Back to Proverbs…

Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established. (Proverbs 16.3, ESV)

A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps. (Proverbs 16.9, NKJV)

As I wrote before, we are taking on a move that requires downsizing. Downsizing requires getting rid of furniture we can’t use. These verses say that we can decide what to do, but God works the details.

I’ve already written about a “chance” meeting with a pastor who took my theology books. Another pastor (not by chance!) came and took what was left of my Christian books to give away and is sending them to a seminary in India. Praise the Lord.

Just a couple of years ago, we decided to upgrade the bunk beds in the grandchildren’s room. I had to pay a junk remover to take away the existing beds. Now, here are these two sets of bunk beds, almost brand new. What to do?

I wasn’t quite ready to have them picked up since our daughter Melody and her daughter Liana were coming for a quick visit, but I did list the small dresser on NextDoor. A lady said she wanted it and would come the next day. When someone else asked for it, I told him it was spoken for. When the lady came with her husband the first thing they said was, “Are you getting rid of the bunk beds also?” Long story short, they’re setting up a room for four grandchildren! “How much do you want for the bunk beds?” I’m finding that free is the price most people are willing to pay, but these folks were glad to have two new bunk bed sets for $100. And I gave them the kids’ rocking chair…it was MINE when I was three years old! They love it.

The theme continues. Give stuff away, make people happy. And God directs our steps by bringing us the right people.

It is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2.13, ESV)

Fred Smith, founder of Federal Express, died recently at the age of 80. I’ve always loved the story:

Fred Smith was near the end of his junior, or third, year at Yale in 1965 when he dashed off an essay proposing a “hub-and-spoke” system for parcel delivery. His plan involved collecting parcels from local depots and transporting them to a central hub for overnight sorting before delivering them to their destination the following day. “If a hospital in Texas needs a heart valve tomorrow, it needs it tomorrow,” he said, recalling a time when American parcel deliveries routinely took days or even weeks.

The idea was not original. “It had been done in transportation before: the Indian post office, the French post office. American Airlines had tried a system like that shortly after the Second World War,” he said. However, his professors were lukewarm and supposedly awarded his paper a C grade, although the essay itself was lost and its author later claimed not to remember the details.

Smith turned his paper into Federal Express… – from The Times, a UK Company

By the way, do you see the arrow in the FEDEX logo? I didn’t until someone pointed it out.

Jason Riley wrote a beautiful piece, published by the Wall Street Journal on June 24: What Public Schools Could Learn From Fred Smith. I don’t want to focus on the lessons for public schools, which is that competition improves everybody, but on two other points about Fred Smith and other wealthy entrepreneurs.

The article opens:

FedEx founder Fred Smith, who died last week at age 80, was a committed philanthropist. He sank millions into renovating sports stadiums, funded zoo exhibits, and endowed scholarships at historically black colleges and universities.

Jason is making the point that these “evil billionaires” as some characterize them are doing a lot of good with their wealth. He mentions Thomas Edison, Andrew Carnegie, and Bill Gates as other examples of philanthropy.

Generosity is a good thing as I wrote recently. But it’s Jason’s second point that flipped my switch:

Smith’s legacy almost certainly will be how he made his riches rather than how he spent them…

The Ford Foundation has spent billions of dollars on poverty initiatives, human-rights advocacy and other selected causes, yet Henry Ford’s most significant achievement was developing the moving assembly line in the 1910s, which transformed manufacturing. Ford made automobiles accessible to America’s burgeoning middle class, expanded job opportunities, and accelerated the expansion of related rubber and steel industries.

John D. Rockefeller likewise grew fabulously wealthy by revolutionizing an entire industry while improving the lives of others in the process. The rise of Standard Oil led to cheaper prices for oil and oil byproducts, including kerosene and gas. More goods could be transported over greater distances at lower cost and in less time. The everyday man could illuminate his home at night and no longer had to stop working when the sun went down. Rockefeller’s money gave us the University of Chicago, Colonial Williamsburg, and New York City’s Museum of Modern Art, but his ambition made immeasurable contributions to U.S. productivity.

In other words, the work of these men made a difference in the world. Fred Smith revolutionized shipping and even indirectly forced the US Post Office to improve its services. Henry Ford made cars available to everyone, and Rockefeller made the fuel the cars needed more affordable.

