His Enemies

Reading for Today: Proverb Chapter 8

Gold Nugget
Verse 13: “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.” 

Commentary
There is an appropriate time to assume someone an enemy that posses as an enemy to the innocent. It's important to point out that we don't select our enemies, they select us. Should they choose to hate and oppose us, they are (by definition) our enemy whether we want them to be or not. Let's put it this way, once I was stolen from, lied about, threatened and all around abused by a friend of one of my relatives. I had tried to help this person and all was good until I was being taken advantage of extensively. After much suffering and refusing to be abused any longer, I refused anymore charity to them. That's when the abuse worsened. I was hurt badly and took time to recover financially from theft and property damage. All of this was bad, but the real pain came later when I learned that my relative remained close friends with this person. I couldn't understand how my family member could still see someone as a dear friend who had severely abused me.

If someone mistreats my children - they have declared me their enemy. (All of this is assuming that my children are innocent of the cause to which they where deemed an enemy.) When we entered into a relationship with God, His enemies should have become our enemies. A few of His enemies are "evil, pride, arrogance, a perverse mouth and the evil way" As today's "gold nugget" says, we should "hate" these things. How can we be a friend and family member to God and be a close friend to this world? Using my emotions to draw from, I can imagine how Jesus feels when we are friendly to the world that rejected, beat, abused and murdered Him? Consider these profound words from 1 John 2:15-17 "15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-is not of the Father but is of the world." 

Prayer
Lord, I will not be friends to those that have declared you as their enemy. You will not find me in the arms of those that abuse and reject you. If they reject you, they have rejected me. I will consider your hurt when I am tempted to embrace this world and its pleasures. Amen

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LOAN-ley Hearts

Reading for Today: Proverb Chapter 6

Gold Nugget
Verse 1-2: "1 My son, if you become surety for your friend, If you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger, 2 You are snared by the words of your mouth; You are taken by the words of your mouth. "

Commentary 
When I was a little boy, my grandfather told me that a "handshake" was as binding as a contract. Today things are different. Maybe I shouldn't be, but I am still shocked when people don't honor their word. It is better to have not agreed to anything than to turn from your word. That brings me to today's "gold nugget". The word surety from this verse means what it sounds like. "...if you become surety for your friend". "Sure" meaning absolute, without doubt or wavering -a guarantee. If you are a guarantee for someone today and they don't pay their debt, you will pay it for them. This is often times referred to as a co-signer. When you have co-signed, "You are snared by the words of your mouth; you are taken by the words of your mouth.” Many Christians do not practice co-signing because of this very scripture and they have perfect grounds for it.

The scriptures teach us to be very careful when we guarantee another person. If we vouch for someone and they back out, we may be left standing there when the lender comes for his money. He will not hesitate to take from your family. I see this scripture like Jesus' words in Luke Chapter 6, "34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High." The way these tie together for me is through the fact that Jesus says to loan and do not hope for it back. If it does come back, you have not lost anything even though you were willing to. If it doesn't come back, you have only lost what you were willing to lose. Continuing with Jesus' words, we see that lending to someone and expecting it back is more like asking someone to hold your money for you. If they are in need and you can meet it, just do it and forget about it.

Prayer
Lord, help me to remember that who I associate for and vouch for should be people of character and not an offence to you and your name. Remind me also to give without hoping for a return or keeping score. Amen

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