God's Word for You (Thursday, Aug 28, 2008)
A Daily Online Devotion by Pastor Tim Smith
Proverbs 13:9-11
9 The light of the righteous shines brightly,
but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.
I wonder what kind of light the angels cast as they reflect the splendor of God in heaven. Some angels are even given nicknames in the Bible because of their light; the cherubim who “glow” and the seraphim who “burn brightly.” But of course, we can’t normally see them. Yet what kind of “light” do we reflect in our lives? Perhaps each of us gives off an actual, literal light that the angels see when they look at us. But we also enlighten one another with our example,our lives, and our words.
If you have a light—and each of us does, in Christ—we need to let it shine (Matthew 5:14-16). Don’t be afraid to brighten the day of someone you meet. A kind word, a bit of encouragement—who knows what demon you may drive away from a friend with a simple “God bless you” today?
10 Pride only breeds quarrels,
but wisdom is found in those who take advice.
A bully is usually afraid that his argument doesn’t hold water—that’s why he bullies people, because a fist or a threat can cloud an issue long enough for the moment to pass. The second part of the Proverb is seen in many of the world’s wisest people. But I’m going to step into the realm of fiction, or science fiction, to show how this can go a step farther. In Star Trek: The Next Generation, Captain Picard was famous for always asking his officers for their comments before he made his bigger decisions. Many times, he didn’t follow any of their advice at all, and he turned out to be right. But something he accomplished that had nothing to do with any particular problem but which helped his crew overall was teaching them to look at problems from more than one point of view. He could do it in his head, but by having them “help” him out loud, he was teaching them; leading them.
In our congregations, pastors can help their members to grow in their faith and understanding of the Bible by involving them in the discussion of issues and by showing them what the Bible says about each subject as it comes up. My associate here at St. Paul’s, Pastor Don Sutton, has a gift for that kind of leadership that shows itself in meetings, in counseling, and even in his “Current Events” Bible Class, by taking issues from today’s headlines and presenting what the Bible says, and how to use Scripture to help us every day of our lives.
11 Dishonest money dwindles away,
but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow. (NIV)
The truth of this Proverb is easy to see. A man who finds a ten dollar bill on the sidewalk is more likely to splurge with ten dollars than the man who has been saving his change for a month. And money that has been swindled or stolen burns a hole in the pocket.
Light, wisdom, and stewardship. These are all ways we can show our love for our Savior, who was himself the Light of the World (John 8:12), but who makes us lights in the world, too (Matthew 5:14).
In Christ,
Pastor Timothy Smith
Pastor Smith serves St. Paul's Lutheran Church in New Ulm, Minnesota. His wife, Kathryn, attended Chapel from 1987-1990 while studying Secondary Education (Theater and Math) at UW-Madison. Kathryn's father, John Meyer, was also the first man to serve as a Vicar at Chapel.
