LOCKET VERSES         WEEK 33

This verse contains both a warning and a positive encouragement.  We can almost hear an added warning with the verse: "Be careful, Christian:" when pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.  It is easy for us to think of pride being a part of the unsaved world, but it is only too true that pride can enter into a Christian’s life.  We are not talking about godly pride in the things that God does, in and through our lives, but the pride that is part of the self same sin that impelled Satan to try to exalt himself above the throne of God.  It was the same sin that caused his dismissal from Heaven and the loss of his position before God.  How we could be tempted to participate in this sin, which is the direct opposite of godly dependence, is hard to understand, but it is all too often true.  We need the constant warning: "Be careful, Christian!"  For us, the children of God, to be involved in pride and its activities, is shameful.  It brings shame to the position and name of Christ which we carry.  It damages our testimony and that of our Savior.  But it also brings with it the consequences of shame.  These include many things that would surprise the person who is full of pride: loss of respect from others, failure in true life goals, blindness to priorities and wisdom, falling into the traps of self reliance and foolish thinking.  All of these things are just the opposite of what pride promises its followers.  Satan tells us that if we indulge in self pride, we will certainly prove that we are the best.  But instead we just look small and foolish.  Pride is like saying, to ourselves and to others, "I am the greatest."  Ultimately, such an attitude will result in even trying to place ourselves above and beyond God and His control.  When we have self pride in any one area, we become insensitive to the counsel of others and the urgings of the Holy Spirit.  We become so wrapped up in ourselves that we forget to see the needs and concerns of others.  Think of someone who exhibits pride, and you think of someone who can easily become hard headed and cold.  Pride promises that we will get promotions but in fact, it will only bring us low.  Some of the warnings of God’s Word show us just what the consequences are: ...they will be taken in the devises that they have imagined. (Psalm 10:2), pride compasseth them about as a chain (Psalm 73:6), pride goeth before destruction (Proverbs 16:18).  We shame our dignity as Christians when we become filled with pride.  Pride will always cause a wall of separation between us and the blessings of God.  We can never lose our salvation, but we can lose the fullness of His Spirit, because we have allowed our hearts to be filled with self.  When I was first saved, I leaned many ways to illustrate the Christian’s relationship with God by a series of little drawings.  Before salvation, a heart was shown as being filled only with self, then upon receiving the Lord, inside the heart was drawn a cross (the symbol of the Lord).  But interestingly enough, the self was still lurking within that same heart.  As long as self remained in proper relationship with the Lord, there was victory.  But the moment self gave into pride and sin, it was as if self had replaced the Lord on the throne of that heart.  Control was turned over to self and, instead of the marvelous control of the Holy Spirit, there came "self control," clouded by improper motives and sin.  What pride offers to us and fails to deliver, humility can promise and fulfill in our lives.  Humility, or lowliness of spirit, places us under God’s control and recognizes Him as the rightful ruler of our lives.  With His control comes wisdom, joy, peace, fellowship with the brethren and the respect of others.  Humility can only come when we consciously honor the Lord and realize our dependence upon Him.  Next time pride raises its ugly head and whispers in our ear, we need to think again of the wonderful purity of the Lord Jesus, remember His perfection and mighty power, and consider how far short we fall on our own.  Pride will certainly flee when we compare ourselves to our wonderful Savior.  The miraculous can then happen: as we submit to the Lord, in humbleness of spirit, He will fill us with Himself.  The things that will then happen in our lives can be those that will bring us godly pride, the type that will bring honor, not shame, to us and to the Lord!

