Proverbs 14: 26- 27

Christmas Day was an oddly warm one in North Texas this year. However, the following day was even more abnormal, and came with sorrow. It brought terrible storms riddled with violently destructive tornadoes that ripped through neighborhoods, destroying homes.

One particular family of five took shelter in their utility room while the storm raged around them. When the tornado passed, their entire home was destroyed—every part of it, except the utility room where the family huddled and prayed. This family is led by God-fearing parents. This mother and father do not fear the Lord only in the middle of a storm, but also in the normalcy of everyday life. Their lives reflect Jesus daily, and they teach their children to do the same.

This story is a perfect example of the promises found in Proverbs 14:26-27. Faith can truly be a terrifying thing. The storm clouds and thunder of life threaten our content lives, and we find we must decide what we trust in. When the paycheck doesn’t add up to the bills, when the loved one is lost, when the biggest mistakes seem irreversible, fear of the future creeps in. Proverbs offers the promise that those who fear God are secure. Just like the parents in the tornado, the fear of the Lord shelters not only one person, but also the children—the families—of the one who trusts in the Lord. Fear of the Lord offers not only protection but a fountain of life—this is abundant, joyful life.

The securities of God may not always be total physical protection from natural disaster, but a look at scripture shows that God is always about his glory, which includes what is best for his children. Put your trust in the Lord, and he will be your refuge.

Proverbs 13: 21-23

“Trouble chases sinners, while blessings reward the righteous. Good people leave an inheritance to their grandchildren but the sinner’s wealth passes to the godly.” Proverbs 13:21-22

Sin is tempting, plain and simple. Living frivolously is sometimes extremely alluring. After all, if sin were not appealing, everyone would be daily pursuers of holiness, rather than chasers of their own comfort. It is especially hard to resist sin when it is accompanied by instant gratification. However, the book of wisdom reminds us yet again that trouble chases sinners, and blessings come to reward righteousness. What we must remember is that these blessing which Proverbs speak of will likely come in a different form than we would imagine, but when they do come, they taste so much sweeter than we could ever hope.

These blessings that come from righteousness become a legacy. A life lived for more than just selfish indulgences is a life lived thinking of others first. This kind of life leaves an example of provision and upstanding character for generations to come. Righteous living has a ripple effect that reaches countless others.

A poor person’s farm may produce much food, but injustice sweeps it all away. Proverbs 13:23

Oppression is not a new concept. There have been ostracized peoples and peoples in a cycle of poverty for centuries, and there are many still stuck in the cycle today. We can be quick to come up with reasons for the lack of “success” or inability to fulfill the American dream, but there are plenty who wake up each day in poverty, work until the point of exhaustion, and go to sleep with little to show for their efforts. It is the job of the Christian to fight for these people. We must recognize faulty, unjust systems and use our voices and our resources to make a change.

Proverbs 12: 13-14

The wicked are trapped by their own words, but the godly escape such trouble (verse 13).

Integrity is highly underrated in our culture. It takes just a few altered sentences to make a better sale, a more interesting story, or a cleaner alibi. However, the stretching or altering of the truth is wickedness from the lips. This verse says that the wicked are trapped, translated from the Hebrew word meaning “snared,” by their own words.

This gives the image of a hunter who has laid a trap along the usual path of a wild animal. He has studied the creature, has observed its normal routine, and knows its habits. He has therefore set a snare in the animal’s normal path that he knows it will walk right into. Why? Because that’s where it goes daily.

The same can be said of those who do not fight to have God-honoring, integrity-filled speech. The more routine wicked speech becomes, the more the enemy knows just how to set a trap. Just as the animal in the woods is being studied, so is the one who regularly makes a habit of stretching the truth, spreading gossip, and causing dissention with their speech. It’s only a matter of time until the wicked person stumbles into the snare that is waiting for them.

The godly, however, are protected. They escape this snare because when confronted, they don’t have to worry about what they said or how much someone knows of their speech. Their conscious is clear, their integrity intact.

Wise words bring many benefits, and hard work brings rewards (verse 14).

If you think guarding your speech is easy, you are far stronger than I. It takes genuine work to keep speech clean, full of integrity, and God-honoring. However, it brings benefits. Think of people in your life who you know wouldn’t say something negative about another person. Mayne they’re not as fun to be around when you want to feed your flesh and gossip, but you know that those people are safe-harbors. Their word can be trusted at face-value and others feel loved and cared for by them. People know that their success comes from genuine, hard work, rather than cutting corners.

The work that it takes to keep speech full of integrity is worth it.

Photography: @jacobnnorris