Proverbs Chapter 11

Hello, and welcome back to Riddles of the Wise!

Thirteen years ago, Jill and I were about to buy our first home. At the time, we were living in a duplex, and the owner decided he wanted to sell it to us. We ran the numbers and realized that if we owned the place, we’d actually pay less each month (due to a tenant living in the other half of the building) than we were currently paying in rent. All we had to do was come up with the money for the down payment. 

I was interning at the church to become a pastor, and she was teaching 6th grade at a Christian school. When we put both of our salaries together, we had virtually nothing. Additionally, we both brought about $20,000 worth of student loans into our marriage. So, not only did we not have down payment money, we had a huge amount of debt. In order to be able to buy the duplex, we had 90 days to scrounge up $3,500 to pay closing costs on the duplex. 

We borrowed some money from Jill’s parents, called everyone who owed us $5, and quit paying credit bills that could wait. We literally saved pennies trying to get the money we needed. About a week before the closing date, I got this strange feeling that we were supposed to give a guy some money. It made no sense. I didn’t owe him anything. Plus, we desperately needed everything we had. But, I couldn’t shake it. It was the first time I remember thinking, “God wants me to be generous for no apparent reason.” I talked to Jill, and we decided to do it. We gave this guy money that we simply could not afford to give him. 

A few days later, we went to the closing hoping for a miracle. During the meeting, the banker said they’d made some mistakes during the processing of the loan, and they handed us a check. We didn’t need any closing costs. They actually paid us to close. What?!? We bought our duplex, and then left with a check that was so big that we paid back Jill’s parents, paid our monthly bills, and still had several hundred dollars left to put in savings.

I’ve closed on several properties in the last 14 years and it’s never happened since! That was the first time that the following words from the Bible jumped off the pages, and became a reality in my life!

Prov. 11:24,25, “One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

God wants you to experience the incredible blessing of being generous with others. And, He says that when you do, He will help you in ways you can’t even imagine! Start praying today for an opportunity (or opportunities) to be generous to somebody with your time, talents, or resources. If you have courage in this area of your life, you will learn that it blesses others, it blesses you, and brings you closer to God in the process. What a great deal!

 Talk tomorrow,

Shawn

Proverbs Chapter 10

Welcome back to the Riddles of the Wise walk through the book of Proverbs! Today, we’re looking at chapter 10. While there are many things we could discuss in this chapter, I want to talk about how we use our words. Three verses really stood out to me today:

Prov. 10:11, “The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain;
the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions.”

Prov. 10:21, “The words of the godly encourage many, but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense.”

Prov. 10:32, “The lips of the godly speak helpful words, but the mouth of the wicked speaks perverse words.”

In these verses, Solomon goes out of his way to remind us of the power of our words. Most of us can remember something that somebody said to us years ago, and we’ve never forgotten. Maybe it was good. Maybe it was bad. But, if you thought about it for a while, you probably could think of times in your life when somebody’s words turned your entire day around. Someone complimented you, told you that they believed in you, or told you that you were doing a real good job. And, those words changed your mood, your level of joy, and even your outlook on life. Words are powerful. Very powerful. Words are a “life-giving fountain,” and we must treat them that way. 

Today, what if you changed someone’s day with your words on purpose? What if you encouraged a friend or loved one out of the blue? What if you called somebody to remind them that you love them, tell them they are valuable, and thank them for being in your life. With your words, you can help, encourage, and speak life into people all around you. And, as we all know, the opposite is also true. We can hurt, discourage, and drain the life out of people with our words if we are not careful.

Two Things:

1.     Have you hurt or discouraged anyone with your words lately? If so, I challenge you to contact them, apologize, and speak life into them today.

2.     Who could you surprise this week with life giving, encouraging, and helpful words? Call them, email them, or text them. Be courageous!

Have a great day!

Shawn

Proverbs Chapter 9

Welcome back to Riddles of the Wise. Today, we’re looking at Proverbs chapter 9. I want to focus on verse 10 in today’s devotion.

Prov. 9:10 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Like we talked about in church this past week, the phrase “fear of the Lord” is used many times in the book of Proverbs. At first, that concept can be confusing. I remember the first time I read that phrase in the Bible. I remember how confused it made me. Proverbs places a huge amount of importance on not only knowing what it means to “fear the Lord”, but also on actually living it out. If we can’t live out this one phrase, we can’t start to obtain wisdom. 

