Chuck Larsen

In Proverbs, Chapter 6 tells us of the six things that God hates. The fourth and fifth items might be seen as a pair. They are “the heart that schemes evil” and “the feet that race to do wrong” (Proverbs 6:16-19). The natural person is motivated and driven by selfish motives. We think of ways to get what we want when we want it, often at the expense of others and God’s will. We have hard hearts in this respect. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it?” It was the nature of man’s heart that broke God’s heart. In Genesis 6:5, we read, “Then the Lord saw that wickedness was great on the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Kitchen says, “The ‘heart’ describes the totality of the inner man, including his rational powers, emotions, and volition. The ‘feet’ are what engage a man in what his heart has devised. Together, they describe the inner man and his outward activities. The Lord hates the one whose nature is bent toward, and quick to pursue, that which is contrary to His (God’s) nature.”

Solomon discovered and recorded for us all that pleasures, wealth, power, or possessions will never satisfy the longings of man’s heart. Regarding the pursuits of the hearts of man, J. M. Boice writes, “They fill for a time. But they are rather like a Chinese dinner, and the person is soon left empty again. Consequently, those who pursue them are doomed to a constant and relentless search for that which will never satisfy the true hunger and desire of their soul.” Our hearts push our feet to run after the selfish pleasures of life. These frantic pursuits serve to distract our attention from God’s truth. The truth is, as C. H. Benson puts it, “Sin is the undertaker that digs every grave and officiates at every funeral. Sin is the occasion of all want and wretchedness, all pain and privation. There are some men who say there is no heaven. They wish to know nothing better than this earth. If this is heaven, it is a very strange one—this world of sickness, sorrow, and sin. The man who has that idea is to be pitied. This world, which some think is heaven, has nothing in it to satisfy the soul.”

Paul thus urged his young disciple, Timothy, to “…flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11).  Again, in his 2^nd Letter to Timothy (2 Timothy 2:22), he says, “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” In Matthew 5, Jesus develops these two negatives into positives and blesses “the pure in heart” and those “who hunger and thirst for righteousness.”  What will be the result of the pure heart that drives our feet to run after righteousness? Jesus says that those who long for righteousness will be satisfied. He says that those with pure hearts “will see God.” While all the world’s wealth and pleasures will never satisfy our souls, seeing and knowing Christ, the true wisdom of God, will!

In the third Chapter of James, he uses three illustrations to explain the power of the tongue. It’s like a bit in the horse’s mouth, able to control the entire animal. It’s like a rudder on the stern of the ship, capable of changing the direction of the entire vessel. The third illustration pictures the destructive nature of the tongue comparing it to a small spark or flame capable of burning down an entire forest.  One cannot help but notice that the bit and the rudder speak to us of the positive potential use of one of the smallest parts of our bodies, the tongue. The third speaks to us of the potential danger, yet we shouldn’t miss the idea that fire in the fireplace is also a power for good. When it comes to the use of our tongues, it can be used for good or for evil. Proverbs 15:4 says, “Kind words bring life, but cruel words crush your spirit.”

What a great opportunity we have to do so much good with such a small thing as our words. As a grandparent, I often think my parenting days are over. But the truth is, they never end. At long last, I’m learning some of the more important lessons regarding raising healthy and happy families.  Addressing grandparents and great-grandparents, Dennis Rainey, the founder of the Family Life Seminars, says, “With kind acts and encouraging words, older people can influence the course of their family’s future. The opposite is true as well: A bitter, cynical old person can sow a legacy of low self-esteem, despair, and pessimism.”

Solomon, the man recognized by many as the wisest man in the world, said in Proverbs 25:11, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” Think about that! Just as an artist labors over his craft, so too does a wise person delicately choose his words. Apples of gold possibly refer to a love gift: broach, bracelet, necklace, or pendant, finely fashioned of the two most precious metals known to man.  David Jeremiah writes, “It is a blessing beyond description to see the spirits of a person rise, the life restored to their eyes, as a result of a healing word from your own lips. Such words are as sweet and healthful as honey (16:24) and as beautiful as apples of gold in a setting of silver (25:11). The next time you marvel at a beautiful and costly display of precious jewels and artwork, remember that is how God sees a powerful word spoken at just the right time.”