Category Archives: Proverbs

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If You Play With Fire…

Things That Can Burn Us Beyond Remedy

THE BIG IDEA: “Adultery will reduce you to a loaf of bread; sexual indiscretion will prey upon your very life,” according to Proverbs 6:26. In other words, you mess around with sexual immorality (or any immorality for that matter), you’re toast! God never intended for our sexual needs to be in the driver’s seat of our lives. Our brain was meant to occupy that position, and our moral core was meant to be our navigator.

If You Play With Fire - Ray Noah

Meditation // Proverbs 6:27

Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?

“If you play with fire, you’re going to get burned!” That’s what my father used to say to me, and I’m sure his father said to him, and his father said to him. The reason fathers the world over have to say that is that it seems there is just an innate curiosity little boys seem to have with fire. I’m sure even before matches were invented, back when man lived in caves, wore animal skins and first discovered fire, some troglodyte dad was telling his son, “Trog, you poke fire with stick, you get bad burn!”

Okay, maybe it didn’t happen quite that way, but around 3,000 years ago Solomon mused in Proverbs 6:27, “Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?” Of course, Solomon’s point is that what is true of physical fire is also true in the spiritual realm—we’re drawn to the very things that can burn us beyond remedy. This chapter in Proverbs mentions three of the biggies:

An unspiritual pursuit of wealth: Specifically, Proverbs 6:1-5 warns us about one of the riskiest, and therefore worst kinds of financial transactions of all: entering into a business partnership without prayerful and careful planning. Solomon doesn’t care whether the business opportunity has great potential or not, he just says agreeing to it apart from God’s wisdom is the height of foolishness. This is particularly true if the business deal is a get rich quick scheme, which seems to be the implication here.

If you’ve entered into a deal without doing due spiritual diligence, chances are, you’re going to get yourself burned! The wisest thing you could do would be to quickly and graciously extract yourself from your foolish partnership and chalk it up to a lesson learned the hard way.

If you’ve gone into hock with your neighbor or locked yourself into a deal with a stranger…Don’t waste a minute, get yourself out of that mess!

An irresponsible approach to success: Perhaps the most common way we play with fire is by rejecting the common sense approach to work and wealth that simply rolls up its sleeves, sees the responsibilities before it, doesn’t over-think what needs to be done, just seizes the day and gets after it.

Solomon describes this approach to life in Proverbs 6:6-11 by illustrating the work ethic, of all things, the ubiquitous ant. More success stories are birthed from the ant’s I-work-hard-for-the-money life philosophy than any other. Far too many people in our day, lured by lust for quick fame and easy fortune, are waiting for their ship to come in. The problem is, they’ve never put their ship out to sea. God will reward you with the good life, but he expects you to get up in the morning, grab your lunch pail, put on your hard hat, and get to work!

A day off here, a day off there, sit back and take it easy—Do you know what comes next? Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life!

An uncontrolled sexual appetite: Need I say more? Solomon knew from first-hand experience what we have observed in the lives of countless high-profile people—men and women—in our lifetime who have crashed once promising careers and have burned sterling reputations by allowing their sexual drives to do just that: Drive their behavior.

God never intended for our sexual needs to be in the driver’s seat of our lives. Our brain was meant to occupy that position, and our moral core was meant to be our navigator. As strong as our sexual drive is and as susceptible as it is to temptation, just mark this down: If you give in to your sexual desires apart from God’s plan for sexual satisfaction within marriage, you’re toast, man! That’s what Proverbs 6:26 says,

The adulteress will reduce you to a loaf of bread, sexual indiscretion will prey upon your very life.

Well, there you have it. You keep poking your stick in those three fires, and eventually, you’re going to get burned. There’s nothing really profound about Solomon’s teaching here; he’s just telling it like it is. And like that little ant in verses 6-8, which doesn’t need anyone to help it discover the deeper, hidden meaning of life, neither do you. The ant just does the right thing. I hope you will, too!