As I read the verse the first time, I remember thinking, “I thought I was supposed to love God, and that He was like a perfect Father to me. Now, I’m being told I should fear Him? I don’t want to be afraid of my Father. I want to trust Him. Be close to Him. Share everything with Him. Be guided by Him. If I were afraid of God, how would I have that type of relationship with Him?”

However, the fear of the Lord is not being afraid of God (wanting to hide from and avoid Him). It has an entirely different meaning. If you look at the following verses, you’ll see what the writer of Proverbs meant by “fearing God”:

Proverbs 8:13, “The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.”

Ecclesiastes 12:13, “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”

Proverbs 3:7, “Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.”

Psalm 112:1, “Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments!”

Fearing God is not about being afraid of Him. It’s about respecting Him, acknowledging Him, and obeying His commandments. It means that we seek His voice in our life and do our absolute best to submit to it. When we submit to God, He promises to be with us, guiding us through life.

Prov. 3:6, “In all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

God says, “Let me make it real simple. You focus on submitting to me, and I’ll focus on making the path obvious to you.” It is the submitting and obeying process that sums up what it means to fear the Lord. The fear of the Lord makes it possible to receive wisdom from God.

Talk to God today about where you think you fear (respect, acknowledge, submit) Him the most and where you fear Him the least. Maybe, instead of asking, “What do I do now?” you should start asking, “Where do I submit now?”

Keep going! You are doing great. God has big things in store for you… 

Have a great day!
Shawn

Proverbs Chapter 8

Welcome back! Today, we are looking at Proverbs 8. I love the imagery in this chapter. It reminds us of the incredible value of wisdom. There is truly nothing that compares.

Proverbs 8:10-11 says, “Choose my instruction rather than silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold. For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it.”

At first glance, this is kind of hard to believe isn’t it? Would you really prefer to have knowledge instead of a few bars of pure gold? Or, would you rather have your employer pay you with “wisdom” instead of money? Maybe not. However, I think the verses that follow verse 10 and 11 start to give us some reasons why knowledge and wisdom from God are SO much more valuable than anything money can buy.

Wisdom speaks to us as if it’s a person by saying, “I was there when He established the heavens, when He drew the horizon on the oceans. I was there when He set the clouds above, when He established springs deep in the earth. I was there when He set the limits of the seas, so they would not spread beyond their boundaries. And when He marked off the earth’s foundations, I was the architect at his side.” (Proverbs 8:27-30) WISDOM is basically saying, “Listen, I know what’s up. I have been God’s wingman all along. I am the architect.”

Imagine you are buying a house, and you have two options. You’ve talked to the realtor, the sellers, your spouse, and the neighbors about the decision, but you still have a your reservations about both houses. But, then you talk to the architect who built the houses. He walks you through each one, explains how and why he built them the way he did, tells you about the lumber he used and the way the electric systems are designed, and then tells you which house he thinks you should buy. Would you listen to his opinion?

I think it’s the same way with God in our life. Remember, He created us from scratch, He put the boundaries on the ocean, He controls the wind and the waves, yet we still have a hard time trusting Him and/or obeying Him at times. We seek after answers through our friends, family, co-workers, we seek after money, fame, possessions, and “feel good” moments to resolve our uncertainties, but neglect God’s direction in our lives. God is saying, “Listen to me. I have your best interests in mind. I can give you what the world can’t give.”

Take some time to be honest with yourself today. Are you listening to God or are you ignoring Him in certain parts of your life? Are you allowing God’s wisdom to fully permeate your lifestyle, your career, your family, or the way you handle your money. God wants to direct your life toward the best possible life – a life with Him. Listen up.

Have a great day!
Shawn

Twitter: @shawnjohnsonrrc

Facebook.com/shawnjohnsonrrc

Proverbs Chapter 7

For those of you who live in the Denver area, you are familiar with I-70. If you jump on I-70 and head west, you’ll eventually hit Vail, Colorado. The place is amazing. At Vail, you can ski, snowboard, hike, fish, camp, shop, and eat among some of the best views of the mountains I’ve ever seen. You think it up, and you can do it in Vail. On the other hand, if you go east on I-70, you will end up in Kansas. Trust me, you don’t want to go to Kansas. I can speak from personal experience; the views there are slightly different. 

You will never end up in Vail if you are going east on I-70. It doesn’t matter how badly you want to go to Vail. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve dreamt of going to Vail. It doesn’t matter how good your intentions are or how high your hopes are to one day arrive in Vail. If you are headed east on I-70 from Denver, you will NOT end up in Vail. Why?!  Because as Andy Stanley, teaching pastor at North Point Church in Atlanta, said in his book Principle of the Path, “…certain roads lead to certain places, all the time.” And, our lives works the same way. Certain roads in life lead to certain places…all the time.

