Archives: Pastors' Corner

Listen BEFORE You Leap Let’s read Proverbs 18:17: 17 The first one to plead his cause seems right,
Until his neighbor comes and examines him.  Isn’t this little proverb so true?  I know that in my life I have listened to a set of facts and opinions presented by one person and they seemed very, very reasonable and I found myself agreeing with that person.  But then I speak with another person involved in the situation; most often from an opposite point of view, and that person’s arguments and opinions seem very reasonable as well. The key here is listening to both […]

Let’s read Proverbs 18:14:  The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness,
But who can bear a broken spirit? There is a lot of wisdom in these two sentences.  We have all seen people endure incredible illness and suffering with an attitude of contentment and joy.  And we’ve seen the opposite…  It is not that the pain is greater or that the suffering is less; the reaction to the pain and suffering is linked to the health of the “spirit”.  When a man’s spirit is well; nourished by a living relationship with God, that man will be sustained.  We […]

Here is an interesting “exercise” for you to try over the Memorial Day weekend.  If you are in a conversation with two or three people, or you are in position to hear such a conversation; note how many times one person begins to speak before the person speaking stops.  I think you’ll find that rarely does one person finish what he/she is saying before someone else jumps in.  There is almost never two or three seconds of silence before the next person speaks.  If my experience is right, the next section of proverbs is instructive.  Let’s read Proverbs 18:12-13:  Before […]

Let’s read Proverbs 18:9-11:  He who is slothful in his work
Is a brother to him who is a great destroyer.  10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
The righteous run to it and are safe.  11 The rich man’s wealth is his strong city,
And like a high wall in his own esteem. In verses 10 and 11 we have a contrast in “defense mechanisms”.  In verse 10 we read that the name of the Lord is a strong tower.  The phrase “name of the Lord” is an expression which encompasses all of who God is.  His name represents His power […]

Proverbs 18:4-8 has a lot to say about words, especially the words of a fool.  Let’s read the passage:  The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters;
The wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook.  5 It is not good to show partiality to the wicked,
Or to overthrow the righteous in judgment.  6 A fool’s lips enter into contention,
And his mouth calls for blows.  7 A fool’s mouth is his destruction,
And his lips are the snare of his soul.  8 The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles,
And they go down into the inmost body. I think one of the better images from […]

Let’s start in Proverbs 18 by reading the first three verses: A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire;
He rages against all wise judgment.  2  A fool has no delight in understanding,
But in expressing his own heart.  3 When the wicked comes, contempt comes also;
And with dishonor comes reproach. I’d like to focus in on verses 1-2.  Isolation is not usually a good thing…that is unless you have a contagious disease and then it’s a good thing for everyone else!  The bible is full of exhortation to do life and to spend time with other people. There are more than […]

My title today is a modification of President Teddy Roosevelt’s foreign policy slogan, “Speak softly and carry a big stick”.  Our focus today is what the Bible has to say about saying a lot of words.  Let’s read Proverbs 17:26-28:  Also, to punish the righteous is not good,
Nor to strike princes for their uprightness.  27 He who has knowledge spares his words,
And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.  28 Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace;
When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive. That last verse might sound familiar, or better yet, you might […]

It is baseball/softball season and a very common phrase that you hear shouted from the dugout or the stands is “Keep your eye on the ball”.  A successful hitter has to be able to watch the ball all the way into the bat.  Of course, maybe this is why I wasn’t a very successful hitter?  But what we are watching is important.  Let’s read Proverbs 17:23-25 with a focus on verse 24: A wicked man accepts a bribe behind the back 
To pervert the ways of justice.  24 Wisdom is in the sight of him who has understanding,
But the eyes of […]

We are all familiar with the phrase:  “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”.   This quote apparently originated in Wales during the 19th century.  Apples are good for you.  They contain Vitamin C and reportedly help to lower cholesterol.  Proverbs 17:22 also lists something that has “medicinal” value: A merry heart does good, like medicine,  But a broken spirit dries the bones. I think that a merry heart is even better for you than an apple.  We know that our attitude and emotional state are linked very closely to our physical health.  Some quantity of depression and anxiety has […]

Miscellaneous…But Important Much of the ideas and truth in Proverbs are repeated frequently.  In part, I think that is so because we need to be reminded again and again, and again!  In Proverbs 17:17-21 we have some of these repeated ideas:  A friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity.  18 A man devoid of understanding shakes hands in a pledge,
And becomes surety for his friend.  19  He who loves transgression loves strife,
And he who exalts his gate seeks destruction.  20 He who has a deceitful heart finds no good,
And he who has a perverse tongue falls into evil.  […]