Let a righteous man strike me--it is a kindness; let him rebuke me--it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it. Yet my prayer is continually against evil deeds. When their judges are thrown over the cliff, then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant. As when one plows and breaks up the earth, so shall our bones be scattered at the mouth of Sheol.
(Verses 5-7)
Do not reprove a scoffer or he will hate you. Reprove a wise man and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser. Teach a righteous man and he will increase in learning. Reverence for the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. Proverbs 9
They sit outside and look through the window at our family dining together. It's intimate and sweet, our time with our Father. Served up for us is joy, peace, wisdom and understanding. The aroma of it floats outside, wafting into the nostrils of those who would break the glass and intrude on our serenity. My brothers and sisters are there. Because we have the same Abba, are born of the same Spirit, we tend to think alike about the things that matter to God. However, we are not all alike by any means. I have a sister whose gift of leading worship draws us all into the Presence of our Father when we are far away. A brother whose generosity has saved many of us from defeat. We need each other. And when a sister comes to me to tell me where I fall short, I listen. Knowing she loves me and hears from our Father. Also usually knowing I have missed the mark and Abba has sent her to me to draw me back in reverence to Him. It's how our family works. But our table has been prepared in the presence of our enemies (Psalm 23). Let's not forget they watch in scorn as we dine with the Creator and Lover of our souls.
I had a long night of prayer last night. I really needed to be with my Father. There comes to me sometimes an overwhelming desire to crash into His presence and lie at His feet. Last night He seemed to want me near His chest. To hear His heart. And it was, in part, this: The judgment of the world creates shame. It is the tool of the enemy from the Garden of Eden until now. I think it is why Jesus said, in John 3, that He didn't come into the world to condemn it, but to save it. In their hiding from God after they disobeyed, Adam and Eve were ashamed. Covered their naked bodies with leaves and hid from their Creator. Shame told them they were vulnerable. Disobedience stole their freedom. Jesus got that freedom back for us. Slapped shame across the face. Crushed it with His heel. So that the enemy can no longer define us. The Spirit does. And the Word. It is for our benefit that we are corrected and convicted of the things we do that offend God. But there is, therefore, no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for the law of the Spirit has set you free in Christ Jesus (Romans 8).
Correction isn't meant to foster shame, but blessing. To correct our paths. To deepen our love for God. And in my time with God last night, praying for myself and others, I felt the eyes of the enemy who would encroach in judgment jealously watching the scene. Banging on the windows to scream an invective against me and those for whom I prayed. Abba silenced him. No judgment before the Father because I am His child. Bought at a very dear price. But I am aware that this table set before me, where I fellowship with my God, makes the enemy mad. Just as our relationship with God makes the world hate us, too. We are judged as phony, hypocritical, self-righteous...on and on. And we can listen to that and cave to the politically correct, or we can hold to the standards of our faith, accept correction and discipline from the Head of our family, and eschew shame.
In the end, when the fields are plowed and all of our bones are dug up from their graves, God will be the final judge of where we belong eternally. It is for us who know Him to live before our Father in holy reverence and communal joy, not taking on the judgments of a world that laughs at us, ridiculing our faith. It is not for us to judge them, either. Nor to be frustrated that trying to correct their thinking gets us nowhere. Scoffers hate us for trying to do that. Believe we are stupid. That we don't think correctly. What we are called to do is press into the Father's heart, seek Him, learn from Him. There will always be those looking on from the outside and misinterpreting our family time. May they see a thing for which they yearn instead of an elite dinner to which they weren't invited. For our Father will open the door to all who knock (Revelation 3).
(Verses 5-7)
Do not reprove a scoffer or he will hate you. Reprove a wise man and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser. Teach a righteous man and he will increase in learning. Reverence for the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. Proverbs 9
They sit outside and look through the window at our family dining together. It's intimate and sweet, our time with our Father. Served up for us is joy, peace, wisdom and understanding. The aroma of it floats outside, wafting into the nostrils of those who would break the glass and intrude on our serenity. My brothers and sisters are there. Because we have the same Abba, are born of the same Spirit, we tend to think alike about the things that matter to God. However, we are not all alike by any means. I have a sister whose gift of leading worship draws us all into the Presence of our Father when we are far away. A brother whose generosity has saved many of us from defeat. We need each other. And when a sister comes to me to tell me where I fall short, I listen. Knowing she loves me and hears from our Father. Also usually knowing I have missed the mark and Abba has sent her to me to draw me back in reverence to Him. It's how our family works. But our table has been prepared in the presence of our enemies (Psalm 23). Let's not forget they watch in scorn as we dine with the Creator and Lover of our souls.
I had a long night of prayer last night. I really needed to be with my Father. There comes to me sometimes an overwhelming desire to crash into His presence and lie at His feet. Last night He seemed to want me near His chest. To hear His heart. And it was, in part, this: The judgment of the world creates shame. It is the tool of the enemy from the Garden of Eden until now. I think it is why Jesus said, in John 3, that He didn't come into the world to condemn it, but to save it. In their hiding from God after they disobeyed, Adam and Eve were ashamed. Covered their naked bodies with leaves and hid from their Creator. Shame told them they were vulnerable. Disobedience stole their freedom. Jesus got that freedom back for us. Slapped shame across the face. Crushed it with His heel. So that the enemy can no longer define us. The Spirit does. And the Word. It is for our benefit that we are corrected and convicted of the things we do that offend God. But there is, therefore, no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for the law of the Spirit has set you free in Christ Jesus (Romans 8).
Correction isn't meant to foster shame, but blessing. To correct our paths. To deepen our love for God. And in my time with God last night, praying for myself and others, I felt the eyes of the enemy who would encroach in judgment jealously watching the scene. Banging on the windows to scream an invective against me and those for whom I prayed. Abba silenced him. No judgment before the Father because I am His child. Bought at a very dear price. But I am aware that this table set before me, where I fellowship with my God, makes the enemy mad. Just as our relationship with God makes the world hate us, too. We are judged as phony, hypocritical, self-righteous...on and on. And we can listen to that and cave to the politically correct, or we can hold to the standards of our faith, accept correction and discipline from the Head of our family, and eschew shame.
In the end, when the fields are plowed and all of our bones are dug up from their graves, God will be the final judge of where we belong eternally. It is for us who know Him to live before our Father in holy reverence and communal joy, not taking on the judgments of a world that laughs at us, ridiculing our faith. It is not for us to judge them, either. Nor to be frustrated that trying to correct their thinking gets us nowhere. Scoffers hate us for trying to do that. Believe we are stupid. That we don't think correctly. What we are called to do is press into the Father's heart, seek Him, learn from Him. There will always be those looking on from the outside and misinterpreting our family time. May they see a thing for which they yearn instead of an elite dinner to which they weren't invited. For our Father will open the door to all who knock (Revelation 3).
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