April 5

PROVERBS 15

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
² The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly.
³ The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.
⁴ A gentletongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
⁵ A fool despises his father’s instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is prudent.
⁶ In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,

 but trouble befalls the income of the wicked.
⁷ The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools. – Proverbs 15:1-7

PROVERBS 15 WHAT STIRS UP ANGER

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When someone desires to impose power over another person

They can either covertly or overtly go about their domination

In a fool’s mouth are all kinds of twisting, extortion and manipulation

In a humble person’s tongue comes only words of life and compassion

The lips of the wise bring about the truth and knowledge from God himself

While fools constantly spew out criticisms, judgments and gratification of self

A soft answer softens the heart of the hearer while harsh ones stir up anger

The Lord’s eyes are on the fools and the wise and keeps watch on them both.

In this proverb, the writer focuses on “harshness” as the source of anger. When people hear a harsh statement, they automatically react in anger. Without the knowledge of God and the fear of the Lord, a person cannot react in kindness when they are thrown a harsh or unkind word. The sinful nature of humans tends to give back what they have received.

The dictionary defines the word “harsh’ as “unpleasant, severe, unkind or cruel”. Harshness may not always sound loud or angry, but it can also be hidden in sarcasms or judgments and snide remarks. It doesn’t matter how it is delivered, if the motive is to destroy or to exercise power over another, it is going to elicit anger from others. There are cultures in the world that hide criticism under the guise of political correctness, politeness or niceties. No matter how one hides harshness, it is still cruel and unkind and is a sin against the Lord. It will stir up anger. Another form of harshness is comparing and preferring certain people or things from another. This is the sin of partiality as the book of James refers to. We become harsh and discriminatory of those whom we don’t prefer or like, so we will always treat them disrespectfully.

The writer differentiates the wise from the fool in these verses. The wise say only what builds up and encourages others while the fool always aims to have power over another. The wise stirs love and compassion while the fool stirs conflicts, divisions and anger

REFLECTION

·       What can a believer do when they are constantly berated and undermined by someone?

April 4

PROVERBS 29

²² A man of wrath stirs up strife, and one given to anger causes much transgression.
²³ One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.
²⁴ The partner of a thief hates his own life; he hears the curse, but discloses nothing.
²⁵ The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.
²⁶ Many seek the face of a ruler, but it is from the Lord that a man gets justice.
²⁷ An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous,
    but one whose way is straight is an abomination to the wicked.

                                                                                        – Proverbs 29:22-27

PROVERBS 29 MANIFESTATIONS OF ANGER

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

A man prone to anger stirs up strife and divisions

They cause much unrest, disturbances and disruptions

Their pride causes them to indulge in their grandiosity

Which leads them to all sorts of conflicts and animosity

An angry person holds on to resentment and bitterness

They constantly demand attention, adoration and praise

They compare themselves to others and mistrust anyone

They mistrust those who don’t give them much attention.

In this saying, we are given the manifestations of anger, its causes and its many forms. You will easily spot them with these signs, but sometimes they can be very manipulative to hide it in passive aggression and manipulation. It is easy to spot those who are explosive but the implosive anger may take a while to recognize. I grew up with both kinds of anger. I’d say that the implosive ones are more treacherous and much more insidious. It took me many years and decades to decode those angry people who hide it and avoid conflicts. They don’t even know that they are actually causing the conflict and trying to hide an overt expression of it, but inside, they are boiling.

Watch out for those who draw attention to themselves either covertly or overtly. They are entitled people who think the whole world owes them something. You must be wondering how I became an expert on spotting these mad people. I was one of them for so many decades until the Lord Jesus Christ showed me the generational sin of pride and the trauma of abuse and neglect and not being loved. I truly feel sorry for these angry people holding onto resentments, traumas and offenses. It grew deep to the bitter roots of being unloved and abandoned. Because we were made in the image of God, who is the essence and embodiment of love, we were all made for love. We get angry just like God would, if there is injustice done to us or when our identities are attacked by the enemy. This was what happened in the garden. They were made to believe that they can have more wisdom than they have already been given. Anger is an offshoot of that clamor for more, the lust and greed for what is already given to them.

REFLECTION

·       Give insights to how the root of anger is injustice and not being loved.

April 2

PROVERBS 14

¹¹ The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish.
¹² There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
¹³ Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief.

¹⁴ The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways,
    and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.
¹⁵ The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps.
¹⁶ One who is wise is cautiousand turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless.
¹⁷ A man of quick temper acts foolishly, and a man of evil devices is hated.
¹⁸ The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

                                                                               – Proverbs 14:11-18

PROVERBS 14 A QUICK TEMPER IS PROOF OF A FOOL

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

There are only two kinds of people in this life: the fool & the wise

The wise watch and give thought to his steps but the fool is careless

The fool thinks he is wise in his own eyes but cannot see what is right

The wise is cautious and turns away from evil so that he can flourish

The fool is quick to be angry and easily makes a fool of himself in public

The wise is humble and knows his place before a holy and true God

If you are a man of God, stay away from quick-tempered fools

You may learn their ways and destructive schemes which lead to death.

