Even simple tasks like removing these retaining rings need thought and preparation
First, finish your outside work
and prepare your fields.
After that, you can build your house. – Proverbs 24:27
If you have ever tried to remove a retaining ring from some machine without an extractor, you already have the sense of what is being taught here.
Removing this looks easy.
A pair of pliers should work.
At some point, you might give up even though the correct tool costs $5 at Walmart. Having the correct tools and proper preparation makes the task at hand manageable.
In the same way, staying faithful to the Lord’s work requires daily preparation.
Study.
Prayer.
Worship.
Sacrifice.
These are the things that help us meet the challenges that we will face.
They prepare us for the work.
The Lord’s Prayer – ca, 1890 – James Tissot (1836–1902)
“I ask two things from you, Lord.
Don’t refuse me before I die.
Keep me from lying and being dishonest.
And don’t make me either rich or poor;
just give me enough food for each day.
If I have too much, I might reject you
and say, ‘I don’t know the Lord.’
If I am poor, I might steal
and disgrace the name of my God. – Proverbs 30:7-9 NCV
The Bible generally shows us examples of prayers that are simple and short. Another thing I notice is that they generally de-emphasize self and focus on God and others. The Proverbs writer’s example is one that helps us see the beauty of godliness and simplicity. Here we see the desire to avoid the temptations of the extreme conditions of life.
In the Lord’s Model Prayer, (Matthew 6:5-13) Jesus shows the listeners a prayer with four simple ingredients:
Praise (Matthew 6:9-10) – God first. Remember to tell him you love him and want his plans to succeed
Provision (Matthew 6:11) – We shouldn’t hesitate to ask for what we need (Also see Philippians 4:6)
Purification (Matthew 6:12) – Help us to be forgiving and forgivers
Protection (Matthew 6:13) – Keep us out of trouble
A little prayer goes a long ways, just like a little contentment returns great gain. (1 Timothy 6:6) If you need to improve your prayer routine, simple is a great place to start.
…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much – James 5:16
The person who tells one side of a story seems right, until someone else comes and asks questions. – Proverbs 18:17 NCV
How often have you heard “perception is truth” in the business place?
How many times a day are persuasive arguments used to back a false premise?
Do you ever make decisions based on what you’ve heard rather than your research?
It happens in business, sports – everywhere.
Worse, I know I don’t have to tell you that this get done with God’s word every day. Even when one reads the truth right out of the Bible, they are convinced it says something else by a skilled speaker.
Inserting ourselves into a situation usually only keeps the fire hot.
“If you have been foolish and proud,
or if you have planned evil, shut your mouth.
Just as stirring milk makes butter,
and twisting noses makes them bleed,
so stirring up anger causes trouble.” – Proverbs 30:32-33
Whether or not it is on purpose, creating anger in others is ungodly.
Friendships will not grow
Trust will not build
Peace will not prevail
The Proverb writer says to just keep our mouth closed when these situations arise. Peter goes so far as to rank meddling with murder and theft. (1 Peter 4:15)
Asking ourselves if getting involved will assist or aggravate a situation is the first step in being helpful.
Realizing that the answer is usually “aggravate” is the second.
Stoning of St Stephen – ~1435 – Paolo Uccello (1397–1475)
Acts 8:1 says Saul approved of the execution of Stephen.
He thought he was doing God’s will – all the way up until he met Christ in a vision on the way to Damascus in Acts 9
At any given time on our Christian walk, there is more we need to know. No matter how mature in the word we think we are, there are corrections to make and more understanding we can gain.
There are many “versions” of God’s word being taught in the world, but only one we will be compared with at the judgment.
The way to find the right one is go to the source.
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