Tag: Solomon

TODAY’S DAILY BIBLE VERSE

April 2, 2025

Ecclesiastes chapter 4 verses 9 through 10

Verse Context

9Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. 10For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.

“Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.” With this line, Solomon begins a shift away from his prior reflections on isolation, envy, and oppression, offering instead a rare but powerful word of hope in the form of wisdom. The statement “two are better than one” is not merely an observation—it’s a conclusion based on his examination of the futility of man’s labor under the sun. The Hebrew construction of “better” here implies a comparative advantage rooted in benefit and strength. The phrase that follows, “they have a good reward for their labour,” draws attention to the word “reward,” which is the Hebrew word sakar (sah-KAHR). This term refers to wages, gain, or benefit and would often be used to describe a harvest or a payment received in return for effort. But Solomon is not only talking about wages; he’s talking about fruitfulness in every aspect of life—emotional, spiritual, relational. When two people work together, the outcome isn’t just increased efficiency but multiplied fulfillment. The shared burden produces a shared joy, and the partnership creates a kind of strength that no one can manufacture alone.

“For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow.” This portion of the verse reveals the heart of Solomon’s wisdom. He is not presenting a hypothetical; he is preparing the reader for reality. The use of the word “fall” comes from the Hebrew root naphal (naw-FAHL), which refers to more than just tripping. It encompasses collapse, failure, ruin, even death. It was used to describe soldiers falling in battle, or individuals falling into sin or distress. Solomon uses it here to capture the full range of human vulnerability—emotional, physical, moral. Everyone falls, sooner or later, and when that happens, the presence of another person—a fellow, a companion—becomes not just helpful but life-saving. The phrase “lift up his fellow” describes the act of restoration. It’s not passive sympathy—it’s active redemption. It is the reaching down of a faithful friend to raise the broken, to restore the weary, to reestablish the fallen. This is friendship in its highest biblical form: restorative, sacrificial, unselfish.

“But woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.” Solomon now delivers a prophetic warning. The word “woe” here isn’t soft; it’s an ancient cry of lament and impending sorrow. He’s declaring that the man who isolates himself is exposed to greater danger than he can withstand alone. Falling is hard enough, but falling with no one there to help you turns a temporary crisis into permanent devastation. The phrase “hath not another to help him up” is more than loneliness—it is a picture of helplessness. There is no arm extended, no voice calling back, no presence to catch him before the descent. Solomon is sounding an alarm for all who would choose self-sufficiency, pride, or greed at the cost of fellowship.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714, Presbyterian) explains that this passage reveals how friendship and fellowship are God’s appointed means of mutual help. He notes that “those who live in love live in God, for God is love,” pointing to the spiritual nature of friendship beyond its practical benefit. Charles Bridges (1794–1869, Anglican Evangelical) draws attention to the pride that often drives people to isolate themselves, calling this passage a rebuke to the self-sufficient man. True wisdom, he says, lies in recognizing that God designed people to need one another. Derek Kidner (1913–2008, Anglican), known for his poetic insight, writes that Solomon here speaks “to the solitary striver.” The man who toils alone in verses 7 and 8 is now contrasted with this vision of redemptive partnership. Kidner observes that Solomon’s portrait of companionship is not sentimental but deeply practical and moral—this is not about comfort, but survival. Two people can endure what one alone cannot. Together, there is reward. Together, there is restoration. Together, there is life.

Broader Context

Ecclesiastes chapter 4 sits in the center of Solomon’s long meditation on the futility of earthly life when it is pursued without God. From the opening chapter, Solomon has been setting the tone of spiritual disillusionment, repeating the phrase “vanity of vanities” to describe the emptiness of everything done “under the sun.” That phrase—used over and over throughout the book—signals a key concept: Solomon is speaking from the perspective of man looking at the world apart from divine revelation. “Under the sun” is life as it is, without the lens of heaven. And in that world, nothing lasts, everything decays, and all men die regardless of their wisdom or wealth. Solomon’s exploration is not cynical, but brutally honest, and in that honesty, he forces the reader to confront their illusions.

By the time we arrive at chapter 4, Solomon has already explored the futility of labor, the dead ends of pleasure, and the frustration of trying to find satisfaction in knowledge. He now turns to social injustice and human relationships. The opening of the chapter mourns the powerlessness of the oppressed—those who suffer with no one to comfort them. It is a world where men work, strive, and toil, often motivated by rivalry and envy, not purpose. In verse 4 he writes, “Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour.” This isn’t just a statement about hard work—it’s a piercing indictment of the motive behind it. Much of what men call success, Solomon says, is nothing but the fruit of jealousy. He follows this by describing two men: one who folds his hands and consumes his own flesh in laziness, and another who never stops working though he has no companion, no child, no heir. That second man, introduced in verses 7 and 8, is a mirror image of modern ambition—lonely, restless, driven, and ultimately unsatisfied. Solomon asks, “For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good?” The implied answer is: for no one. This kind of work brings no joy and no reward because it is disconnected from relationship and meaning.