As I have written before, work is important. Our work is a continuation of God’s work in the world. We serve people by our work, just as Fred Smith, Thomas Edison, John D. Rockefeller, and Henry Ford did.

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation. (Genesis 2.1 – 3, ESV)

Six days you shall labor, and do all your work… (Exodus 20.9, ESV. Also Exodus 23.12, 31.15, 34.21, 35.2, Leviticus 23.3, Deuteronomy 5.13)

We’re talking about responses to change. We can…

• Embrace the change
• Accept the change
• Ignore the change
• Resist the change

The question is, how do we know when to do what? How did Daniel, for example, know that it was OK to study Chaldean literature but not OK to violate Jewish dietary laws?

I’ll suggest three possible sources of our decisions with the understanding that we often get these mixed up. See what you think.

• Precepts
• Principles
• Preferences

Precepts: what does the scripture say? They built an abortion clinic right in my neighborhood! Why don’t I just bomb it? Or assassinate the government leader that allowed it to be put there? Why not do those things? Scripture is clear:

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 1 Peter 2.11 – 16, ESV)

Principles: sometimes scripture doesn’t speak to an issue directly, but there are principles. Andy Stanley has suggested a simple question: “What does love require?” Finding and acting on the appropriate principles takes maturity and skill. That’s why we give our lives to knowing God and doing his will:

For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel. (Ezra 7.10, ESV)

“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. (1 Corinthians 6.12, ESV)

Preferences: the problem is we think our preferences come from precepts and principles. I don’t like the music we do in our church! They should change it!! Music style is a preference even though some have tried to make the Bible support their preference. Read Psalm 150. God seems to like all kinds of music. Randy Pope, pastor of Perimeter Presbyterian in Atlanta, suggests that if I don’t like a particular song, I look around to see if anyone else likes it. It’s a great application of Philippians 2:

…in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2.3, 4, ESV)

This is just a quick overview of ideas. Putting them into practice is more difficult. Just remember there are four responses to change, and we must choose one. Let’s pray to choose wisely.

I mentioned yesterday that Daniel’s ignoring the king’s injunction against prayer is an example of one of four possible responses to change. There may be others, but these are the four that I’ve come up with as observed in Daniel 1 – 6. When change is initiated, there are four ways we can respond. We can…

• Embrace the change
• Accept the change
• Ignore the change
• Resist the change

We can embrace the change. Yes! That’s a really good idea. Let’s give it all of our energy! Daniel responded this way with respect to “the literature and language of the Chaldeans.”

Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans…As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king. And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom. (Daniel 1.3, 4, 17 – 20, ESV)

We can accept the change. Things are the way they are, and there’s nothing we can do about it. Daniel didn’t choose to be taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar:

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god. Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility… And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus.(Daniel 1.1 – 3, 21, ESV)

Daniel was a captive in Babylon from when he was a teenager until in his 80s! Sometimes, acceptance is the only course of action.

We can ignore the change. We saw that yesterday in Daniel 6.

When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. (Daniel 6.10, ESV)

Finally, there are times when we must resist the change. Daniel did not resist learning “the literature of the Chaldeans,” but he did resist the food they wanted him to eat.

But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. (Daniel 1.8, ESV)

Daniel respectfully proposed a test that would allow him to stay true to his Jewish roots and protect the guy who was in charge of the captives. You can read about it in Daniel 1.5 – 16.

Four responses to change, and how do we know which to choose? Let’s explore that tomorrow.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. (James 1.5, ESV)

I closed Saturday’s blog, A Tale of Two (metaphorical) Women, with this quote by author David McCasland, reflecting on the life of Joseph (Genesis 37, 39 – 50):

You always have a choice. It always makes a difference.

Besides Joseph, no one exemplifies this better than Daniel. I was reflecting on the Daniel 6 story we all think of as “Daniel in the Lion’s Den.”

The story sets up at the end of chapter 5:

That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old. (Daniel 5.30, ESV)

Like Joseph in Genesis, Daniel’s success as a leader is marked by his integrity:

It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. (Daniel 6.1 – 3, ESV)

The officials “should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss.” But the officials didn’t like that! Corruption in government is always with us, apparently.

Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. (Daniel 6.4, ESV)

How many government officials, or officials of any kind (church!?) are faithful with no error or fault…an excellent spirit? For example, in our area, the pastor of a well-known church has just stepped down over integrity issues.