Since we are woman, studying together, we will focus in on the first half of this verse directed especially toward us.  But let us linger for a moment on the second part: and strong men retain riches.  Assuming, logically, that this means spiritual strength, and does not picture a muscle bound man standing guard over a pile of riches, we can consider the teaching.  A man of spiritual strength will retain those things that have spiritual riches in his life.  He will be strong enough in the Lord to resist temptations to sin that would cause him to lose those riches.  His priorities and energies will be directed toward cultivating every area that would cause an increase in those riches.  He will be like the wise servant who invested the Master’s riches and received a ten-fold return.  He probably will also be able to retain earthly riches that are entrusted to him, because his spiritual sights and commitments will encompass all the areas of his life.  His finances will be committed to the Lord and the Lord will add His rich rewards even in this practical area.  As woman, we can apply all those principles to our own lives.  We need to be women of spiritual strength, who will retain spiritual and physical riches to the praise of the Lord and the profit of our families and ourselves.  Cartoon wives are most often those, like Blondie, who extravagantly spend with little regard to their husband’s finances, only thinking of self gratification.  Woman of spiritual strength will exercise wisdom and control, look to godly needs, and assist her husband in retaining riches.  She also will not squander the spiritual riches that are hers in Christ Jesus.  She is a princess in the kingdom of God and she will not waste the rich inheritance that is hers by birthright.  Which brings us back to the first part of our verse: A gracious woman retaineth honour.  When we live like the daughter of the Wise and Mighty King of all the earth, we will live in graciousness and honor.  The words that come from our mouths will be full of grace and well represent the Lord.  As a result, they will cause us to be viewed with honor.  Vile, angry or inappropriate words can destroy a woman’s testimony quickly.  Instead of being a woman seen as full of grace and honor, she will be seen as one due little proper respect by others.  This is very consistent with parts of the dictionary definition of honor: "high public esteem... high respect...such respect manifested...a source of credit...favor."  The graciousness exhibited in our lives will affect the manner in which others respond to us and to our testimony for the Lord.  Three other parts of the dictionary definition are most interesting: "an exemplary sense of personal moral standards and conduct," "a source or cause of credit or distinction; as, to be an honor to one’s family," and "chastity or purity in a woman."  Just to read these definitions of honor should make us realize the high spiritual commitment being talked about in this little verse from Proverbs.  We are to live our lives with an exemplary sense of personal moral standards and conduct which can only be a reality by allowing the grace of God to have free reign in us!  It is that type of living that changes a woman to a lady and, above that, to a "Christian lady."  To do less is to involve ourselves in sin.  Every area of our lives must be governed by this "exemplary" control and commitment.  Our interpersonal relationships, finances, discipline, habits, entertainments, marriages, conversations, actions, and thought lives; every area must be lived in a morality that exceeds that of the world.  As we conduct our lives, we must consider the second definition: that we would be a credit to the family of God.  What a high responsibility this is.  It is one that we should teach our children from the moment that they are saved, and remind ourselves of every day and in every situation of life.  Before us in life are a vast number of opportunities to give honor and glory to the family of God and to our Heavenly Father by our very actions.  They must be full of grace and honor or the shame will not only rest on us but on the Lord Himself, whom we represent.  How many times have you heard of a national scandal and wondered whether those involved considered that their personal actions would bring disrespect on their nation in the eyes of the world.  The devil delights in causing Christians to fall so that doubts can be placed in the minds of the unsaved upon the truth of the gospel of our Lord, which redeems us and places us in the family of God.  The third definition admonishes us to live our lives in chastity and purity as women.  It is not just for the young unmarried girl to consider this responsibility seriously, it is for all woman.  The manner that we live our lives in purity is an everyday responsibility and encompasses our marriage fidelity as well as other areas of moral commitment.  Living our lives in grace that allows us to retain honor is the highest calling of Christian womanhood.  Today and through the week, make this your consistent commitment: retain honor in all its richness and definition, and live the life of a Christian lady.

