From my last bulletin article, we examined a few of my favorite proverbs; this time around I would like to examine some Proverbs that can be difficult to swallow. These are not difficult to understand, but they are hard to accept and apply to our lives. Will you grow in knowledge by listening to what wisdom has to offer?

            A wise person is willing to take criticism and not take offense to it (Prov. 9:8). Have you ever met that person who goes into a defensive rage when corrected or criticized (Prov. 29:11)? Those who get angry at correction fit into the category of the scoffer or wicked man (Prov. 9:7). Yet, someone who is wise does not abuse or hate the person who gives them criticism. Instead the wise view correction as an opportunity to grow even more in wisdom (Prov. 9:9). Is there ever a point where we have perfected what we do in this life? David, a great and powerful king, was open to being rebuked by a righteous person (Ps. 141:5). Wise people openly accept criticism and if the correction is justified, they listen to the advice! If the criticism is not justified, thank the person for their advice and move on! There is a reason wisdom and humility go hand-in-hand. Those who despise criticism are prideful, not thinking they are in need of any correction. What happens to the prideful person (Prov. 16:18)? “Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud” (Prov. 16:19).

            Have you ever been tempted by a get-rich-quick scheme? It almost seems like the majority of people in this world want to be incredibly wealthy, but do not want to work for it. Do you think that this only applies to our time? In ancient times people wanted to cheat the system to become wealthy by dishonest means too (Prov. 13:11)! Though people may obtain wealth through wickedness, it will not last. Either they will lose their dishonest gain in this life or when they die. There is a reason why you do not see U-Haul trailers attached to the back of a hearse, you cannot take things with you (1 Tim. 6:7)! One of my favorite board games growing up was “Life”. How do you win this board game? Once you make it to retirement, you count up all your money, and the one who has the greatest wealth wins. Is this how you win at real life? Another Proverb says, “Better is a little with righteousness than vast revenues without justice” (Prov. 16:8). It is better to work hard, have little, and be right with God. Jesus said, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his soul?” (Mk. 8:36). Instead of worrying about wealth, worry about your eternal soul.

            One does not obtain wisdom through genetics or purchase, but it is gained only through learning and experience. Will you take these proverbs to heart? Not only hear the words, but apply them to the way you live. God desires all righteous people to live by these wise sayings. God’s wisdom is far superior to that of men. Will you not follow His wisdom and obey (1 Cor. 1:18-25)?                                                                   

-Brandon Foresha

The words of the hymn “Beauty for Ashes” written by Grant Colfax Tullar provide us a much-needed perspective:

Beauty for ashes God hath decreed!

Help He provideth for every need;

What is unlovely He will restore;

Grace all sufficient: what need we more?

God gives for sadness “garments of praise;”

Stars for our twilight, strength for our days;

Hope for tomorrow, care for today,

Light for our footsteps all of life’s way.

Beauty for ashes, gladness for tears,

Sunshine for darkness, faith for our fears;

Peace for our turmoil, concord for strife,

Heaven at evening—then endless life!

The phrase “beauty for ashes” comes from Isaiah 61:3 where the promise of the Messiah would be realized and those who mourned in Zion would be found joyfully singing praise to God. Remember that Jesus read this passage in the synagogue at Nazareth and declared that He had come and was beginning that day to fulfill what this passage prophesied (Luke 4:16-21).

            In Bible times, ashes were a sign of mourning; the sorrow could be from loss (Job 2:8; 2 Sam. 13:19) or in repentance over sins (Job 42:6; Jonah 3:6; cf. Matt. 11:21). With all the bad news one can easily consume each day, remember the good news—the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ came and fulfilled Isaiah 61:1-3:

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me,

            Because the LORD has anointed Me

            To preach good tidings to the poor;

            He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

            To proclaim liberty to the captives,

            And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD,

            And the day of vengeance of our God;

            To comfort all who mourn,

To console those who mourn in Zion,

            To give them beauty for ashes,

            The oil of joy for mourning,

            The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;

            That they may be called trees of righteousness,

            The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”

All of the various pains we suffer as part of this life, whether it be from sin or from some other cause, can be turned into beauty by Jesus Christ. When Christ came into the world, God entered into human suffering, and suffered for our sins so that we can be set free from them. The sins of Israel and the suffering they would endure in captivity would be turned into beauty at Christ’s first coming. Likewise, God’s people today can enjoy the wonderful grace located in Christ and look forward to His second coming. Christians, set your minds on heaven; glorify God for what He has done in Jesus Christ to exchange the ashes of this life for the beauty of heaven that will soon be ours.

-Mark Day