I marvel at how Solomon gives us examples of the fruits of darkness and the works of the Spirit in these following verses. If you have lived your life long enough, you will be a testament to these two kingdoms that are so clearly shown in our lives: the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light. In 1 John 1:15, we get the revelation that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If you will go back to creation in Genesis 1:3, his first creation is “light”. Prior to light, there was darkness all over.  Through John’s book, we are given this revelation that when God’s presence is there, darkness has no way that it will exist. We know from the bible that darkness is associated with evil. Proverbs 4:19 refers to this when Solomon said “The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.”

I’d like to highlight one of the fruits of darkness in this account: a quick temper. A fruit is a proof of the kind of tree that bore it. So, let’s take the tree of evil which bears fruits of darkness. One of these fruits is “anger” or “quick-temper”. Psychology names many other anger manifestations such as: irritation/annoyance, frustration/displeasure, fury/rage, wrath/blind rage, fear-based anger, paranoid/manipulative anger, retaliatory/vengeful anger, overwhelmed anger, avoidant/passive-aggressive anger, self-abusive/internalized anger, moral/judgment anger.  Don’t give in to any of these different forms of anger. The root of all anger is pride and rebellion against God. Don’t be a fool.

REFLECTION

·       Which among the types of anger mentioned here is hard to see? How must a believer deal with it?

March 29

JOHN 3

²⁵ Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. ²⁶ And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” ²⁷ John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. ²⁸ You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ ²⁹ The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore, this joy of mine is now complete. ³⁰ He must increase, but I must decrease.” ³¹ He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. – John 3:25-31

JOHN 3 HUMBLE YOURSELF SO GOD CAN INCREASE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

For those who belong to God, Jesus modeled humility

He left his divinity and became human to save humanity

The world follows a system where pride dominates

Its focus is on the cravings and lust of the flesh

So, if you are a servant of Christ, you must decrease

Let all you do be about his glory so God can increase.

This account happened among the disciples of John the Baptist (precursor and cousin of Jesus). Prior to this account, John had been baptizing many people in the Jordan river together with his disciples. On this day, John’s disciple became envious of the following that Jesus was garnering. So, just like any of us who are entitled after doing something good, they expected John’s following not to dwindle since they have been popular already until this Jesus came in the picture. Isn’t this automatic with us humans? We work hard for something we want and believe in and when it grows, we forget the purpose of that calling. We become proud of what we have done and gloat over that achievement. We enjoy the position, the success, the expertise of the skill, the adulation we get from such work. We forget that the gift given to us by God is not for our increase but for God to be glorified. When John’s disciples felt threatened by Jesus’ group’s popularity and following, they came to him like childish kids reporting that threat to their group. Envy is a tactic of the devil to create divisions, doubts and confusion. John’s disciples showed so much insecurity and immaturity. But John was solid in his prophecies about the coming of Jesus and was given revelation that the coming of the Messiah was at hand. His perspective was so different from those whom he taught. He declares the sovereignty of God when he said verse 31 “He who comes from above is above all. He who comes from the heaven is above all.” What a glorious revelation! John didn’t listen to their insecurities but instead, he pointed them to the One and only glorious Son of God, Jesus. Because of his humility, Jesus later calls him the greatest of all prophets in Matthew 11:11 when he said “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

REFLECTION

·       Why can someone not truly worship and praise God when he lacks humility?

March 28

PROVERBS 16

 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
¹⁹ It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud.
²⁰ Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.
²¹ The wise of heart is called discerning, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness.
²² Good sense is a fountain of life to him who has it, but the instruction of fools is folly.
²³ The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips.
²⁴ Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.
²⁵ There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. – Proverbs 16:18-25

PROVERBS 16 BE OF LOWLY SPIRIT

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

The path of righteousness is one that leads to eternity

While the way of the wicked follows pride leading to ruin

It is wise for the believer to be led by God’s word and laws

And it is better for them to have a lowly spirit so they won’t fall

Pride precedes destruction because it prioritizes the “self”

While the meek and lowly focuses on putting God first.

In this wise saying, we are cautioned against pride. How do we know we are proud since it is in our sin nature? It is important that we do not forget that even though we are believers, we are still going to battle with our flesh, the world and the devil. Most people have a wrong notion of Christianity. They think that Jesus has done everything for them and they don’t need to do anything else. They do not take into account “sanctification” which is the constant cleansing of our hearts, minds, souls and spirits in order for it to be “holy”. God requires his people to be holy because he is holy. He cannot be present to you if you are defiled or corrupted by the world, the flesh and the devil.

