This week was Chinese New Year. At Chinese New Year events they often give each person a loonie. What we will do for that is donate a loonie to Partners In Mission for each person here today.
The other thing I associate with Chinese New Year is what most of us associate with Chinese food. Fortune Cookies. I often think it would be neat to have a Christian Chinese Food Restaurant where instead of fortunes in the cookies there would be scriptures or proverbs.
So today I have proverb cookies – well proverb plastic eggs for us. Heather will hand them out. You can open yours up and look at it. Don’t lose it. I am going to ask people to read them out. And then we will share in a blessing from each one.
Who has Proverbs 3:5? Read it out please.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding
God confounds the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27); the sin of the book of judges shows just how much trouble can come when we ‘do what is right our own eyes’. The truth is God is smarter than we are, any of us. We can all make mistakes but God doesn’t. As we trust in Him, He will bring us through everything.
Our blessing from this for us today: As we all put our trust in God, He will do amazing things. More than we can even imagine.
Who has Proverbs 3:5? Read it out please.
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
when it is in your power to act.
We have heard the saying “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing.” It is important that when we have the opportunity to do good for someone that we not decline that opportunity. When we fail to do good for someone, we leave the door open for harm; so then let us a do the most good for everyone we meet.
Dear God, please help us to always do good whenever and wherever we are able. Amen
Who has Proverbs 4:27? Read it out please.
Do not turn to the right or the left;
keep your foot from evil.
This is important. I think many times in our world, we realize our errors in going too far in one direction and so to correct for that we swing far too far in the other direction. It is the pendulum effect. Rather than always looking to the left or the right, we need to keep focused on the Lord; that is the way to keep us from veering off into the sins of one extreme or the other.
Dear God, please protect our hearts from the temptations on the left and on the right. Please guide us on your path so that we may keep our feet from evil. AMEN
Who has Proverbs 10:12?
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
The Hebrew Word for fear here ‘yirah’ doesn’t mean being timid. It means more specifically feeling and showing deference, reverence, and real respect. It is the kind of respect one has when they are before a judge. You know that they are in charge. When we have this respect for the Lord, we will have all His knowledge and understanding available to us.
Lord, help us to always seek you with reverence and fear that you may make us wise. Amen.
Who has Proverbs 10:8?
The wise in heart accept commands,
but a chattering fool comes to ruin.
There are two parts to this. One is about the growth and blessing we have from accepting direction. The second is about talking too much. They are related. If we are talking, we are not listening. If we are not listening, we come to ruin. If your voice is the one squashing the quiet, your heart is not the wise one, learning. When we are tempted chatter on and on, we can resist and instead be still and listen to what God is telling us through others.
When tempted to chatter on and one, may each and all of us close our mouths tightly so that we may open our hearts to the commands and wisdom of the Lord.
Who has Proverbs 10:12? Read it out please.
Hatred stirs up conflict,
but love covers over all wrongs.
Martin Luther King Jr. said, ‘don’t let anyone drag you so low as to make you hate them’. Forgiveness is key to the whole Christian message. As we are able to love others, our adversaries and conflicts may just melt away.
Our blessing from this proverb is this: As we are able to accept and give the love of God, we are able to be free of the power of hate and all the conflict it stirs up. May it be so.
Who has Proverbs 12:1?
Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but whoever hates correction is stupid.
And who has Proverbs 10:17? Read that one out too please.
Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life,
but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.
These two proverbs are obviously related and very important. Discipline is so important. That is how we learn. Proverbs speak to discipline from others and discipline from God. I do believe that we are given lessons to learn from in all of our circumstances, and as we learn from them, we are more prepared for everything else that comes our way.
My prayer is this: that we will always be open to the Lord’s correction and heed His discipline so that through our faithfulness the Lord will show others the way of Life. Amen.
Who has Proverbs 10:19? Read it out please.
Sin is not ended by multiplying words,
but the prudent hold their tongues.
This is similar to what we heard about chattering bringing us to ruin. This proverb, I believe, is speaking more specifically about when we have made an error or done something wrong. If we keep speaking, justifying it, explaining it, and the like, it doesn’t make it better. It makes it worse. It is best just to hold your tongue and let healing take place.
May all of us know the peace that comes from holding our tongues.
Who has Proverbs 11:2? Read it out please
When pride comes, then comes disgrace,
but with humility comes wisdom.
When we always think we are the best, our surprises will always be disappointments. We can never learn if we are filled with pride. It is only when we realize that God can speak through everyone that we can listen and hear God when He does speak to us through others. When we puff ourselves up, life will pull us down; when we are humble, God will lift us up.
God help us to be humble that we may bring Glory unto you. Amen.
Who has Proverbs 11:2? Read it out please
It is a sin to despise one’s neighbour,
but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy
Matthew 22:40, Jesus tells us, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbour as yourself for this sums up the Law and the Prophets’. As we love God and one another and look out for each other, we will indeed experience all the blessings of the Kingdom of God. No matter what anyone does, may we never exchange the freedom that comes with love for the chains of hate.
Lord help us to always love others and to be faithful in serving You in all that we do. Amen
Who has Proverbs 14:29?
Whoever is patient has great understanding,
but one who is quick-tempered displays folly
People will say many things that are offensive. People will refer to others in ways you find objectionable. People will have political and religious views that are different than yours. People will do things that you do not approve of… when we react angrily and quickly to these things, we alienate others and refuse the opportunity to learn. Who knows, if we are patient rather than reactionary maybe we will discover that they were not saying what we thought they were or… we may even discover that we can learn from God through them. We can never learn if we are always angry. We can never truly show love if we are always responding in rage.
Dear God, please help us to listen and love rather and respond and be offended. Help us to be patient with one another. Amen.
Who has Proverbs 15:1?
A gentle answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.
This warning and blessing is similar to the previous one. Someone is going to be mad at you. Someone is going to yell at you. Someone may cry and scream at you. Someone is going to look at you in such a way to suggest that this is coming. Someone is going to say something that offends you. Someone is going to say something that upsets you. When you answer gently you will find that their wrath is turned away and terror is adverted.
May it be so. May we always be equipped to answer rage with peace, and hate with love. As the beatitude says, blessed be the peacemaker.
Who has Proverbs 15:17? Read it out please.
Better a small serving of vegetables with love
than a fattened calf with hatred.
This is comfort to us all. Whatever we have to share, let us share it. Whether it is a little or a lot, let us share it with love. We all know what is like to have a big fancy occasion ruined through strife. We all know what it is like to experience joy and love in the little things. May we show, experience, and be the love of God in both circumstances.
They will know we are Christians by our love.
Last One!
Who has Proverbs 16:3? Read it out loud please.
Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
and He will establish your plans.
In all that we do, let us seek the Lord. Let us seek His Face. Let us ask His direction. Let us commit to seek His guidance in all we do, for as we do, He will establish those, His plans that come straight from Him.
Let us pray.
Dear God,
Thank You for your encouragement and blessings that You show us through the Scriptures, the proverbs, and in every other way. Thank You for everything that You do for us and through us. Please help us to faithfully serve You, love You and learn from You in all that we do. Help us to be faithful even as you are faithful.
In Jesus’ Name Amen.
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