In chapter 7, we see a young man making a huge mistake in life. A mistake so severe that it’s going to affect him for the rest of his life. Unfortunately, the whole thing could have been avoided if he would have just put himself on a different path in life.

Prov. 7:24-25 says, “Now then, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to what I say. Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray onto her paths.”

If a man chooses the wrong path, he’s going to end up in the wrong place. A place he doesn’t want to be. It doesn’t matter where he wants to end up or where he hopes he will end up. All that matters is what path he’s choosing for himself today.

Like the guy in this chapter, we are all heading down very specific paths that are taking us to very specific destinations. Some destinations are good, and some are definitely not. The way you handle your money today will have a direct impact on your eventual financial destination. The way you handle your relationships today is taking you to a very specific relational destination. The way you work at your job is taking you down a very sure path.

Choose the path of life! Choose wisdom! That’s what chapter 7 is all about! Good intentions and high hopes will never get you and I closer to our dreams. We have to ask ourselves, “Is what I’m doing today going to lead me to where I want to be in the future?”

Talk to God about your life today. What are some of your dreams and desires for your life? Ask God to help you make decisions today that will put you on the right path that is headed in the right direction. That way, you’ll end up exactly where you (and God) want you to be.

Have a great day!
Shawn

Twitter: @shawnjohnsonrrc

Facebook.com/shawnjohnsonrrc

Proverbs Chapter 6

Welcome back to Riddles of the Wise. Today, we’re looking at chapter 6, which is packed with practical advice. You may be looking for answers to some big questions in your life today. I believe this chapter will begin helping you answer some of those questions.

Lets re-read Proverbs 6:1-6,

“My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger, you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth. So do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: Go—to the point of exhaustion—and give your neighbor no rest! Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids. Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler. Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer, and gathers its food at harvest."

In my opinion, this is a giant flashing warning light for you to avoid bad commitments. Don’t get into a debt that you may not be able to pay off. Don’t commit a significant amount of time to a project/cause/job without knowing that you will still be able to grow your relationship with God and your family as well. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. In other words, don’t over commit!

Solomon is very careful to make sure that we don’t take this message as a license for laziness though. In fact, he hammers home the importance of working hard so that we don’t end up in poverty. Ants are a perfect example of great work ethic. They work hard right now, save right now, and work together right now, so that they know they will have enough later on.

This is the opposite of getting into crazy debt just so that you can have something you want now, hoping you will be able to magically pay it off later. Solomon says if you do that, you’ll be like a gazelle in the sights of a hunter, or a bird stuck in a trap! You’ll be miserable. It might not cost you your physical life, but it most definitely could cost you the life that God wants you to live. Think about how many families have been ripped apart due to the pressures of debt and time commitments that have overloaded the family with stress and distance. Many of our problems today are not the result of laziness; they are the result of over commitment!

Are you over committed in an area of your life today? If so, what needs to happen to begin to break free? If you’re not over committed at the moment, let chapter 6 be a caution to you as you move forward in life, especially in the area of money.

He wants to be a part of your life today. He wants to guide and protect you…but it’s up to you to let Him.

Have a great day!

Shawn

Twitter: @shawnjohnsonrrc

Facebook.com/shawnjohnsonrrc

Proverbs Chapter 5

Welcome to day 5 of our daily Proverbs devotional. Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, shares some wisdom with us in this chapter that can change the entire course of your life, without a doubt. He uses the metaphor of an adulterous woman to represent the temptation of sin in our lives.

Sin always has real consequences. Sometimes they are immediate, but other times the consequences take a long time to manifest. In verses 11-14, Solomon describes one of the worst consequences of sin – to get to the end of your life, look back, and be filled with regret and disgrace. God doesn’t want that for you.

Yet, we all run the risk of giving into temptation when we are tired, angry, or discouraged. No one sets out to live a life that leads to “utter ruin.” It happens when we don’t seek wisdom or live our lives with intentionality. Therefore, this chapter tells us to not even go near the path of temptation.

When I first became a Christian, I was so nervous that I’d just drift back into a life of drugs, alcohol, and partying. One of the best pieces of advice I received as a new Christian was, “If you don’t want a haircut, stay away from the barber shop.” In other words, figure out what your biggest temptations are (people, places, objects, substances) and don’t go near them. Avoid them at all costs. At first, you might convince yourself that you can resist the temptation on your own strength, but don’t be fooled. Stay away, and trust God to remove the desire from your life.