Oh, how I love this verse.  It has been set to music as a chorus and every time that I read it, the song echoes sweetly in my mind!  There are other verses in the Bible that talk of the Tree of Life being offered to us and the access we have to it as a child of God.  Stop and reread the verse carefully and think of the difference there is in this reference to the tree of life.  We, as the righteous, redeemed children of God, have the unique privilege of our fruit BEING a tree of life!  Think of it again.  The fruit demonstrated in our lives IS a tree of life.  Now that is shouting ground!  It is also a sobering responsibility.  Picture an orchard and the owner of that land.  He has planted the orchard, tended it, and nourished it, so that it will bear fruit in its season.  It would be unreasonable to consider the trees being unfruitful on a consistent basis.  If just one tree did not bear fruit, while the others did, the farmer would carefully inspect that tree and make certain that there were no diseased parts.  He would prune it and do all that would be required to help it to be more productive in the future.  But if it continued in that state, than the wise farmer would have it cut down and replaced with another.  The job of the tree was to bear fruit that would be used to nourish physical lives.  In the orchard of God, we are like those trees.  Our responsibility is to bear fruit.  God tends us and nourishes us.  If we do not bear fruit, His Holy Spirit carefully inspects our lives and applies the spiritual pruning shears in order to cut back that which hinders the fruit bearing.  But if we continue in unfruitfulness, we are warned that we will be cut down.  It is a sobering thought.  But if we are a fruit bearing Christian, our very fruit will nourish the spiritual lives of others.  As they partake of the fruits of our righteousness in Christ, many will be turned to the Lord and that fruit will have become a tree of life to them.  Our fruit is of two varieties: first the fruit of the Spirit ( love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Galatians 5:22), and, then, the fruit of souls brought into God’s kingdom as a direct result of our witness.  Our responsibility to be fruit bearing is all the more serious in view of the eternal consequences it holds for others.  Once, we rented a house in the late fall.  The next spring, I was delighted to see that one of the trees on the far side of the property was filled with blossoms, which I recognized as peach.  I was already envisioning the jars of jam I would make in late summer.  The tree put forth a goodly show and was filled with beautiful blossoms.  The little peaches started to form and the anticipation grew.  But, suddenly, in the course of a few days, all those little peaches shriveled and died on the branches.  That tree, which had shown a great display of promise, was really a failure.  I knew if any fruit was ever to mature on the branches, that in the fall I would have to prune the tree back.  Many Christians live lives that seem to give a good show, but the real proof is in their fruit that should remain.  That is dependent upon giving control over to the Holy Spirit that His fruit might be manifested in our lives.  Then we must be willing to have the Master prune our lives of the areas that would hinder growth.  And we must be "soul winners" as the last part of the verse admonishes us to be.  If we win souls for the Lord, if they partake of the fruit that becomes to them a tree of life, then we are wise.  In the book of Daniel, we are given a beautiful picture of how the Lord views the ones that win souls, those that are wise: And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. Daniel 12:3.  Dear Lord, I want to be a fruit bearing Christian.  Help me never to be like that unfruitful peach tree: full of show and vanity, but empty of true value for You.  Help me to give to You fruit that will remain, not just in my own life, but in the lives of others as they are turned to the true Tree of Life, the Lord Jesus.  Lord, it is exciting to think of the promise You give that we can shine as the brightness of the firmament.  Help me to shine for You even today.  Help me to be wise, to be concerned for souls, and to lead others to You in salvation.  As I witness, so bless that witness with Your Holy Spirit’s power that the fruit will ripen and remain.