Now, as someone famous has said, go do the right thing.

What Now Think carefully about this and answer honestly: Are you playing with fire by the unspiritual pursuit of wealth, an irresponsible approach to success, or an uncontrolled sexual appetite? Being truthful and accountable in these three areas may mean the difference between a blessed or a cursed life.

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The End

Try Living With the End in View

THE BIG IDEA: What if you lived every day with the end in view? What if you fast-forwarded your life story tape to the end, to that day when another will stand before a crowd at a memorial service to eulogize your days on earth? What if you transported in your mind to that day in the end of all ends when you stand before God to give account for the breath of life He’d loaned you for the 70, 80, or 90 years of your earthly pilgrimage? What you want said of you at the end by another person and more importantly by God means that you’ve got to rewind the tape to the present and begin now to live with the end in view! You see, the end is nothing more than a compilation of the motives, thoughts, attitudes, habits, words, and actions that have issued from your head, heart, and hands moment by moment throughout all the days of your life.

The End - Ray Noah

Meditation // Proverbs 14:1

There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

The end! Hate to break this to you, but it’s coming faster than you think!

So, what if you lived every day of your life with the end in view? What if you fast-forwarded your life story tape to the end, to that day when another will stand before a crowd at a memorial service to eulogize your days on earth? What if you transported in your mind to that awesome and fearful day in the end of all ends, when you, along with all mankind, stand before the Righteous Judge to give account for the breath of life he’d loaned you in this life?

What you want said of you then, at the end, by man, and more importantly, by God, means that you’ve got to back the tape back up to the present and begin to live that way now—to live with the end in view!

What do you hope will be said of you then—in the end?

Here’s the thing, my friend: What you want said of you then, at the end, by man, and more importantly, by God, means that you’ve got to back the tape back up to the present and begin to live that way now—to live with the end in view! The end is nothing more than a compilation of the motives, thoughts, attitudes, habits, words, and actions that have issued from your head, heart, and hands moment by moment throughout all the days of your life. They add up. They count. They form a pattern. They create the trend that is your life. They tell your story. So be careful with the material you give them, because it will come out in the end.

Yes—there is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end, it produces only death. On the other hand, there is a way that is right—right in the sight of God—and in the end, it leads to life.

We’re all headed for the end, that’s for sure, so let’s just make sure the reputation that gets there ahead of us will be celebrated by both God and man.

Endings are better than beginnings. Sticking to it is better than standing out. (Ecclesiastes 7:8)

The end!

What Now If you knew that you had exactly one week to live, what would be the first five things you would put on your “To Do” list? Why not go ahead and do them?

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2023–A Recipe for Personal Peace and Stability

God Holds Tomorrow in His Capable Hands

Synopsis: Who knows what tomorrow will hold? Who knows what is in store for us in 2023? Who knows how things will turn out in this volatile world in the coming months? Who knows? Only God! That’s why we need to fiercely lean into him for today, for tomorrow, and for 2023, expressing our utter dependence on his good purposes being fulfilled in our lives and recognizing his sovereign control over each second of our existence. The Psalmist David understood that people who live under the daily threat of death like he did tend to get that reality better than those of us who live relatively safe, carefree, and easy lives. We tend to slide into the false notion that a pain-free, worry-free, tragedy-free life is our divine right. Not David! He got it right when he wrote, “Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” (Psalm 139:16) So, as scary as tomorrow might seem, take courage, because as a Christ-follower, the sun will come out tomorrow—God will make sure of it!

A Recipe for Personal Peace and Stability - Ray Noah

Moments With God // Psalm 139:16

Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

Who knows what will happen tomorrow? Just ask any family whose lives were displayed on the late-night news last evening—whose peace and tranquility was unexpectedly interrupted by some sort of disaster: a car accident coming home from work, a random act of violence outside the restaurant, a massive layoff at the company that no one saw coming, the sudden bacterial infection resistant to all known forms of medication that attacked their child without warning. None of them got up that morning expecting anything close to that would happen during the day that lay ahead.

