Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

The stingy are eager to get rich
    and are unaware that poverty awaits them.
Whoever rebukes a person will in the end gain favor
    rather than one who has a flattering tongue.
Whoever robs their father or mother
    and says, “It’s not wrong,”
    is partner to one who destroys.
The greedy stir up conflict,
    but those who trust in the Lord will prosper.
Those who trust in themselves are fools,
    but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.
Those who give to the poor will lack nothing,
    but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.
When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding;
    but when the wicked perish, the righteous thrive.

• Proverbs 28:22-28

Proverbs 28:26 ”My brother Linden was a pretty good athlete. … His specialty was carving out a role as the class jokester.
“Much to my parents’ chagrin … they searched high and low for the key to unlocking his potential, especially academically. Finally he discovered what ignited his passion – dentistry.
“… It was in following the passion God had given him and pursuing the joy God had put in front of him. He continues to fulfill his purpose simply by being himself.
“That’s how it should be for all of us. We need a dream to follow, a passion to pursue, and a calling to recognize. We don’t fulfill our purposes by following others’ paths. We fulfill them simply by being ourselves. When we discover who we really are and what we are designed to do, it opens up a whole new world.”

• Tony Dungy with Nathan Whitaker, The One Year Uncommon Life (devotion for 30 March, Like No One Else’s)

The Message

Proverbs 28:22 seems to mirror many pastor’s sermons when it comes to the stewardship campaign.  But God wants us to be generous.  He blesses those who are generous.

We should not be the person who finds fault in everyone else.  If we are, we need to look in the mirror.  But Solomon is saying that in the long run, the person who gives heartfelt rebuke will be honored when the one being rebuked has corrected the bad behavior.  But those who flatter others not only condone the bad behavior but encourage it. At some point, the wages of that bad behavior will take its toll.

Dishonoring your mother and father is one thing, but stealing from them is even worse.  Solomon likens this to be a partner of Satan.

In Proverbs 28:25-26, Solomon calls the greedy what they are.  They trust money.  But those who trust God will prosper.  But those who trust themselves are fools.  Those who walk in wisdom will be safe.

I was a safety manager / director for a couple of decades.  No matter how many rules you enact to keep people safe, staying safe must be a life value.  You must have a certain level of wisdom to be safe in the workplace.  It is not cost effective to have a safety auditor behind each employee saying, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”  It must come inwardly, from the heart.  “If I did that, I could get hurt.  I might hurt someone else.  I might have to have rehab before returning to work, and I hurt my wife and children due to the lost income.”  If something like that does not boil up inside you, you will take a shortcut to get the job done.  And if you did not get hurt, you may be even more bold the next time you want to take a safety shortcut.  At some point, you are going to regret the first shortcut.

It is easy to close your eyes or avert your eyes when the poor are in your midst.  Do you even notice?  But God sees when those who have a heart for the poor assist them in one way or another.

This last proverb of Proverbs 28 is a bit strange considering the modern world of politics.  When you see a wicked ruler come to power, the righteous will hide along with those the wicked preys upon, but the cronies of the wicked ruler will dance in the streets, making those who are instantly disenfranchised hide even deeper in the shadows.  But when a ruler that is for all the people comes to power, those cronies of the wicked hide, but the God-fearing and Law-abiding will rejoice.  It is rare these days that a single evil person is in power, they need their henchmen to keep the people oppressed, but a good ruler does not need henchmen.  Yet, police are required to deal with the wicked.

And now let us sing.

The following song is God of the Poor.  This is sung by Graham Kendrick.  At times, the song sounds like a travelogue of social causes, but even if we are not an extremist in any of these causes, we need to realize that God is looking out for the poor and needy, the widows, the fatherless, and the world that we live in.

Closing Prayer

Dear Lord,
We need Your wisdom.  Help us to value wisdom.  Help us to see the needy and help them.  Help us to work toward having better elected officials.  Lord, may we never dishonor or take advantage of our parents, guardians, or elderly.  In thy Name we pray.
Amen

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.