Each one of us has been tempted to lie.  It is one of the most consistent tools of the devil.  When we are tempted, we should remember this verse!  Only a moment’s consideration will help us to see that we should choose the lip of truth.  We might think of ourselves in a court room of justice, under cross examination for the words that have passed from our lips.  As the evidence is presented in each case, it will clearly show whether the truth or a lie was spoken.  If it is a lie, that is known in a moment of time, and counted as worthless, vain and sin.  But if it was the truth, God, Himself, shall establish it for ever!  Our testimony will be verified and we will stand proclaimed righteous for all to see!  There are no gray areas, no shadows of "maybe" conduct, it is either true or false.  When we are tempted to lie, it is most often because we think we can escape incrimination or punishment over something that has happened.  But this verse tells quite plainly that the opposite will be true.  If the lie is spoken, it will only last for a moment of time, then when our sin is revealed, we will have a deeper guilt.  The warning is true: "Be sure, your sins will find you out!"  But when we speak the truth, even if others do not believe us at first, God gives us the strong assurance, our words will be established forever.  God always establishes forever those things that are pure and righteous, and so He will with our words of truth.  Not only is this true in respect to our personal words, but to our witness and stand for the Lord.  All words that are not in accordance with the Word of the Lord are as lies.  This includes false religion and deceptions of evil doers.  Often in confrontations with such forces, we seem to be on the losing side.  But, never fear, our words will stand eternally, while theirs will fall to the ground as little sprouts that spring up for a moment but are soon withered and die.  What a wonderful Reward Giver, the Lord is.  For our obedience to the truth, He will reward us eternally!  Think of all the men and women that died at the stake and in other ways for their stand for the Truth of the Word of God in years gone by.  It seemed that the forces of evil had triumphed, but that victory was only the hollow victory of the world.  The real victors were those that took the stand for the Lord.  Their testimony is upheld in Heaven and even on the earth, as we look back.  It is upheld forever!  There really is no choice but to speak the words of truth!  This verse should be taught to every child.  Over and over in their young years, they will be tempted to tell a lie.  Sometimes it will be in a vain attempt to cover a sin they have committed.  Those words will bring the heat of shame to their cheeks and, as soon as the moment of their saying is past, God in His great Parental love, will consistently expose the falsehood of the words and the truth of the situation.  God wants little children and His grown children to learn, "Do not live for the moment, child.  What you do has results in eternity."  What starts as "little" lessons in childhood, should apply to our wider scope in adulthood.  Our lies do have consequences.  God desires honesty in our every part.  He holds out forgiveness and cleansing for deeds, when we not only confess them but truthfully acknowledge their doing.  As parents, we told our children that if they did wrong and confessed it to us, they might receive punishment for the wrong, but always our respect for their telling the truth.  But, on the other hand, if they lied to us about a wrong doing, they would not only be punished when we surely would find out the truth of the matter, but receive double for telling the lie.  The lie would have stood for momentary deceit, but telling the truth would be a shining step in the ladder of maturity which would have eternal results in their lives.  When we realize that the little word truth is also one of the names that Christ applied to Himself, we should be doubly sobered when we are tempted to lie.  The choice is, simply put, between following the father of lies, the devil, or walking closely beside Christ, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. (John 14:6)  The choice is ours.  The path of eternal delight or the monetary by-path that brings us quickly, in a moment's time, into a dirty, dusty pathway which when watered by our tears of confusion, can mire us in the soon forming mud.  Let each of us walk in the sunlit, clean swept paths of Truth today.

Here is another verse that I just love!  It is a wonderful verse to encourage someone in Scripture memorization.  It has a wonderful cadence to it.  Read it again out loud and emphasize the word "no."  It is almost memorized with one saying!  The way of righteousness is explained by the Lord Jesus in John 14:6, when He said, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.  The Lord our Righteousness, Jesus Christ, is the way of righteousness to the believer.  When we receive the Lord in salvation, we not only have found the way to the Father, but we have been set "in the way" which is the Lord Jesus, Himself.  That way leads to Heaven and as we travel down that way in our earthly life, we find it to be full of joy and pleasantness.  Along that way we become more and more acquainted with the Lord our Righteousness and with the principles of righteous living.  That is when real life can be a present reality to us.  Some Christians fail to see that Christianity is not just a promise of future joy, peace and happiness, but a possession in the present.  While others may say, "My life is full of drudgery and woe," and that they are part of the rat race down life’s road, we can proclaim, "My life is full of the fruits of righteousness, which make my way through life completely different."  