Who knows what tomorrow will hold? Only God! That’s why we need to fiercely lean into him for this day, expressing our utter dependence on his good purposes being fulfilled in our lives and recognizing his sovereign control over each second of our existence. The Psalmist David understood that people who live under the daily threat of death like he did tend to get that reality better than those of us who live relatively safe, carefree, and easy lives. We tend to slide into the false notion that a pain-free, worry-free, tragedy-free life is our divine right.

Not David! He got it right when he wrote in Psalm 139:16,

Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

Only God knows how many days you have and what will happen in each of those days. Only he knows the exact number of your days, and you will not live a day longer nor die a day sooner than what he already has planned for you. That is why it is not wise to get too far ahead of God in your thoughts about tomorrow. Now, obviously, this is not about wise planning and preparation. That is certainly taught throughout the Bible, and a great deal of emphasis is placed on that throughout the Bible. Yet even when wise planning has been followed, Solomon warned in Proverbs 27:1,

Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.”

In the New Testament, James offered this wise counsel:

I have a word for you who brashly announce, “Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we’re off to such and such a city for the year. We’re going to start a business and make a lot of money.” You don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. You’re nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, “If the Master wills it and we’re still alive, we’ll do this or that.” (James 4:13-15, MSG)

What both of these wise men from the Old and New Testament, respectively, are calling for is living with an attitude of gratitude for each and every breath we take, expressing humble dependence on the Almighty for each and every second of our existence, and submitting each and every ounce of our energy today, and if he graciously gives us tomorrow, to use for his good purposes.

When we live that way, we can sing with confidence, “The sun will come out tomorrow.” Maybe that will mean the blazing sunshine of yet another day here on Planet Earth, but if not, the joy of unending days where there is no need for the sun since the indescribable glory of the shining presence of God himself will render our current source of light and heat meaningless.

So, as scary as that might seem, take courage because, as a Christ-follower, the sun will come out tomorrow.

Read and meditate on Psalm 90, and memorize verse 12: “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Then early and often, quote it to yourself and others!

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God’s Capacity for Anger Reveals His Capacity for Love

Things That Really Tick God Off

SYNOPSIS: God is love, yet he experiences the emotions of hate, abhorrence, and anger without having his goodness or graciousness diminished in the least. In fact, God’s capacity to become incensed over certain things is an appropriate and vital part of his love. Love, for instance, demands the emotion of anger and even hate over injustice, neglect, or abuse. Goodness gets upset over evil. Grace presupposes the need for itself, recognizing the need to compensate for disgrace. So, the hatred and disgust of God should not be surprising to anyone who truly understands God’s loving character. Rather, it should be expected, desired, and even appreciated. In fact, to love what God loves requires us to hate what God hates.

To love what God loves means... - Ray Noah

Moments With God // Proverbs 6:16-19

There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a man who stirs up conflict in the community.

Hate! Detest! Those are words we don’t normally associate with God. After all, God is love. Right?

The fact is, God is love, and yet he experiences the emotions of hate, abhorrence, and anger without having his goodness or graciousness diminished in the least. In fact, God’s capacity to become incensed over certain things is an appropriate and vital part of love.

Love, for instance, demands the emotion of anger and even hate over injustice, neglect, or abuse. Goodness gets upset over evil. Grace presupposes the need for itself, recognizing the need to compensate for disgrace. So, the hatred and disgust of God should not be surprising to anyone who truly understands God’s character. Rather, it should be expected, desired, and even appreciated.

