couldn’t do to the chiefs yesterday. If you can’t stop the run the opposing team can hold the ball for long periods of time and score, which usually means the defense is going to get tired and the team will lose the game. Like the Broncos did yesterday to the Chiefs. (That is one bright spot for Chiefs’ fans this season, they beat the Broncos and found a running back in Jamaal Charles, I guess that’s 2, oh well.) But that is not the most important thing about this blog. The most important thing is found in Proverbs 4:5:
 
Get wisdom; develop good judgment.
Don’t forget my words or turn away from them.
Verse 7 tells us this:
Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do!
And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.
 
The writer says the most important thing in life is to get wisdom. In fact, it is more important than anything else is to get wisdom and to develop good judgment. More important than making money, or finding a good career, or buying a house or being healthy is getting wisdom. Wisdom will lead to good choices and good judgment. How about you and I make a decision to pursue wisdom this year? We will be glad we did. Let’s get wiser this year.

 

Read

One of my goals this year is to journal more about what God is teaching me. I encourage you to join me this year in reading the Bible more this year than perhaps you ever have. If you are looking for a place to go for a plan to read the bible check out YouVersion. (www.youversion.com) You can find a reading plan that works for you. This year it is my goal to read through the OT once and the NT twice. I hope you will join me in this journey through the pages of Scripture.