All in God's Word

Smoother Than Oil, Bitter As Wormwood

Trip Kimball
Proverbs Devo, Personal Faith, God's Word, Wisdom, Relationships

Some advice in Proverbs is pointed. Figurative language is used but the point made is hard to ignore, especially considering the author. King Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines. He knew a thing or two about women (1 Kings 11:3).

Though he was a great king and wise man, his heart was turned away from God to the idolatry of all his wives. He allowed their influence and their desire to rule in his life. So he turned away from the God whom he knew to be true and from the wise truth he spoke and wrote.

Guard Your Heart!

Trip Kimball
Proverbs Devo, God's Word, Personal Faith, Wisdom

It's been said, "the eyes are the windows to the soul." This is a popular version of similar expressions throughout history. A person's eyes are a truer indication of the state of their soul than their facial expression and words.

In this case, the eyes are windows for others to look inside another person—into their soul, their heart. A person can wear a smile on their face while trying to cover the grief within them that's seen in their eyes.

The Brighter Path

Trip Kimball
Proverbs Devo, Personal Faith, God's Word, Wisdom

Most of us have a fascination with sunrises and sunsets—in paintings, photos, and especially in person. Whether along the coast, the desert or plains, or high in the mountains, the beginning and end of a day is an opportunity to pause, watch, and take in the majesty of creation.

Dawn and dusk often provided kaleidoscopic displays of color that overshadow whatever else occupies my mind, wherever I've lived.

Honor and Respect

Trip Kimball
Proverbs Devo, Personal Faith, God's Word

How would you describe respect? Three different types of respect come to mind for me.

Probably the most common one could be termed surface respect—it's shallow as the term implies. It's shown when the boss comes around or when trying to impress someone of importance.

Some respect is born out of sheer fear, dread, or fearfulness. It's an anxious fear that tends to cause people to flee or freeze up.

Leaving the Worry Chair Behind

Trip Kimball
Proverbs Devo, Personal Faith, God's Word

As a young believer, I had to learn how to trust God. It wasn't natural for me. It isn't natural for any of us. Just as toddlers exert their free will before they can say it clearly, we like to "do it by our self!" American culture only reinforces this innate self-willed resistance to trusting God.

We had a wing-backed, turquoise chair I called my "worry chair." It was vintage modern furniture from the sixties. My dearest grandmother gave it to us when my wife and I set up our new home and life together. 

An Internal Plumb Line

Trip Kimball
Proverbs Devo, Personal Faith, God's Word

People have pursued wisdom since the beginning of time. Philosophers have filled the air and books with millions of words and thoughts with a variety of viewpoints. But philosophy is typically abstract, hypothetical, and theoretical, not practical wisdom.

The wisdom in Proverbs is far more practical than philosophy. It's grounded in truth from God and intended for daily life. This wisdom is to be taken into the deepest part of a person—their spirit and soul—to help them navigate relationships and live a life of integrity.

Wisdom Calls Out

Trip Kimball
Proverbs Devo, God's Word, Wisdom

Personification brings an abstract and conceptual thought more real and relatable. Wisdom is often personified as a woman in Proverbs as a means of illustration, which I mentioned in an earlier post and in my study guide for Proverbs.

Personification makes things more personal, like BB King's guitar named Lucille and Willie Nelson's guitar Trigger. Ships and cars are often referred to as if feminine and sometimes characters or caricatures serve to personalize an attitude like Dickens' Scrooge and Dr. Seuss' Grinch. 

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