Rarity

Bible Reading:  Proverbs 31

Key Verse: Verse 10 - “Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.”

Key Words: Who can find a virtuous woman 

Finding a virtuous woman is not impossible, but it is a rarity.  As you scan the pages of God’s Word, you only find two women whom God called virtuous.

First of all, there is Ruth, found in Ruth 3:11,  “And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requires: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.”

Secondly, some time back our family went to the Smoky Mountains for a vacation.  We came across a sign that read, “Ruby Mines – 2 Miles Ahead on the Right.”  My wife and the girls just insisted that we stop by the Ruby Mines to see if we could find some rubies.  When we arrived I found out that you actually buy a five-pound bag of dirt and you go and pan for rubies from the bag of dirt you buy.  Before I bought the bags of dirt – five pounds for $20.00 – I asked the man running the mines if anyone had ever “found” a ruby, and he assured me they had.  So the five of us took our five bags of dirt and began our panning.  Well, ten bags and $40.00 later, we were still “ruby-less.”  On the way out, I asked again, “Are you sure rubies have come out of this mine?”  He again answered, “Yes.”  So I asked how many and he said, “I have worked at the mines for over five years, and have seen two genuine rubies.”  Then I said, “Two!”  He looked at me, smiled, and said, “They are a rarity, you know.”

“Who can find a virtuous woman?  for her price is far above rubies.”

                                                                        Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:

            ✞Live the truth, walk in truth, be extraordinary!

 

A Buttermilk Bath

Bible Reading:  Proverbs 30

Key Verse: Verse 33- “Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.”

Key Words: Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter 

I recently saw an ad in the newspaper which brought back a flood of memories.

It was an old-fashioned butter churn.  Maybe you remember them.  This one was a tall wooden vessel with a hole in the cover, through which a round handle protruded with paddles on the lower end.  By patient, hard work – plunging the paddles up and down in the cream – you can make butter provided the temperature is right.  How well I remember – it seemed like hours before the butter would separate!  But Aunt Sarah would always say, “if you’ll only keep on, it will come sooner or later.”  Yes, the secret was in keeping on – not giving up.  Butter comes only from churning and churning.  To stop is to fail!

The story is told of two frogs that fell into a tub of cream.  The one looked at the high sides of the tub which were too difficult to crawl over and said, ‘It is hopeless.”  So he resigned himself to death, relaxed, and sank to th e bottom!  The other frog determined to keep on swimming as long as he could.  “Something might happen,” he said – and sure enough it did!  He kept kicking, kicking, churning, churning, and finally, “Eureka!” He found himself on a solid platform of butter, floating on top of his buttermilk bath.  He hopped out safely, and only because he would not give up.  Paul wrote, “And let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap, If…” (Galatians 6:9).  You finish the verse.

The moral of the story is do not ever, ever give up.

                                                                            Dr. Mike Rouse 

What to do:

            ✞Give up and lose, or…

✞Keep going, and praying, and believing, and churning awy – and make some butter thast will butter up your life.

 

Needless Fear

Bible Reading:  Proverbs 29

Key Verse: Verse 25 - “The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.”

Key Words: The fear of man bringeth a snare 

There are three types of fear mentioned in God’s Word.  There is sudden fear or startling fear.  There is the fear of God, a reverential fear.  And then there is trembling fear.  That’s the fear we find in our text verse, verse 25.  I have found that this is the fear that Satan will use to keep us from carrying out God’s will.  But I have also found that it is a useless and senseless fear.  As a child of God, I have the continual watch care of God over me.

The early American Indians had a unique practice of training young braves.  On the night of a boy’s thirteenth birthday, after learning hunting, scouting, and fishing skills, he was put to one final test.  He was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night alone.  Until then, he had never been away from the security of the family and tribe.  But on this night, he was blindfolded and taken several miles away.  When he took off the blindfold, he was in the middle of thick woods, and he was terrified.  Every time a twig snapped, he visualized a wild animal ready to pounce.  After what seemed like an eternity, dawn broke and the first rays of sunlight entered the interior of the forest.  Looking around, the boy saw flowers, trees, and the outline of a path.  Then to his utter astonishment, he beheld a figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with bow and arrow.  It was his father.  He had been there all night long.

                                                                                        Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:

✞Move forward doing the will of God in spite of your fear.

✞The more we give in to our fears, the more victories can be accomplished by Satan.

✞trust in God and you’ll never be afer.

Stability

Bible Reading:  Proverbs 28

Key Verse: Verse 1 - “The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.”

Key Words: the righteous are bold as a lion 

      There are two things about the righteous man which produces stability.