Take this issue seriously because the stakes are high. Temptation derails people’s lives, marriages, families, jobs, and callings every day. Identify your vulnerabilities, understand the consequences, put boundaries in your life, and pray for God’s strength and peace. It’s so worth it, and you can do it!

Have a great day!
Shawn

Twitter: @shawnjohnsonrrc

Facebook.com/shawnjohnsonrrc

Proverbs Chapter 4

Welcome back to day 4 of our Proverbs study. Hopefully, you have been sensing the wisdom of God entering your thoughts and actions throughout each day. That’s the goal! As you submit to God and trust Him for guidance, you will see Him moving in your life. It’s amazing! If you haven’t noticed anything yet, you soon will. Be patient and trust in God’s promises.

Today, I want to zoom in on a few verses found in Chapter 4:

Proverbs 4:20-23, “My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight; keep them within your heart, for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

These verses stress the importance of “paying attention” to God. This world can become very noisy at times, drowning out God’s voice in our life. But, when we slow down and “turn our ear” to Him, we find rest and healing. Fuzzy things become clear. Hurts become healed. Relationships begin to mend. Our attitudes adjust. God’s voice brings us the essentials we need for a full, healthy life.

In these verses, we also see the immense value that is placed on our hearts (mind, will, and emotions). It says, “Everything flows from it.” Therefore, we must guard our heart. Guard it from worry, doubt, guilt, and bad advice. Guard it from anger, lust, rage, and envy. Our heart is the foundational source from which our approach to life and our relationship with God originate. When we keep God’s word in sight, our hearts change forever. God, the great physician, transforms us to be more like Jesus.

My heart was once rebellious against God. I wanted nothing to do with Him. Then, I surrendered, and He changed everything. He transformed me from the inside out. He can (and will) do the same in you. But, God doesn’t just change your heart once and that’s it. It is a daily, difficult (but life giving) process of submission, confession, surrender, commitment, and perseverance.

Today, determine what you need to do to get your heart right. Remember that God’s grace covers every sin and every bad attitude. Through His power, you can be set right. You may need to stay away from certain people, places, or media outlets to keep your heart right, but do it. Be diligent – it is the source of everything in your life!

Have a great day!

Shawn

Twitter: @shawnjohnsonrrc

Facebook.com/shawnjohnsonrrc

Proverbs Chapter 3

Welcome back!

Take a moment to notice that there is an envelope button in the upper right hand corner of this web page. If you ever have a question, please click that button and send us a note. We’ll try to address your question in an email sent directly to you, or I’ll answer it in a subsequent day’s devotion.

Yesterday’s question was, “How do I pursue wisdom?” First off, you should know that by spending time in the Bible on a daily basis, and reading these devotions…you ARE pursuing wisdom. I encourage you to get a notebook or journal to write down at least one thought that comes to you as you read each day. Then, pray that God will help you do what you sense He is telling you to do. Remember, we aren’t seeking wisdom from God just so we can be smarter. We’re seeking wisdom from God so that we can act on that wisdom. It’s putting God’s word and guidance into action that allows for real life change!

Another way to seek God’s wisdom is laid out for us in today’s reading.

Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

This verse says that when we submit ALL our ways to God, He guides us down the right path in life. To be honest, I wish it said “some” of our ways. Okay, I’d settle for “most” of our ways. But, unfortunately, it says to submit to Him in ALL our ways. It seems that total submission to God is a prerequisite to attaining wisdom and knowledge from Him.

I don’t know if you are like me, but I sometimes imagine a conversation going on between God and I like this:

ME: “God, I need wisdom. I need guidance. What do I do here?”

GOD: “Shawn, you focus on submitting ALL your ways to me. Then, I’ll make your path crystal clear.”

ME: “Right, I’m sorry. I must not have been clear. I’m not talking about obedience or submission, I need direction.”

GOD: “You fully submit, and I’ll then fully direct. It’s that simple, son. You’re not waiting on me for guidance; I’m waiting on you to submit. Then, I’d love to guide you.”

Take some time to do a personal inventory. Is there an area of your life that you have not fully submitted to God? A relationship? Your finances? A grudge? Or something you know God is calling you to do that you just haven’t done yet? Talk to God about it, and ask Him to help you fully submit. He’s your heavenly Father, He loves you, and He can’t wait to reward your obedience to Him with wisdom.