Back to Daniel, these corrupt government officials got Darius to sign a law forbidding prayer to anyone except the king. Too bad the king forgot to consult Daniel, who obviously wasn’t among the group that got the law passed.

Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction. (Daniel 6.9, ESV)

Daniel’s response?

When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God. (Daniel 6.10, 11, ESV)

Of course, Daniel was reported to the king who had no choice but to follow his own law:

Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” (Daniel 6.16, ESV)

And we all know the outcome:

As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. (Daniel 6.20 – 23, ESV)

Blameless before God…blameless before the king. Silly things happen when governments pass unnecessary laws. What harm is there to Darius if Daniel prays three times a day? What harm is there to anyone if Jack Phillips refuses to bake a cake? There are other bakeries. The same applies to today’s gender confusion. Why do we need laws telling people how they can talk?

PRAY for good government. It’s hard to come by. In fact, there’s only one good one:

Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end. He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.” (Daniel 6.25 – 27, ESV)

“His kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end.” Therefore, “tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever.”

And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever. (Daniel 2.44, ESV)

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. (1 Timothy 2.1, 2, ESV)

Your Kingdom come. (from the Lord’s prayer, Matthew 6.10)

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe. (Hebrews 12.28, ESV)

PS Daniel’s response, to ignore the king’s injunction against prayer is one of four possible responses to change, all in the book of Daniel. Stay tuned.

I’ve mentioned that we’re in the process of moving and downsizing, requiring us to get rid of A LOT of stuff. In my case, that means books, theological and otherwise, that I’ve carried around for years. As an example, I have my dad’s collection of commentaries by Harry Ironside, a very popular preacher in his day. I don’t like commentaries in general but I do like Ironside – practical, not technical.

Hence, what to do? It seemed a shame to send them the way of my World Book Encyclopedia! I included some in a box of books I sent to my friend Josh Good who serves with Christian Endeavor, an international youth discipleship organization. I wrote to my friend Jason, the executive pastor of The Ascent Church to see if anyone there wanted them. Jason said that Jonathan, the youth pastor, was interested, but several days went by, no hear.

In the meantime, last Friday I walked up the street where our neighbors were having a garage sale to ask if I could put some things out with their stuff. While we were visiting, a guy came and bought a few books. As he left, I asked him what he was looking for. “Oh, just some books for my kids.” I said, “You’re in luck! I’m moving, and I have kids’ books. Come to my house.”

As we were walking in, I asked what he did. “I’m a preacher.” “Really? Where?” “The Ascent Church.” Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding! It wasn’t Jonathan who had expressed interest, it was Joel who had seen my email but hadn’t paid much attention to it. To make a long story short, he left not only with some books for his kids and their cousins, but with two boxes of my theology books, including all of my Ironside.

You can’t make this stuff up, and I couldn’t have orchestrated it any better. As I wrote yesterday, “You give stuff away, you make people happy.” And these are books that could go only to a very small target population.

God has gone before us each step of this move, and this is another example.

And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. (Isaiah 30.21, NKJV)

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3.5, 6, NKJV)

Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day. (Psalm 25.4, 5, NKJV)

Proverbs 11 records great promise for the generous person. We’re in the middle of a downsizing move, and there’s a lot to get rid of. I have a chance to be generous! As my son Matt said, “You give stuff away, you make somebody happy.” Unlike my World Book Encyclopedia set, some of my stuff has value, but I’m pretty sure it’s not worth the time and energy to sell it for that value. So I get to be generous, for which there are rewards.

There is one who scatters, yet increases more; And there is one who withholds more than is right, But it leads to poverty. The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself. (Proverbs 11.24, 25, NKJV)

This reminds me of a verse in my favorite psalm:

He scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever…  (Psalm 112.9, NIV1984)

And that verse is quoted in the classic New Testament passage on generosity:

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

As it is written: “He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.”

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. (2 Corinthians 9.6 – 11, NIV1984)

Amen.