      First of all, his courage produces stability, the courage to stay rather than flee when things are going awry. (Verse 1)

Secondly, his understanding produces stability. If I fail to understand what is happening around me, I’m prone to flee. (Verse2)

      David McCullough’s biography of Teddy Roosevelt, Mornings on Horseback, includes this story of young Teddy as a child in New York City: “Mittie (his mother) had found he was so afraid of the Madison Square Church that he refused to set foot inside if alone. He was terrified, she discovered, of something called the “zeal.”  It was crouched in the dark corners of the church ready to jump at him, he said. When she asked what zeal might be, he said he was not sure, but thought it was probably a large animal like an alligator or a dragon.  He had heard the minister read about in the Bible.  Using a concordance, she read him those passages containing the word “zeal” until, very excited, he told her to stop.  The line was from the Gospel of John 2:17: “And his disciples remembered that it was written, ‘The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.’”

      His lack of stability came from fear because of failure to understand.

      Now, let me ask you “Are you standing or fleeing today?”  I hope you’re standing.

                                                                                 Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:

      ✞Be courageous and seek understanding. If not, you’ll flee through all your life 

Procrastination

Bible Reading:  Proverbs 27Key Verse: Verse 1 - “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.”

Key Words: Boast not thyself of tomorrow 

From time to time, we all procrastinate; but when procrastination is a way of life for us it is a glaring fault that hinders our testimony as a believer.  But even worse is the putting off of salvation.  We are told in II Corinthians 6:2, (“For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation.”)

There is an old fable that I remember from years ago that goes something like this, Satan gathered all of his demons together for the purpose of keeping the lost from being saved.  Satan said, “Now what lie can I tell them that would cause the unbeliever to put off becoming a Christian?”  One demon suggested, “Let’s tell them that the Bible is not true and you can’t trust it.”  Satan responded, “That won’t work, anyone with common sense knows the Bible is true.”  Then another demon spoke up and said, “Let’s tell them that God isn’t real and that He is a figment of man’s imagination.”  Satan again retorted, “Man knows God is real, that won’t work either.”  Then another demon said, “Let’s tell them that Jesus doesn’t exist.”  Again that met with this response from Satan, “All men know that Jesus lived and is alive today.  That won’t work either.” Then one of the smarter demons responded, “Satan let’s tell them that the Bible is real, and that Jesus does exist, and they can be saved. But why do it today when you’ve got tomorrow?”  “Great idea!” said Satan. And so it’s gone on down through the years, “You can get saved, just don’t do it today.”

Well, I say, “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.”

                                                                                         

What to do:

      ✞Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can and should do today.

      ✞Remember, procrastination is a glaring fault that will damage your testimony.

Slothfulness

Bible Reading: Proverbs 26

Key Verse: Verse 16 - “The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason.”

Key Words: The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit 

      Daniel Webster was a great orator with a quick mind.  In his early years, Webster’s father left specific instructions for Daniel and his older brother, Ezekiel.  When the elder Webster returned from his trip, the job was still unfinished.  He questioned the boys about their slothfulness, “What have you been doing Ezekiel?”  “Nothing, sir,” was the reply.  The father then turned to the younger Daniel and asked, “Well what have you been doing, Son?”  Webster never batted an eye, “Helping Zeke, sir.”  Slothfulness.

      The retired husband was in his usual position of lying on the couch.  When he awoke from his nap, he looked at his watch..The second hand was no longer moving, and the time was obviously wrong.  He called out to his wife who was working in the kitchen.  He said, “This watch doesn’t work anymore.”  She immediately shot back, “At least it’s in good company!”  Slothfulness…

The CEO of a large company was asked, “How many people work in your company?”  The dry-witted CEO replied, “Not many!”  Slothfulness…

Where there is a will not to work, you’ll always find an excuse!!

                                                                                    Dr. Mike Rouse

 What to do:

      ✞Be a worker.

      ✞Don’t make excuses.

Our Words

Bible Reading:  Proverbs 25

Key Verse: Verse 11 - “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.”

Key Words: A word fitly spoken 

In Proverbs 25:11-15, Solomon gives us five different types of words.

Verse 11:  Our words should be fitting (not out of line or improper).

Verse 12:  Our words should be wise.  (A person who knows how to properly correct with words is a rarity).

Verse 13:  Our words should be refreshing. (In ancient times, snow was used very much as ice is today.  In winter it was carefully put away so as to be available for cooling drinks in the heat of summer.  The simile, therefore, is very easy to understand.  As the cold snow refreshes the reapers in the hot days of harvest, so does the dependable messenger refresh the soul of those who place their confidence in him to deliver a message).

Verse 14:  Our words should not be boastful.  (A boastful person can talk up a hefty cloud and a good puff of wind, but they never produce anything of any substance).

Verse 15:  Our words should be soft.  (We are reminded of Proverbs 15:1a, “A soft answer turneth away wrath.”)

I recently read about a woman who committed suicide.  She left an unfinished not that simply read, “They said…”  She never finished her final thought, but whatever “they said” was painful enough for her to extinguish her own life.  We say “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt us.” Oh, how untrue!  In this case, words literally killed. “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.”

                                                                                    Dr. Mike Rouse  

What to do: 

      ✞Make your words 1) fitting, 2) wise, 3) refreshing, 4) not boastful, and 5) soft.  Some good points to          remember, don’t you think?