One of the hardest things to follow that Jesus sampled for us is “humility.” Many believers do not understand why Christ, who is divine, gave up his divinity and became part of humanity. That is precisely why he chose to be born out of humble circumstances. It is to teach us that material wealth or status or power are all meaningless in the kingdom of God. Most unbelievers do not know that there is eternity to be hopeful about. They live their lives for the world’s standards. Since this world is ruled by Satan himself, they have no clue that they do not see that their life’s destination is not on earth but in eternity.

Pride is one of the manifestations of our sinful state. As long as we live for ourselves, we won’t have an expectancy of the new heaven and the new earth. Our lives will be useless because we don’t see where it is actually heading for. We will be chasing things for the sake of pleasuring ourselves. It is a life of futility where we go around in circles and feel empty and never fulfilled. Only God fulfills us and if we don’t have humility, we are not going to acknowledge the One true God, but make ourselves the center of our lives.

REFLECTION

·       Share some insights on pride preceding a fall, ruin or destruction.

March 26

PROVERBS 12

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.
¹⁶ The vexation of a fool is known at once,  but the prudent ignores an insult.
¹⁷ Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit.
¹⁸ There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
¹⁹ Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.
²⁰ Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan peace have joy.
²¹ No ill befalls the righteous, but the wicked are filled with trouble.
²² Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.

                                                                                       – Proverbs 12:15-22

PROVERBS 12 THE HUMBLE LISTENS TO ADVICE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

How do you know someone is proud or humble?

The proud is right in his own eyes but the meek listens

Because the humble has a teachable spirit, he is open to guidance

While the proud is foolish, he won’t heed or hear other’s advice

The humble follows what is good and what is right for him

While the proud caters to his cravings and easily tempted to sin

Because the meek is obsessed with wisdom and maturity

He humbly listens to advice from the wise who could counsel him.

The writer of the book of Proverbs gives an illustration of a humble person by distinguishing him from a fool. The book of Proverbs gives us vivid descriptions of the different kinds of people in the world. One of them are fools. It seems like the fool is someone who is wise or right in their own eyes as described in these verses. From this description, we could easily think of a proud or haughty person, one who thinks highly of himself and lowly of others. In verse 16, another trait of a fool is full of anxiety and vexations. It also describes the fool as a reactionary person or easily angered or defensive. The haughty person has a sharp tongue. In other words, they don’t think before they utter a word. They are reckless and quick to speak and react but not listen. When they speak, they destroy or ruin someone or something. The proud constantly lie and deceive others which leads them to their own deception. The proud can never please God in any way since their own god is the “self.”

The humble on the other hand listens to advice. Because he doesn’t think highly of himself, he is very open to learning and being taught. He wants to advance his knowledge and maturity so he would have a teachable spirit. The humble has peace and doesn’t react even to insults because he knows himself and doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone. The humble speaks only what is encouraging and only what will build up. They are protected and shielded by God from evil because only the truth comes out of their lips.

REFLECTION

·       Share insights about your own experiences with the humble and the proud.

March 25

ROMANS 11

¹⁷ But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, ¹⁸ do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. ¹⁹ Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” ²⁰ That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. ²¹ For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. ²² Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you too will be cut off. ²³ And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. ²⁴ For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.

                                                                                           – Romans 11:17-23

ROMANS 11 THE FEAR OF THE LORD LEADS TO HUMILITY

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

What causes people to fear and have unbelief?

Isn’t it a lack of knowing truth and a mind anchored on lies?

The unbelievers fear when they don’t live up to the world’s standard

They don’t acknowledge God which leads their hearts to be proud

Those who have the fear of the Lord knows their place and submits to God

They never forget that the giver and maker is God and all are under his control

Since God is love, those who fear God is shielded from folly and sin

Those who live in fear don’t know God and inevitably choose Satan.

In this account, Paul gives the metaphor of an olive tree which was described to have a nourishing root. The root is likened to God being the source of such life and the olive tree is the result of that life-giving Spirit of the Lord. Paul refers to the reason why there were some Jews that he allowed to have unbelief so that he could bring in the Gentile unbelievers into hearing the gospel and believe in God.  In other words, Paul’s mission and calling was to bring the good news to those who have not heard it so that they too can believe as Jews did. Interestingly, Paul, who used to be Saul, persecuted the Christians. How amazing God turns around our sins and uses it to convert the most sinful unbeliever like Paul. That was the plan of God: to use a former unbeliever and persecutors of Christians to be the messenger of the gospel so they too can be saved. When he spoke in verse 20 about being broken off from the tree, he was pointing out to them their “unbelief” which gives a chance for the unbelievers to be grafted into the olive tree. He admonished the new Gentile believer to stay humble and not arrogant or they too will be cut off if they continue to sin despite knowing the truth. The fear of the Lord will keep them meek. When a believer does not acknowledge God’s sovereignty and power, they will produce pride.

REFLECTION

·       Can an unbeliever have the fear of the Lord and be humble on their own?