What is it that causes God such deep displeasure? Seven things, according to this proverb: 1) a prideful look, 2) deceitful words, 3) bloody hands, 4) wicked plotting, 5) evil ambitions, 6) false witnessing, and 7) shalom-breaking divisiveness. Interestingly, these seven things listed in verses 16-19 are a recap of Solomon’s warnings given earlier in the chapter in verses 12-14:

  1. Arrogance (v. 13): Solomon refers to one who “winks with his eyes.” It pictures someone who has a proud heart, is haughty, or prideful.
  2. A lying tongue (v. 12): Solomon calls it a “perverse mouth.” Since lying is prohibited in the Top 10 List of Divine Prohibitions, it is no wonder that God detests lies and liars.
  3. Hands that shed innocent blood (v. 13): Solomon speaks of “fingers” that slyly signal deceit, showing that bloody hands can also refer to one who personally, deliberately, and strategically profits at the expense or misfortune of another.
  4. A heart that devises wicked schemes (v.14): This is a person who “plots evil with deceit in the heart”. It is a conniving person who is completely out of step with the loving heart of God.
  5. Feet that are quick to evil (v. 13): It is “one who shuffles his feet” or a person whose first inclination is toward evil. Their initial tendency is always and aggressively sinful.
  6. A false witness that pours out lies (v. 12): It refers to a “corrupt mouth.” It is one who violates the ninth commandment, “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.”
  7. One who stirs up dissension in the comunity (v. 14): Solomon calls out the one who “always stirs up trouble” (NLT). This one is an agitator who thrives on discord.

Make no mistake, the God of love and grace we know expresses hatred toward those whose hearts are habitually inclined toward these kinds of wicked and destructive behaviors.

But this list of seven things God hates is also interesting in that it tells us a lot about the character of God. If you know what someone passionately dislikes then you know the inner passions of that person. What does God’s hatred tell us about his character?

  • He is a God who values true humility (clearly demonstrated in Jesus, who being in very nature, God, humbled himself—Philippians 2).
  • He is a God of truth (God is not prone to human weakness that he would lie—Numbers 23:19).
  • He is a protector and advocate of the downtrodden and disadvantaged (He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing—Deuteronomy 10:18).
  • He is a God whose motives are pure (with him there is no shadow of turning—James 1:17).
  • He is a God who is quick to do good (How much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts—Matthew 7:11).
  • He is a God of justice (The Lord is known by his justice—Psalm 9:16).
  • He is a God of unity (Jesus’ most urgent prayer was that his followers would be one, just as he and the Father were one—John 17:12).

Living within God’s pleasure means avoiding his anger and his wrath, particularly by avoiding these seven no-nos. But it is more than that. It is also understanding his character and cultivating his qualities in our lives until we are conformed to the very image of his Son. When we truly understand what God hates, we will hate it too, and will passionately avoid those kinds of behaviors. And when we truly understand what God loves, we will passionately pursue those qualities.

Hmmm, a love-hate relationship; Maybe there’s something to it!

Take A Moment: Honestly ask yourself if any of those seven sins are habitually present in your life. Ask someone who knows you if they are characteristic of you in any way. Be ready to listen to their honest answer. If you are weak in any one of the seven areas, take a moment to prayerfully write down an action plan to eliminate that weakness from your life.

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Don’t Let Yourself Get Down To Sin And Bones

Life With No Regrets

SYNOPSIS: One of the most profitable things you can do is to look ahead to the fateful day of your death and envision what will be engraved on your tombstone. That will become the final summation of your life—those half dozen words carved into granite by your loved ones. What do you want yours to say? Here is an idea: Start living that way now so that what you want your epitaph to say then will be a no-brainer for your family. If you want to be known then as a loving husband or wife, then start loving your spouse now! If you want to be known then as a good friend, then start now being the kind of friend that you would want to have! If you want to be known as one who served God wholeheartedly, then get with it right now. Whatever it is you want to be said of you then, start living that way now!

One of the most profitable things you can do... - Ray Noah

Moments With God // Proverbs 5:11 (The Message)

You don’t want to end your life full of regrets, nothing but sin and bones.

RIP! Unless Jesus returns sometime in the next 50 or so years—which I hope he does—you and I are likely to have a headstone that marks our final resting place. Rest In Peace! I know, that is kind of a morbid thought to start off a devotional, but it is true. It is a sobering and inescapable reality for all people, since the last time I checked, the human mortality rate was hovering around, oh, about 100%.

