Proverbs 24:10... Critical Moments

10 If you falter in times of trouble,

       how small is your strength!

-Proverbs 24:10

Almost every basketball player dreams of taking the winning shot with seconds remaining on the clock.  Almost every football player fantasized about catching the “Hail Mary” pass just before the game ends to clinch a victory for his team.  Almost every person imagines themselves making the right decisions at the right moments to deliver incredible results.

Critical Choices During Critical Moments 

Proverb 24:10 illuminates the importance of making wise, correct and productive choices during “Critical Moments.” 

God Cancels Pity Parties and Issues Challenges 

If you find yourself closer to your goal than you have ever been, yet feeling so far from it.  If you find yourself thinking…

“I don’t want to quit now… But I am so tired.

I want to go on... But I am so wounded.

I have invested so much… But my resources are not what they were when I first set out to overcome this challenge…”

Imagine God lifting up your weary head, looking into your tear swollen eyes, and saying with the resolve of one that has trained you and sees His power in you (see John 15:5),

“If you falter in times of trouble, 

       how small is your strength!” 

If these words don’t feel like a comforting caress on the back, it’s because they are not meant to be… These words are meant to serve as a spark that ignites the blaze of courage and strength that God has placed in you (See 2 Timothy 1:7).  

These words are meant to set into motion God’s “Plan B” that He’s hidden in “Plan A.”  

These words are meant to remind you, “I have specifically selected you (fill in your name) for this critical moment to fulfill my critical purpose.   I have given you everything you need to overcome every obstacle, to get up from every fall and to secure the victory.  Now do it!” (See Philippians 4:19, Philippians 4:13)

Things to Remember about Critical Moments

A few things to remember about critical moments…

• Critical moments are opportunities that God uses to display his power through you. (See 1 Samuel 17:20-26)
• Critical moments generally occur during inopportune times.  (See Matthew 14:22-30)
• Critical moments appear and disappear quickly but to handle them most productively requires advanced, consistent and disciplined preparation.  (See Matthew 25:1-13)
• Critical moments require God’s power and courage.  (See Judges 3:10; Judges 15:14; Judges 11:29-33) the Spirit of the Lord came.)

Two of the Most Critical Moments

The two most critical moments we ever face are…

• Accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior (See Romans 10:9)
• Deciding Daily to Deepen Our Relationship with God through Bible Study and Prayer (See 1 Peter 2:2; Matthew 4:4; Romans 10:17)

Hint: Saying YES to Both is the Correct Answer J

I Will Use My “Critical Moments” to Create a Testimony of God’s Love, Power, Mercy and Goodness!

Proverbs 23: Zealously Loving God

“Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD” -Proverbs 23:17

Most of us have had moments in which we wondered…

 “What’s the point of doing the right thing?” 

“What’s the point of making tough but godly choices?”

“What’s the point of turning the other cheek?  Honestly, the guying doing the hitting seems to be in a better position than the guy doing the turning!”

The "Good Guys" Finish Last or Do They?

For me these moments tend to emerge when it seems like the “good guys (and gals)” are finishing last.  

An Understanding God

It’s challenging to see criminals with money to spare and hard working parents that can barely pay their bills.  Some days it’s tempting to envy the seemingly care-free lifestyles of the godless… It’s tempting to envy those that live by the code “God step out of the way!  I am in control and I am going to get what I want by any means necessary.”

God understands our challenge which is the reason he provided the insight recorded in Proverbs 23:17…

“Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD”

Wow!  God understands my temptation!  The first piece of good news is that if you’ve ever envied the ungodly folks that seem to always get ahead, your normal and your God understands those feelings.  (See Hebrews 4:14-16)

Benefits of Trusting God

Additionally, while God blesses everyone (See Matthew 5:44-46), there are many benefits to “zealously fearing (respecting, obeying) the Lord.”  I will encourage you to reflect upon three:

• Godly Success is Long Lasting, Ungodly Success is Short Lived  (See Psalms 37:1-2; Psalms 1; Proverbs 11:18 )
• Godly Success results in a Productive Life, Ungodly Success results in Disaster (Psalm 125:5-6; Proverbs 22:8; Galatians 6:7-8; Joshua 1:8)
• Godly Success Produces Confidence and Peace, Ungodly Success Produces Anxiety (Psalm 32:10; Psalm 37:3-6; Isaiah 26:3-4; Psalm 20:7)

I will Zealously (Passionately) Follow the Lord!

Proverbs 22: Gaining A New Appreciation for Humility

^"4 Humility and the fear of the LORD 
       bring wealth and honor and life."