I don’t usually write about cultural issues or criticize particular news media, but I can’t resist…

You’re Either One or the Other is the title of a children’s book written by Joy Wilt in 1980. I found it while sorting books for our upcoming move. Here is chapter one (one sentence per page, sometimes with pictures):

You’re a person, and because that’s true…you’re either male or female. A male person can be either a boy or a man. A female person can be either a girl or a woman. A boy is a male child. A boy grows up…and becomes a man. A man is a male adult. A girl is a female child. A girl grow up…and becomes a woman. A woman is a female adult. So you are either one or the other. Which are you?

The book goes on to describe boys and girls, men and women, using all sort of non-stereotypical examples, such as, “Some boys like to play sports…others would rather read books…some girls like to play sports, but Helen likes to spend her time doing other things.”

In short, You’re Either One or the Other is a common-sense book that explains the anatomical differences between the sexes as well as celebrates the differences within the sexes.

It’s a common sense book that is now heresy in some circles. Here’s CNN’s breathless headline on a recent Supreme Court decision:

The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for trans minors in a blockbuster ruling that will bolster efforts by conservative state lawmakers to pass and preserve other divisive laws targeting transgender Americans. – Devan Cole and John Fritze, June 18, 2025

It’s hard to know where to start…

• It’s not “gender-affirming,” it’s gender denying
• It’s not “care,” it’s harm

The CNN news article, NOT an editorial, contrasts with a balanced report from World, a conservative Christian news magazine that actually quotes people from both sides of the issue.

Ironically, the same day this report came out, I received this advertisement from CNN:

Stand with the facts. Your subscription fuels trusted journalism in a time when it matters most.

Here’s the fact on this issue:

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1.27, NIV)

Do you remember World Book Encyclopedia?

I threw our set away a few days ago. We bought it around 1980 when we had four young children, and we’ve kept it all these years. Four moves during that time, two after the kids were gone. But it’s not going to make the move we’re into right now (downsizing to a one-level house).

It still looked great on the shelf. The books were still like new. Some of the information in them is still valid, but some is not – you figure out which! But the value? Worthless. It doesn’t matter how much the set cost or its pristine condition. What matters is, hardly anyone uses paper encyclopedias anymore. All the information in any encyclopedia and MUCH MORE is available online instantly and free.

What an age to live in.

One day ALL of our possessions will have the value of my now tossed out World Book Encyclopedia.

• The things of earth will dim and lose their value
• If we recall they’re borrowed for a while.
• And things of earth that cause the heart to tremble
• Remembered there will only bring a smile. – From “Until Then” by Stuart Hamblen, 1958

…you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. (Hebrews 10.34, ESV)

But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. (1 Timothy 6.6 – 8, ESV)

PS I’m shocked to find out that World Book still publishes paper encyclopedias:

As the only general reference encyclopedia still published today, this set provides authoritative content on almost every topic to learners of all ages, from school-age readers to adults.

Whether you are looking up information to understand a subject, writing a research report, or checking a fact for a homework assignment, tens of thousands of index entries make it easy to find information. Abundant colorful photos, illustrations, and maps supplement the easy-to-read text. – from https://www.worldbook.com/world-book-encyclopedia-2025

Yours for only $1,175.00

Nonetheless, my 1980 version has no value.

We’re coming to the end of the Introduction to Proverbs. Chapter 10 begins a long section of the famous “one-liners” like…

A wise son makes a glad father, But a foolish son is the grief of his mother. (Proverbs 10.1, NKJV)

Chapter 9 echoes the CHOOSE theme from chapter 8 using two metaphorical women:

Wisdom has built her house, She has hewn out her seven pillars… (Proverbs 9.1, NKJV)

The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing. (Proverbs 9.13, NKJV)

Or, as Eugene Peterson puts it in The Message: Lady Wisdom and Madame Prostitute (see Proverbs 9.1, 13, MSG).

What’s fascinating is that the same language is used for each:

“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” As for him who lacks understanding, she says to him…” (Proverbs 9.4 and 16, NKJV)

But the messages are quite different:

• Wisdom: …Forsake foolishness and live. And go in the way of understanding.
• Folly: Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.

But Folly’s message isn’t true. The chapter ends with:

But he does not know that the dead are there, That her guests are in the depths of hell. (Proverbs 9.18, NKJV)

It’s a common theme in scripture:

I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live… (Deuteronomy 30.19, NKJV, emphasis mine)

And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. (Joshua 24.15, NKJV, emphases mine)

You always have a choice. It always makes a difference. – Author David McCasland in his book about Joseph