I think one of the healthiest things a person can do is to take a look ahead to that fateful day and envision what will be engraved on our tombstone. That really is the summation of our lives, isn’t it—those half dozen or so words carved into granite by our surviving loved ones.

What do you want yours to say? Here is a great idea: Start living that way now so that what you want your epitaph to say then will be a no-brainer for your family. If you want to be known then as a loving husband, then start loving your wife now! If you want to be known then as a good friend, then start being the kind of friend that you would want to have! If you want to be known as one who served God wholeheartedly, then get with it right now. Whatever it is you want to be said of you then, start living that way now! As Solomon said in Proverbs 5:7,

So, my friend, listen closely; don’t treat my words casually.

Seriously, this is no casual concern. So, give that some thought, and then just get after it!

By the way, the final line you will read at the end of this devotional comes from the incredible life of a young man who died on his way to the mission field—William Borden. You can read the full story at http://home.snu.edu/~HCULBERT/regret.htm.

Borden was heir to the Borden family’s wealth, gained through real estate investments and their dairy business. Upon graduation from high school, he informed family and friends that he wanted to become a missionary—a waste of a bright future, according to some. To that, Borden wrote in his journal, “No reserves.”

Borden went on to study at Yale but turned down high-paying job offers after graduation. Reportedly, in his Bible, he wrote two more words: “No retreats.”

He went on to do graduate work at Princeton Seminary in New Jersey. When he finished his studies at Princeton, he sailed for China. Because he was hoping to work with Chinese Muslims, he stopped first in Egypt to study Arabic. While there, he contracted spinal meningitis. Within a month, 25-year-old William Borden was dead.

When the news of the well-known young man’s death was cabled back to the U.S., the story was carried by multiple American newspapers. Author Geraldine Guinness Taylor wrote, “A wave of sorrow went round the world . . . Borden not only gave (away) his wealth, but himself, in a way so joyous and natural that it (seemed) a privilege rather than a sacrifice.”

As the story has it, prior to his death, he had written two more words in the back of his Bible. Underneath the words “No reserves” and “No retreats,” William Borden wrote, “No regrets.”

That was the summation of his brief life, and it is how I would like to be remembered, too: No reserves. No retreats. No regrets.

Take A Moment: First, give this blog some serious contemplation; then write out your epitaph. Make it three or four lines at the most, and put it in a place where you can regularly review it. Most of all, make sure you are living in such a way that it will be true of you.

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The Unquenchable Brightness of Being

Growing Older But Getting Brighter

SYNOPSIS: “A candle loses nothing of its light when lighting another,” according to the Lebanese-born poet, Kahlil Gibran. So it is with right-living people, says Solomon. As they walk in the ways of God, their wisdom rubs off on those around them. And the more they rub off, the shinier they get. Have you ever been around a person like that? They just seem to glow brighter as they get older. You just love to be around them, no matter how old they get. Even when their physical body creaks and groans under the weight of age, you just know that being near them means you are going to catch some of the brightness of their being. And the more light they give off, the more unquenchable that light grows. If you know someone like that, ask them to share with you their top life lessons, then make sure you thank them, and most of all, enfold their wisdom into your own character.

Growing Older But Getting Brighter

Moments With God // Proverbs 4:18 (The Message)

The ways of right-living people glow with light; the longer they live, the brighter they shine.

“A candle loses nothing of its light when lighting another,” according to the Lebanese-born poet, Kahlil Gibran. So it is with right-living people, says Solomon. As they walk in the ways of God, their wisdom rubs off on those around them. And the more they rub off, the shinier they get.

Have you ever been around a person like that? They just seem to glow brighter as they get older. You just love to be around them, no matter how old they get. Even when their physical body creaks and groans under the weight of age, you just know that being near them means you are going to catch some of the brightness of their being. And the more light they give off, the more unquenchable that light grows.