-Proverbs 22:4

As I was reading Proverbs 22, the 4^th verse immediately spoke to me.  It reminded me that sometimes God’s strategy tends to be the polar opposite of humanity’s. 

Societal Recipe for Success

We live in a world in which the popular recipe for success is…

1 Cup of Self-Centered Behavior

1.5 Heaps of Self Promotion

2 Tablespoons of Impatience

And a Dash of Unmerited Boldness

God's Strategy for Success

However in the 4^th verse of Proverbs 22 we hear God asserting a different strategy for success… Humility. 

“Humility…” Not a popular word in a culture obsessed with being number one.  You can find countless books devoted to the subject of “Becoming Successful”  but finding a book on “Being Humble” is a bit tougher!  Yet, God says that humility (defined as having a “modest opinion or estimate of one's own importance”) is a crucial element in achieving an abundant life.

Why?  I’d bet it’s because humbling ourselves allows us to live out the second part of verse 4 which is “fear (or a reverential respect) for the Lord and His Word.”  (See  John 14:23)

Humility Required

God essentially desires us to accomplish two goals and guess what they both require?  HUMILITY

God instructs us to…
-Honor, Obey, and Respect God and His word  (Humility Required) 
-And to Unselfishly Interact and Care for One Another (Humility Required) 
(See Matthew 22:36-40 and Matthew 5:17-20)

Put Humility to the Test

Casually read the 10 Commandments and you will see that each and every commandment requires us to do one thing and that’s to humble ourselves  so we can unselfishly consider others and ultimately obey the Lord. 

(See Exodus 20:1-21)

Want to Give God a Gift?

Humility is an act of faith.  It’s our gift... It's our sacrifice to God.  Our humility says to God, “I am going to focus on obeying you and trust you to take care of me.”  (See Hebrews 11:6 and Matthew 6:25-34)

The best part about humility is that Jesus declared in Matthew 23:12, “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”  

Jesus can take you higher than you ever imagined!

(See Ephesians 3:20)

Today I Will Energetically Humble Myself to God’s Guidance!

Proverbs 21:11… Asking The Right Questions

¹¹ When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom; 

       when a wise man is instructed, he gets knowledge.

Proverbs 21:11

Just beneath the surface of Proverbs 21:11 is a wonderful truth… As children of God,

We are able…

We are entitled…

We are designed to identify a lesson in every situation that we observe or encounter. 

The Wise Have Broader Learning Styles

While the “simple” or unwise seem to only learn from the most brutal modes of communication (i.e. punishment, penalty or a terrible outcome), the wise (i.e. those that pursue and listen to Godly insight) are able to learn through both outcomes and instruction.

 We Always Have a Reason to Rejoice

As a result of being able to learn from outcomes and instruction, this text reveals another great truth which is as Christians we can rejoice in all situations because we know there is a “blessing (gift-wrapped) in the circumstances.”(See James 1:2-5 and 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) 

The question is, “How do we get through the circumstances to access the blessings?”  The answer is two-fold…

1. Trust God

Trust that God’s in control and using every circumstance to benefit you.  (See Psalm 84:11 and Psalm 23:6)

Want to understand this principle more?  Study the life of Joseph in Genesis 37:1–50:26.  

Don’t have time?  Try the abbreviated version…  Genesis 37 and Genesis 50:15-21

2. Ask the Right Questions

While it’s natural to ask questions like…  

“Why me?”

“ How could this happen?”

“ What did I do to deserve this punishment?”    

DO NOT get stuck here!!! 

Move on to the questions that demonstrate spiritual maturity and produce growth!

As Christians we must take advantage of the privilege of going to God in prayer and asking questions that produce growth and maturity such as…

 “God, What lesson are You  teaching me through this challenge and/or blessing?”

“ How should I respond to make the most out of this opportunity?”

(See Proverbs 3:5-6)  

God has a blessing in every circumstance…

I want to find it!

Proverbs 20: The Problem with Strife

³ It is to a man's honor to avoid strife, 
       but every fool is quick to quarrel.

Ever had a blemish on your face?  Most of us know that the best thing to do is to leave it alone.  However, what do most of us do? 

WE STARE AT IT!

WE PRESS IT! 

WE SQUEEZE IT!

The result… We make it worse.

In the end we find ourselves thinking, “I wish I would have left that minor blemish alone.  No one really even noticed it before I decided to be a ‘bathroom dermatologist.’  Now I’ve inflamed and bruised it and everyone sees the damaged I’ve caused.”