I pray that God will help you be honest with yourself. Stop making excuses and start trusting Him, even if it seems risky. I pray that your effort to fully submit will result in clear guidance and wisdom from Him.

Have a great day!

Shawn

Twitter: @shawnjohnsonrrc

Facebook.com/shawnjohnsonrrc

Proverbs Chapter 2

Welcome to Day 2 of our daily study in Proverbs. Remember to read the chapter we are on each day before going through these devotions. That way, you will have context for what the chapter says before we zoom in on a few verses for discussion.

The first 5 verses of Chapter 2 remind us that wisdom must be pursued. We must work for it, look for it, and hunt it down like a hidden treasure. It won’t just turn up in our lives without consistent intentionality on our part. It’s good to ask for wisdom, but it’s better to actually pursue it. God tells us in this chapter that when we pursue wisdom with all our hearts, we will begin to experience things like wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and success in life. That’s good news!

Lets look at verses 7 and 8 briefly. These two verses state that we will be granted success if we are “upright,” protection if we’re “blameless,” and guidance if we’re “faithful.” If you’re like me, you may read those verses and think, “Well, looks like I’m out. I’m not sure what upright means, but I’m probably not that. I’m definitely not blameless. As much as I try, I fail at being faithful more times than I’d like to admit.” We can often read scriptures like these and subsequently convince ourselves that we are beyond disqualified from what God is promising. However, we must remember that upon repentance, we are made perfect and “blameless” in God’s sight.

1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

When we repent, we are made perfectly righteous in God’s eyes. That means that we DO qualify for the wisdom, guidance, and protection that God is promising in this chapter. Take some time today and talk to God about any areas in your life where you know you need forgiveness, and then repent if necessary. Tell God that you want to put Him in the driver’s seat, and completely surrender your life to Him. 

The later parts of this chapter say that when we live life with a spirit of humility, submitting to God and seeking his direction, He guides our path toward prosperity. He helps us avoid mistakes that lead to all kinds of regret and heartache, and He helps us stay on “every good path.” Be excited that you are putting Him in control, and that He is leading you towards the specific future he has planned out for you.

My prayer for you is that you would begin to experience unexplainable PEACE from God as you confess and give Him control. No matter what you’re dealing with in life right now, you can rest in the fact that He is in control, He has a plan, and He is working in your life.

Have a great day!

Shawn

Twitter: @shawnjohnsonrrc

Facebook.com/shawnjohnsonrrc

Proverbs Chapter 1

Welcome to the Proverbs daily devotional called “Riddles of the Wise.” My hope for you is that God speaks powerfully to you through each chapter. I pray that God guides you where you need direction, and encourages you where/when you need it the most. And, I pray that He gives you wisdom beyond measure.

The first 7 verses of Chapter 1 lay a solid foundation for why we chose to spend a month studying this book together. Proverbs offers timeless wisdom, instruction, understanding, guidance, and knowledge. We want to pursue these things as a church because they are deeply important to the life God wants for us. He wants to get involved. He wants to help you, lead you, protect you, and empower you. By spending time in His word daily, you are opening the door to God’s voice, allowing him to get involved in every aspect of your life. Re-read those first 7 verses, and start getting excited about what God wants to share with you.

I love the way verse 8 starts out, “Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction.” God refers to us as His children in this verse. Getting into the book of Proverbs this month isn’t just about getting instructions from God, it’s also about moving into a closer relationship with our heavenly Father. We are His children, and every now and then we need to be reminded of that. Take a moment and talk to God about the things in your life where you need the most wisdom and guidance. Give him full permission to lead you in those pursuits and decisions.

As the leadership team of Red Rocks Church, we often pray, “God give us wisdom beyond our experience.” We pray this way because we feel like we’re in way over our heads. We need to be wise in areas that we’ve never experienced before; therefore, we ask for wisdom that goes beyond our personal experiences. I want to encourage you to pray the same thing. Ask God to help you make the tough choices and big decisions in ways that not only honor Him, but also take you toward the amazing future that God has planned for you.  

I’m looking forward to a wisdom packed month with each of you.

Have a great day!

Shawn

Twitter: @shawnjohnsonrrc

Facebook.com/shawnjohnsonrrc

Welcome To Riddles Of The Wise

Thanks for joining in on our search for wisdom. God tells us in His Word that if we seek Him we will find Him.​ He tells us that we can all ask for wisdom and it will be given to us in great measure no matter who we are. This site is dedicated to helping us in that venture. 

““If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask God, that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.””

— James 1:5-6