I’ve been around people whose wisdom seems to grow shinier with use, and those whose lives only grow duller with age. Of course, there are a lot of life factors involved in who we turn out to be and how we run the final lap of our lives but ending with an ever-increasing brightness of being will require walking hand-in-hand with Wisdom along the way.

Someone famously said, “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” King Solomon gave the recipe for adding those breath-taking moments to your life. It may not sound as poetic, but it is the surefire way to add both those moments as well as breaths to your life: “Dear friend, take my advice; it will add years to your life.” (Prov 4:10) My suspicion is that he was referring not so much to the length of one’s years, but the brightness of one’s life—a brightness that comes from walking in the light of God’s wisdom.

Now I will leave the timing of my demise up to God, but between now and that fateful day, I am going to inch a little closer to the Source of wisdom because I would rather die young and bright than old and dull.

Take A Moment: Chances are you know an older person who just seems to shine brighter with age. Take them out to lunch—or bring them their favorite meal if they can’t get out. Spend time with them and ask them to share with you their top five life lessons. Make sure you thank them, and most of all, enfold their wisdom into your own character.

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Don’t Set Your Heart On Temporal Things

What You CAN Take With You

SYNOPSIS: In our culture, we get caught up in the chase for the temporal—fame, fortune, pleasure, and possessions—far too easily. God’s Word constantly reminds us that those things will do us no good the second we step from time into eternity. And if we fail to recalibrate our instruments, at some point, maybe in this life, but for sure, in the next, we will come in for a very rough landing. No, you can’t take it with you, but you can take your experience of pursuing what God’s wisdom calls us to prioritize: your experience of knowing God and internalizing the wisdom that comes from him, then living what you know and what you’ve embraced in your moment-by-moment life on earth!

What You CAN Take It With You

Moments With God // Proverbs 3:15

Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.

“You can’t take it with you!” You have heard that saying, haven’t you? No matter what you amass in this life—wealth, possession, power, and fame—it will all stay outside the box on the day they lower that box containing your cold, clammy body six feet under. I have conducted dozens and dozens of funerals in my time as a minister, and I have yet to see a hearse pulling a U-Haul behind it. And it will always be that way. Why? Simply because of this one unalterable truth: You can’t take it with you!

I spoke with a friend a while back who experienced a pretty rough three-year stretch—and when I say rough, just imagine the worst. Yet he was doing well spiritually and emotionally. I asked him since God promises to bring good out of what causes us grief, what good had he seen in his Job-like experience. Without hesitation, he said his challenges had brought him closer to the Lord and had driven him to God’s Word, which he now loves passionately. He spoke of a new commitment to Christian community and closeness with brothers and sisters in Christ like never before. He shared about all that his journey through difficulties taught him, including the realization that the loss of his six-figure salary had no effect whatsoever on God’s track record of providing for his daily bread. In this most difficult journey, he had discovered “the wisdom that is from above,” as James 3:17 calls it—and nothing he had previously held dear could come close to that!

That man had found true wisdom, which God’s Word says is more precious than rubies, and nothing we desire can compare with her.

In our culture, we so easily get caught up in the chase for the temporal—fame, fortune, pleasure, and possessions. If that might be the case for you, I would challenge you to read Proverbs 3:13-20 and let the Word of God recalibrate your instruments, or at some point, you will come in for a really rough landing.

Let this proverb, and the two verses that precede it, remind you: “Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.” (Prov 3:13-14)

No, you can’t take fame and fortune, pleasure and possessions with you when you leave this life, but you can take your experience of knowing God and internalizing the wisdom that comes from him, then living what you know and what you’ve embraced in your moment-by-moment life on earth!

Take A Moment: Read Proverbs 3:13-20, then on a piece of paper, write down in one column the benefits of pursuing and attaining wisdom. After you have done that, write down in another column the benefits of pursuing and attaining money, pleasure, power, and things. The answer will be obvious, but it serves as a good reminder: Five minutes after your death, which column of benefits will matter then?