Our interaction with our facial blemishes illustrate the moral of Proverbs 20:3.  While it is tempting to “pursue, put to rest or squash” every annoyance that we encounter,  it is generally more beneficial and demonstrates greater wisdom to avoid strife.

A Few Questions to Consider Before Engaging in Strife... 

• Is this worth my time?  Our time is valuable… Our days are numbered.  If you were to die the next moment would you say, “I am glad I spent my last moments yelling at the guy that almost hit me while texting in traffic (See Psalm 90:12)? 

• Will argumentative words or a strife filled interaction solve the situation? Would our time be better spent discussing the issues that trouble us with the Lord in prayer and seeking his advice via the wisdom found in His Holy Word, the Bible? (See Phillipians 4:5-7)? 

• Would our time be better spent praising God for the way He can use every situation, problem and/or gift to bless our lives (See James 1:2-5 and Romans 8:28)?

Circumstances Can Make Us Better or Bitter… The Choice is Ours!  

I Choose Better!

Proverbs 19: To Grow or Not to Grow?

³ A man's own folly ruins his life, 
       yet his heart rages against the LORD.

-Proverbs 19:3

This is one of those scriptures that makes you laugh and cry at the same time.  It reminds me that we live in a world in which we’ve perfected the art of “Passing the Buck.”  It seems like every bad outcome is someone else’s fault these days.

Proverbs 19:3 demonstrates the height of “passing the buck” which is to blame God for the unsatisfying outcomes in our lives. 

One of the most difficult things in the world to do is admit “I was wrong.” However, the only way to improve our lives is to courageously ask God and ourselves questions like…

• What role did I play in creating this miserable outcome?
• How could I have handled this situation differently?
• What can I learn from this situation?
• How does God’s word indicate I should change my behavior or perspective to experience a more “abundant life?”

The Book of Proverbs talks a great deal about “Specific Actions Creating Specific Results.”

While self-reflection and change can be uncomfortable, here are couple of points that provide us with great hope!

• God will reveal to us areas that we need to address in our lives. (See John 16:8) 
• God will forgive us of any and all shortcomings. (See 1 John 1:9) 
• God will empower us to make needed changes. (See Philippians 4:13) 
• God will complete the good work that he started in us! (See Philippians 1:6)

God gives us the opportunity to grow... Let's accept His Offer!

Proverbs 18... Selfishness Sucks! (Especially When It's in Me!)

The very first verse of Proverbs 18 tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Hey buddy… This one is for you!” J

Proverbs 18:1 says, “1 An unfriendly man pursues selfish ends;  he defies all sound judgment.”

This proverbs says to me… “Be about others!  Don’t be so self-centered.  When people tell you that you are being selfish, there’s a good chance you are…  Humans are wired that way…. But you are a new creation in Christ.  God is making you different.... God is making you better...  Allow Him to have His way.”

Sometimes its very hard to even understand the extent of our selfishness.  We tend see others as selfish while we see ourselves as liberal in well doing.

A guy at my company passed along a great quote that I always think of when I am tempted to harshly evaluate, categorize or label others, which says,

“We tend to judge others based on their actions.  We tend  judge ourselves based on our intentions.”  Wow!  That's me! J

It reminds me of the wisest man’s words that ever walked the earth…

 “¹"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. ²For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.  ³"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ⁵You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.” Matthew 7:1-5

Jesus always says it best… He keeps it simple…

• God Blesses You with Riches Daily.  Share them with others…Two gifts God gives us each day are forgiveness and mercy.  (Lamentations 3:22-23 says, “22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”)

• Be honest with yourself… “Look in the mirror and stop calling a big problem (i.e. a plank)  small (i.e. a speck)!”

• Honest self reflection and the implementation of solutions  equals  credibility… If you focus on fixing your problem, people will notice you fixed it and ask you for help.  Right now you may be kind of like a lost person that wants to give out directions.

The plank I am going to work on today is selfishness.  Here’s the way I plan on implementing this Proverb…

Today…

• Instead of focusing primarily on me, I will attempt to focus more on others.
• Instead of focusing primarily on my prayer requests, I will focus on asking God to bless those around me.
• Instead of focusing primarily on the things people have done to me, I will focus on forgiving them.
• Instead of focusing primarily on the reasons other people annoy me, I will focus on the fact that they (like me) are God’s children and based on that fact alone… They deserve my love.

Today is going to be a good day because God is going to use me to be a blessing.

Time to reflect…

• What plank are you going to work on removing today?
• What specific step are you going to take to get that plank out of your way?
• How did the other verses from Proverbs 18 impact you?

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