5 The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.
7 The righteous who walks in his integrity—blessed are his children after him!Proverbs 20:5, 7
Earlier this month I spoke about how vision was important. I shared about how having a vision makes us more precise in other aspects of our being.
I also shared about how timing is important. I lamented about my own lack of timing while a friend of mine shared that it felt like she was always at the right place at the right time.
Earlier this morning I meditated on all of this, and came up with the conclusion which backed up my previous point: I maintain that integrity takes priority over having a vision and being in good timing, but it’s also integrity that would have us in rhythm. Integrity brings us into consistent motion, and when we are in rhythm we bring ourselves into good timing. We shouldn’t be pooling our resources and focusing our efforts on being in the right place at the right time, more than we should be concentrating on staying in rhythm… and it’s integrity that keeps us consistent.
Also, when it comes to vision, I was reminded that we may want to consider our past to determine what we want in our present and future. It’s important, because we’re telling each other and ourselves – more than answering ‘What Would Jesus Do’ in every single transaction and situation we find ourselves in, we probably should stay focused on answering ‘What DID Jesus Do?’
The more we realize and consequently appreciate how we’ve been saved in the past, the more grateful we get, and the more this translates to our actions and our desires for the future.
The more we thank God for His faithfulness in each and every situation we’ve had in the past, the more precise we are in our actions, should we ever cross paths with similar people or experience similar circumstances in the future.
Integrity, therefore, is not only superior to vision and timing – it is the starting point for our vision, the cause for us to be in rhythm, to hit perfect timing.
And sure as the Holy Spirit convicts us of our righteousness, so we’re also reminded in these verses I’ve shared here, that we are constantly brought back to walking in our integrity. Being new creations in Christ Jesus, integrity and reliability comes natural for us. Sure as Christ maintained His own integrity in His own transactions, whether with the Pharisees or His Disciples, so we’re able to operate in His integrity, no matter what comes our way…
…And, bonus, not only are we blessed with children, but our children shall be blessed.
Yeah, in my age, I just thought I’d go ahead and mention that and claim that.
Anyway, right – that first verse also reminded me that we do have the Holy Spirit with us as our Tutor and our Helper, but I am inclined to believe that He also brings people our way – folks of understanding, to be precise – to help draw out what purpose and vision we need in our own personal lives. If the Holy Spirit isn’t directly drawing out counsel from our hearts, let us not be surprised if people are brought our way, from Him, to demonstrate true understanding by way of revealing our purpose.
That right there is another perspective to how we’re to love one another, and how we’re to bear one another’s burdens in the body of Christ.
Let’s keep going.
15 There is gold and abundance of costly stones, but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
Proverbs 20:15
Integrity precedes vision. Integrity takes priority of timing.
Here, we see that knowledge; No, the lips of knowledge take priority and most likely precede gold and precious stones.
Off the bat, how can we go ahead and enjoy riches if we lack knowledge? How can we say we are blessed if lack of knowledge keeps us from seeing what blessings we do have in the first place? Indeed, it is as it is said in Scripture, particularly ‘my people perish for lack of knowledge’; Only this time we’re not only seeing those who lack knowledge die outright, but we shouldn’t be too surprised if we see those who scoff at knowledge suffer a great deal – mostly from the consequences of their non-knowledgeable actions.
But, hold on – lest we cast it aside, notice that it’s not just knowledge, but the lips of knowledge. I propose that we’re reminded here that it’s not enough for us to merely know things, but we should be able to share knowledge by way of our speaking. Jim Kwik says when we teach, we learn twice – Here, we’re saying when we speak, I suppose we hear twice. When we speak, when we use our lips, knowledge is not only propagated to others, but reinforced and clarified within us.
18 Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war.
Proverbs 20:18
And, again, where does this knowledge come from? Yes, it all comes from the Holy Spirit, but let us not think that it only comes from Him directly. The Spirit who brings men of understanding in our lives is the same Spirit who brings men of knowledge, counsel and wise guidance into our lives, depending on what season we’re experiencing.
Knowledge, counsel and purpose follow integrity… and while it’s the Holy Spirit who ultimately moves in our midst and IS our actual integrity, well, let’s not be surprised if He brings us people to draw it out from us, to trigger us.
22 Do not say, “I will repay evil”; wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.
23 Unequal weights are an abomination to the LORD, and false scales are not good.
27 The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD, searching all his innermost parts.
Proverbs 20:22, 23, 27
I feel like I’m being reminded, in this week in particular, that it’s not up to us to ‘move God’ to ‘fix’ our circumstances; We’re to trust Him, knowing that He has already helped us through Christ and His finished work… and as He has taken it upon Himself to save us so completely and absolutely, so we’re able to have peace in our circumstances – because He delivers us and rescues us at that level, as well.
We’ve experienced problems with easy solutions, but there are issues that are made more difficult because they involve factors beyond our control – the hearts of men. But in these verses I’m pleasantly reminded of (1) how the Lord is fully aware of what weights are unequal, and which scales are false, and, consequently, (2) if He’s able to discern weights and scales, He’s definitely able to search our own ‘hardware’ and ‘software’, our innermost parts, shining His light, and, more importantly, working on what is unequal and false.
What I’m saying is that when it came to administrative problems, we solved those with ease, sure, but in other issues which involve the hearts of people, well, we’ve waited on the Lord, we’ve seen His deliverance on His terms; Now, therefore, we don’t just have more reason to rejoice, but we also have that aforementioned peace – that the same God who has seen us through these seemingly complicated problems will also help us in issues long experienced, sudden calamity and ambushes, circumstances we couldn’t seem to shake ourselves out of, and so on, and so forth.
If there’s anything for us to do, it’s to pray. It’s to rejoice in the Lord, and to thank Him for His faithfulness to us, among other things, in all our situations – those we think we can handle, and those that are eating us up and have been eating us up for the longest time.
It’s the Lord who works in the hearts of people who wish nothing but the worst against us.
It’s the Lord who works in the hearts of couples who have had issues with each other and are impacting their families.
It’s the Lord who works in our own hearts, making all things new, and being sure to remind us that we are not only made new, but made better – better than anything that has died on the cross with Christ.
It’s the Lord who works in the hearts of those who have abandoned us, blocked us, and have cut all ties with us, and it’s the Lord who works in our hurting, confused, pathetic hearts.
…and whether it’s the Spirit who does the work Himself, or brings people of knowledge, wisdom and counsel to us… well, no matter how we see things unfold, we give praise.
Because, again, it’s the Lord who works.
Rejoice, therefore, and pray, and give thanks.
He deserves all the glory and praise, now and forever. Amen.
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