Proverbs_15
Scripture Proverbs 15:16-18
16 Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, Than great treasure and turmoil with it. Better is a dish of vegetables where love is, Than a fattened ox served with hatred. A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, But the slow to anger calms a dispute. Observation-What does it say? Solomon’s proverbs use sayings that show their point with deep contrasts, the second half of the saying being the antithesis of the first half. The proverbs “reveal sound psychology and accurate observation of life” (Butterworth). Furthermore, they demonstrate what life looks like when guided by wisdom instead of folly. In these verses, Solomon expresses how having a little in peace is better than living in luxury that is coupled with strife. Or, to quote a notoriously big rapper (pun intended), “It's like the more money we come across,The more problems we see.” Understanding-What does it mean? For a long time, the holiday season brought me a great deal of anxiety. Early in high school, my family split and my brother and I soon had to deal with going to multiple different locations and eating multiple meals for the holiday, whether it was Thanksgiving or Christmas, etc.. The magic of the holidays, and their ability to bring people together to celebrate was lost. It actually got worse when I got married. Two people, who come from divorced households, equals a lot of in-laws. Oddly enough, the movie “Four Christmases” came out the same year we got married and I could totally relate. The holidays often bring anxiety to people, so much so that hospitals experience a higher number of cardiac emergencies during the holiday times. We are now deep into that season and we are traditionally gathering with relatives and avoid talking about two things, religion and politics. But, this year we seem to not be gathering enough, talking about politics too much and could use a little more religion. For a lot of people, we are in a season of having a little less than in years past. It took me several years to look past the disappointment of my family and look to the real reason we celebrate, which is God’s faithfulness. God was faithful to send His son and he continues to be faithful. We may be in a season where we are weeping while we sow, but God will be faithful and we will reap in joy (Psalm 126). When we seek the lord, He is faithful to meet us and renew our strength (Isaiah 40:27-31). So even though we seem to be in a time with little, we have much when our peace is found in the Lord. Life Application Jesus, help me to spread your joy to those around me in this season. Help me to be a light on a hill for all to see. Help me to rejoice in your faithfulness, despite being surrounded by what seems like a world of strife. Thank you for your love and faithfulness in a world that is not faithful. -Tyler Galloway