These fruits of righteousness are spoken of in Philippians 1:11: Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.  What a pleasant path it is indeed when all the way is lined with beautiful fruitful boughs, shading the way from the heat of the day.  Picture a lovely spring day on a rural country lane.  The way is covered with lovely smooth stones of glowing colors, the fragrance of a soft sweet smell is floating through the air, and overhead are the lacy patterns of blossoming fruit trees, filtering the rays of the sun.  It is a place that inspires you, yet a place where you feel full of peace and comfort.  It is a roadway whose sights almost take your breath away, and yet there is strength in the journey.  All these things and more can be said about the way of righteousness that we travel along after our salvation.  While all the unsaved world must walk a different pathway, full of danger and hidden pitfalls, our path lays shining in the sunlight of God’s mercy.  On that pathway there is something important that is missing: death.  Spiritual death is completely removed and forbidden on that pathway.  It is as if a road block has been set up by the Father, kept by angels with flaming swords, who block any entry by that enemy of our souls, spiritual death.  We have been passed from that death into life eternal.  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. John 5:24  The secure road block is found in the promise and declaration of the words of Christ, Himself.  Even physical death, which will come to all that enter that pathway, unless they come upon the sign post for the Rapture, is just the step up on the pathway to higher ground.  How amazing, that which was pronounced on Adam and Eve and all their descendants, that which holds the greatest threat and fear, is forever barred from our pathway by the Lord!  There is NO death in Christ Jesus our Lord.  We have eternal life and no harm can come to our souls.  Take time today along your pathway stroll to smell the blossoms and rejoice in the light of His love.  You are safe on that pathway, dear friend.  Never lose sight of the great gift God has given to you when He placed you on His way!

Throughout America today, there are thousands of people who are rushing headlong into disaster, illness, marital problems and depression, all for the sake of trying to gain worldly riches.  Fathers will turn their backs on their children, mothers will neglect their families, and the children will grow up without any knowledge of real love, as the dollars roll in.  Churches will stand nearly empty, missionaries will lack the funds they need to get to the field, and the prayer closet will stay vacant, because the god of some has become the dollar bill.  In the process of becoming rich, but never quite as rich as they want to be, they have nothing of real value.  In their homes are all the modern electronic gadgets, in the closets are designer clothes, yet in their hearts is a vast emptiness meant for God alone.  At death, their coffins are lined with the finest silk and their headstones are intricately carved.  But no matter what show the mourners make, as soon as it is time for the will to be read, all the tears will be completely dry.  And for the deceased, there will be greater emptiness still.  For on the other side of death, they could take none of what they had sold their souls for, but find endless pain and despair in an eternity without God.  Yet, there is another type of person, one who puts God first in their life.  Their home may not have as many gadgets or costly "things," but within the walls is a richness of love.  Instead of rushing out to make yet another dollar, they take time to communicate with their loved ones.  On Sundays, they are together as a family in their church, fellowshipping with the Lord and with their brethren in Christ.  As the offering plate is passed, they joyfully place in their tithe and then turn to the Lord in heartfelt prayer, praising Him for His goodness.  At death, the tears of loved ones are genuine, but also filled with the wonder of peace that comes in knowing the departed is in the palaces of Heaven sharing in the eternal riches of the Lord.  How do you compare the two?  There is no comparison.  The riches of this world will all pass away and their followers with them, but those that possess the eternal riches of Christ the Lord will shine in Heaven forever.  Even as a Christian, one can get caught in the trap of striving for earthly gain only.  There are many Christians who have dropped out of church because they can no longer take the time away from worldly gain.  They would seldom admit, but perhaps it is a little too convicting to be in God’s house when their hearts are not right.  God constantly calls them back and pleads with them to see what the true riches of life are.  His promises are always true: if we seek those things that are a part of God’s kingdom and glory, He will reward us with the type of riches that can never rust or pass away.  These are riches that only make one’s heart glad and one’s family full of joy.  The choice is ours every day.  While we need to make money to care for our families and to meet the needs of living, we need to take care that it does not become our primary motivation in life.  A friend used to say when asked what his job was, "My job or career in life is being a Christian.  The place that I go to work is a means to support the work of Christ."  What a good priority.  By the way, he was very successful in his business career and had a special love of giving that is rarely seen.  He had found the truth in his life: What a joy it is to be rich in Christ!  May we all share that treasure of living in and for God's eternal riches today.

