Proverbs 19:26 (KJV) He that wasteth his father, [and] chaseth away his  mother, is  a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach.

It used to be that the trip home from church was the invitation for war in the backseat.  It was always the other person’s fault.  It seems like the kids always felt like there would be nothing that we as adults could do about what they were doing.  One of the great things about getting older and spending time with your kids is they tell you about things you did as a parent that you don’t remember.

Evidently, there was one day when our kids were acting up in the backseat.  Repeated warnings fell on deaf ears.  The kids felt like since we were on the road there was nothing that could really be done.  Evidently I stopped the car in the middle of the road , got out, opened the back door and got serious about discipline.  I didn’t pull off in a parking lot.  There was no place to pull off.  I dealt with it right there in the middle of the street.  My kids still remember that.

When I look at this verse, I wonder if this is about a family where the father never pulled the car over and got out to deal with a problem.  I wonder if it’s the result of a lack of discipline.  Keep in mind that a lack of discipline is a two-way street.  If the parent doesn’t offer it the child doesn’t receive it, the result is disaster.

So?  Whether you are a parent or a grandparent, you still are molding the younger generation.  I will admit that original sin is real.  I understand that people make choices on their own.  We as responsible adults need to help them make those decisions and learn the consequences.  

Proverbs 18:24 (KJV) A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

As I read this this morning in the NASB, I found myself realizing that it is contrary to much popular advice.  I watched some Clickbait recently talking about the five things that caused men to die early.  It was interesting but had a lot of nonsense involved.  I have a suspicion it was generated by AI.  One of their points was that isolation is a major cause of early death in men.  In the course of the discussion they talked about how when you’re younger you have many friends but then when you get older, you might just be down to two involvements.

A note was the two involvement they chose.  First was family and second was yourself.  In some families, I could see how a person in that situation might be very isolated.  In some families, there is no contact, no bonding, in a word no love.  Most of the families I know are interacting enough that no one person would consider himself isolated.  As for the second thing, counting yourself as an involvement is rather strange.  I noted that they left out the church.  They obviously had no sense of contact with God himself.  It was rather a short list.

But my point is that what Proverbs is saying here is there’s a real danger in having too many friends.  That’s counterintuitive in our culture.  We are told we need to get out and relate to people.  I’ve always wondered when popular figures talk about how this person was their good friend and then a few paragraphs later, they’ll talk about someone else who was their good friend.  When you read through everything they have to say it seems like they have more really good friends than it’s possible to spend time with.

So?  Don’t feel like you have to keep up with your friendly local counselors advice about finding new friends.  If you have a few good friends that will probably take up all the extra energy you have.  If you have family, they qualify.  Build your standards on what the Bible says not on psychology advocates.  

Proverbs 17:2 (KJV) A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren.

One of the characteristics of human society is that we tend to arrange ourselves in a hierarchy.  It may start as a ladder of ability, but eventually because of family ties or personal ambitions it reverts to a class system built on genetics.  This is a subtle reminder that what God is looking for is not people with the right blood, but people with the right attitude.

It always helps to be a son.  You start with one foot up on the climb of the ladder of life.  You have benefits that other people might not have.  The point here though is that God looks at whether we grasp the wisdom available to us and act on it or whether we just rest on our laurels.

The plan that God has for mankind is that the cream will rise to the top.  This of course is in addition to the concept of grace and faith, God is the one who does the saving and the redeeming.  In spite of that basic truth, there is still the idea that God will honor those who honor him.

So?  Get the basic business done.  Make Jesus your Lord and Savior.  And then apply the wisdom that He gives you to live an upright life.  Keep in mind that the church secretary may be higher at
the Lord’s dining table than the pastor son.  

Psalm 142:1 (KJV) [[Maschil of David; A Prayer when he was in the cave.]] I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication.

I don’t know if this first comment is part of the actual scripture or was added by an editor somewhere along the way, but for today’s purposes, let’s just take it as belonging here.  Notice that David is hiding in a cave and at the same time praying to God.  While he cowers in the cave, he declares his trust in God.  How often do we duplicate that scenario?

I’m not trying to point fingers here.  I have my share of times when I’m afraid to let my head come up about the berm.  I’m not always the boldest advocate on the block.  At the same time, there is a real lack of confidence that we display at times because we are not willing to step out and trust God to be in charge.

So?  Is this the day to emerge out of the cabin?  Is this the day you see yourself being a troglodyte?  God is ready.  I trust I am ready.  Let’s get about changing our world and let the chips fall, not where they may, but where God declares them to fall. 

Psalm 132:4-5 (KJV) 4 I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, 5 Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.

(Proverbs 15 also read)

I must say David went a long time without sleeping if we take this literally.  People who do take this literally assume that David is talking about the building of the temple.  David himself may have been speaking of the temple, but was using hyperbole.  I would say that David himself knew that he was speaking figuratively and not literally .

Later, God will tell David that he is not going to be able to build the temple because he has shed blood.  He’s assured that his son will do so.  That’s enough for him to know that the job is going to be done.  At that time he probably forgot writing this psalm.

Of course, with the full scripture in front of us and contemplating everything it says about the temple, we began to realize that the church and believers will become the temple of God.  We read Revelation and see that there will be no temple in the New Jerusalem because God will be the temple there.

So?  Look for the promises and the joy in verses that use hyperbole and other forms of figurative language.  God is even more creative than we are.  I assume that extends to His ability to write

Psalm 131:2 (KJV) Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child.

(Proverbs 14 also read)

I can’t remember this period in my life.  I wonder if David actually remembers or if he is just observant.  I’m not sure that every baby is this way.  My mother tells me I kept giving her hugs until I was about 11 years old.  Shame on me for turning 12, but there wasn’t much I could do about it.

This speaks to me today because I tend to be an introvert who is a loner.  As a general rule, I don’t find my satisfaction in life from deep sharing with other people.  That could be a real problem because we can become so isolated and out of touch that damages who we are and what we do.

I think the point of this verse has been my salvation.  In a very real since the Lord has become the One that I have leaned on.  Some might think that is unhealthy.  I don’t think so. I t might be nice if we have others that we can depend on, but it has to start with our relationship with the living God.

So?  All you extroverts may not know what I’m talking about.  We need to start to learn to trust by trusting in God.  To be honest, everyone else will probably let us down at some point, but we can count on Him.  

Psalm 43:1 (NASB95) Vindicate me, O God, and plead my case against an ungodly nation; O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!

(Proverbs 13 also read)

As I read this first verse today, I thought, “This is me. This is now.”  Have you ever felt that way?  If you look at things statistically in any culture, any time in history, anywhere in the world the number of godly people has always been a minority.  So in a sense, it’s always appropriate to feel like the world is against you.  It is.  It is against you because you are a follower of Jesus Christ, attempting to live a righteous and upright life.

That is the situation.  But we are also given the word of hope.  If you continue reading you find that David understands which side of the bread his butter is on.

Psalm 43:3 (NASB95) O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your dwelling places.

We don’t base our confidence in the future on the statistics of people who are following the Lord.  Read the history of Israel.  There might’ve been a few times right after a big miracle when Moses or Gideon or David had a majority of the people willing to follow God, but it didn’t last long.

So?  Be grateful that God is patient. That He is your God and that you are His child.  Watch for His light and truth and let those lead you and not the latest Gallup poll.