December 2 – Never Be Bought (Proverbs 23:1-3)

“Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive.”
(Proverbs 23:3)

IN WORD:
Greek mythology tells us of half-human creatures called sirens who would sing melodies so beautiful and seductive that passing sailors would be drawn to their island. Though the appeal was irresistible, the outcome was severe. It would always end in disaster for the sailors as they would be wrecked on dangerous rocks.
This world offers us numerous delights. Ascetic religion tells us to avoid all of them, but Scripture says that God has given us good things to enjoy (1 Timothy 6:17; James 1:17). But human nature takes us quickly past enjoyment and into slavery. There is a fine line between enjoying a pleasure as God’s gift and seeking it as a sinful indulgence. The danger is that whether we are sitting at the table of an earthly king or at the table of “the prince of this world” (John 14:30; 16:11), we are easily bought. We develop tastes that will keep us from following the full will of God.
How can we know the difference between the gifts God has given and temptations the enemy uses to enslave us? It takes sharp discernment to walk through this world. Some gifts appear good and acceptable on the surface, and yet they will quickly master us if we let them. Jesus said that when we sin we become slaves of our sin (John 8:34), and Paul reiterates the point in Romans 7. He found the dividing line between what is good and what is not: ‘All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything” (1 Corinthians 6:12, NAS). Rules are not the point; allegiance is.

IN DEED:
That is the key to discernment: Never let anything or anyone but God be your master. Worldly wealth and rulers will seek to buy our affections, and dark, unearthly princes will seek to enslave us. The goal of all such temptation is to compromise our love for God and our service in His kingdom. Ignore the song of the siren, and hear God’s more beautiful melodies. He has bought us already — with a heavy, heavy price. Never be bought by anything else.

“A man’s god is that for which he lives, for which he is prepared to give his time, his energy, his money, that which stimulates and rouses him.” -Martin Lloyd-Jones-

December 1 – Purpose in Planning (Isaiah 25:1)

“The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.”(Proverbs 21:5)

IN WORD:
“Haste makes waste.” It’s a proverb many of us grew up with, and it’s a reflection of biblical truth. Those who are diligent and want to accomplish much cannot approach life haphazardly. Diligence implies a plan and haste is an enemy of planning.
We who are remade in God’s image can take our cues from God. The Bible frequently refers to His plans, and we often refer to the plan of salvation, the plan for the end of times, and all sorts of other designs from His hand. We can be reasonably sure that God didn’t figure out what to do on the second day of creation after He got through with the first. His wisdom had a purpose in mind when He began. And His plans have been long and thorough. God does not make it up on the run. Neither should we.
God is certainly not an enemy of spontaneity, but He is an enemy of carelessness. Philip was responding spontaneously when God put him on the Gaza road; Peter was flexible when God told him to go to Cornelius; and Paul was able to turn from Asia to Macedonia when God redirected him. Those of us who make plans and will not diverge from them under any circumstances have made the plans God. We must always hold God above the plans, not the plans above God. But given His authority, we are urged to live wisely in this world. And wisdom calls for the intentional pursuit of a godly purpose.

IN DEED:
Consider the stewardship of your time. Is it spent efficiently? Don’t think that God wants us working as machines and suppressing individuality. And don’t think that He discourages us from being flexible and available when He directs us. But also don’t assume that He advocates a random approach to our lives. The God with a purpose bears children with a purpose. And the God who has a plan to accomplish His purposes bears children who will also plan to accomplish His purposes. Without a goal, we are aimless — even when we are incredibly busy. God calls us to aim high and to know how to get there.

“Purpose is what gives life a meaning. . . . A drifting boat always drifts downstream.” -Charles H. Parkhurst-