We, who are redeemed and have found the wisdom of God in Christ Jesus, have escaped the snares of death.  When death had its mouth wide open, like the jaws of a steel trap, ready to grab us in its eternal clutches, Christ set us free, plucked us out of the jaws of death and set us into His eternal care.  Not only were we freed from the penalty of death, but in our living we find a fountain of life.  We can drink deeply from that fountain that flows with sparkling clear water that refreshes our soul.  What a joy it is to be cleansed in the fountain of life from all our sin and to emerge clean and healthy.  My children had a Christian fantasy novel in which the child that was seeking the "King" had to pass through a fountain.  When the child entered the water, he was dirty and weak, but when he came out on the other side, he was dressed in fine white linen, full of strength and a peace within.  Not only that, but before entering the fountain, he had stood on the other side of a deep pool through which he could barely glimpse the wonderful "King."  But afterwards, he was on the other side, being held closely by the hand by the King, Himself.  All around had changed.  What had been in shadow before was now in full light.  The cleansing of the fountain of life had given him fellowship with the King and life eternal.  Each one of us, as God’s children, had to go through a similar cleansing, and now we dwell eternally with our Lord.  Every day the fountain is available, and we need to drink deeply from it for daily cleansing and strengthening.  On salvation's side, the way is clear to the deep pool of refreshing and the Lord, Himself, is standing clearly in our sights as we pause to drink there.  The fountain is the Lord Jesus and our way to Him is through Bible study and prayer and deep communion with Him in our Spirit.  Our daily walk should always include a long stop for rest at the side of the fountain that flows by our pathway.  You know the spot: the one full of cool shade and restful sounds.  It gives us a refreshing that nothing else can.  Today on your life journey, pause for rest there.  Remember the day you were snatched from sin and death and made to drink of that fountain.  Remember how before you came to that fountain, you could only glimpse in a misty distance the figure of the Lord.  The sound of His voice was consistently calling, but the noise of the world had sought to drown it out.  The outline of His vestige was seeming to come closer and closer but you could not grab hold of His outstretched hand.  There was a spiritual thirst that could not be quenched and a inquiring of mind that had not found peace.  But suddenly, when you reached out with your hand and allowed the One near the fountain to grasp hold with His firm and steady grip, you were suddenly immersed in the fountain.  Its clear flowing waters washed the mist from your eyes and cleansed the sin plugs from your ears.  You could see His face, every lovely detail, and, not only hear the music of His voice, but understand every syllable of His speech which had seemed foreign to you before.  And as He lovingly lifted you up out of the cleansing depths of the fountain, He held out a golden cup full of its clear sparkling waters and said, "Here, drink fully of my cup."  It was as if there was an eternal quenching of your thirst.  Every cell of your soul seemed revived.  And deep within there was a peace that calmed your mind, yet seemed to open the blossoms of your inquiring to receive the daily nourishment of His Light.  Have you passed through the cleansing fountain of salvation in your life journey?  Have you heard the voice of One calling lovingly to you from its shores?  Come unto Me?  Take the soul cleansing plunge today and be washed clean as you are given salvation's grace to stand on the other side of the shore, in the land of His eternal love.  Are you a Christian who remembers the initial plunge in that fountain, but have failed to return to the clear flowing stream that issues into the new land in which you abide?   Then freely choose to drink deeply of the water again and again, finding its power flowing freely in your soul.  The stream is always there, near by your pathway, as God knows you need its restoring powers of cleansing and filling.  The water truly flows from the throne of God, in a steady stream straight from Heaven's portals to our earthly spirits.  Do you want a taste of Heaven today?  Drink at the fountain that flows for you, full of life and victory and joy.  It is a fountain of soul filling supply.  Be wise today.  Stop for a time of refreshing at the spring of His eternal waters.  In the law of the Lord is the fountain of life.  Truly the Lord is good to us!