It’s against that dark background that verses 9 and 10 shine like light through the cracks. Solomon shifts from exposing the futility of isolated labor to showing the wisdom of companionship. His tone is still observational—he is not commanding but describing—but the truth he shares here is timeless. In a world full of selfishness and sorrow, companionship stands out as one of the few things that is truly “better.” The phrase “two are better than one” is not a moral judgment but a survival strategy. In a world full of toil, suffering, and collapse, people need each other. And Solomon is not idealizing friendship. He’s not offering a sentimental view of relationship. He’s offering realism. People fall. People fail. People wear out. And when they do, the only thing that can redeem them in that moment—short of divine intervention—is another person who is willing to step in.

This point is deeply connected to the structure of the book as a whole. Ecclesiastes is not random—it’s carefully arranged to lead the reader from despair to clarity. The verses we are studying are part of Solomon’s way of peeling back every false hope and showing what remains. In the end, the book will culminate in chapter 12 with a call to fear God and keep His commandments. But along the way, Solomon acknowledges that God has left us some gifts—some moments of light in the midst of darkness—and friendship is one of them. It is not the ultimate answer to man’s problems, but it is a grace that helps carry us through the journey. The fact that Solomon highlights this in the middle of his most sobering reflections tells us how significant it truly is. In the architecture of Ecclesiastes, chapter 4 stands as a pillar reminding us that even in a world cursed by sin, there is dignity and strength in godly companionship.

Application

These verses highlight one of the clearest ways we see God’s greatness: in His design for relationship. God, who has never existed alone—Father, Son, and Spirit in perfect communion—created mankind in His image, not just as individuals, but as a people designed for fellowship. When Solomon says “two are better than one,” he is not creating a new principle—he is echoing the divine pattern already revealed in Genesis, where God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone.” That truth was not limited to marriage. It spoke to human nature itself. We were made to walk together. And this is a reflection of God’s own character. He is a God of covenant, a God who binds Himself to His people, and a God who never leaves His own. When He sent His Son, Jesus did not live a life of solitary reflection—He gathered disciples, walked with them, taught them, rebuked them, and ultimately laid down His life for them. That’s what makes John chapter 15 verse 13 so powerful: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” The very heart of God is revealed in sacrificial friendship. Ecclesiastes chapter 4 verses 9 through 10 call us to stand in awe of this truth. The God who could have made us independent instead made us interdependent, and He blesses us through others as a tangible expression of His love.

For the believer, this passage is a call to reject the world’s lie of self-sufficiency. We live in a culture that prizes independence, celebrates self-made success, and tells us that needing others is weakness. But Scripture teaches the opposite. Needing others is not failure—it’s design. Believers are called to walk in the light of that truth. That means not only receiving help, but giving it. It means becoming the kind of friend who lifts others up when they fall, who bears burdens, who speaks truth in love, and who stays close in the valley. Paul writes in Galatians chapter 6 verse 2, “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” That law is the law of love. It is not fulfilled by passivity but by presence. Being a faithful friend is not optional for the Christian—it is obedience. And so the call to action is clear: examine your friendships. Are you the kind of person who shows up when others fall? Are you so isolated in your own world that you’ve shut out the very people God has sent to strengthen you? Are you more focused on appearances than on walking with someone through their weakness? This passage confronts those temptations and calls us back to the humility and loyalty that reflect Christ Himself. You cannot live out the Christian life in isolation. If Jesus surrounded Himself with others, so must you.

To the unbeliever, this verse exposes something deeper: your greatest fall is spiritual, and no human companion can ultimately lift you up from it. You may have friends, you may have support, but none of them can save your soul. The greatest fall you’ve experienced is separation from the God who made you, and the only one who can lift you from that fall is the One who laid down His life to do it. These verses point us to the need for a helper—but the ultimate helper is Christ. He is the friend of sinners. He is the one who left heaven’s glory to walk in the dust of this earth, to touch the leper, to eat with tax collectors, to weep with the grieving, and to die for the ungodly. Proverbs chapter 18 verse 24 says, “There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” That friend is Jesus. If you are reading this and you do not know Him, your greatest need is not companionship from another person—it is reconciliation with your Creator. And He offers it freely. He doesn’t just help you up—He raises you to new life. Call out to Him, confess your sin, believe in Him, and be restored.

Final Encouragement

Ecclesiastes chapter 4 verses 9 through 10 remind us that true friendship is not a luxury—it is a spiritual necessity designed by God Himself. In a world full of isolation, ambition, and pride, these verses call us back to humility, to mutual care, and to the kind of relationships that reflect the heart of Christ. God’s greatness is seen in the way He provides help through others, and His love is expressed through people who walk with us in weakness. For the believer, these words are a reminder to walk together in the faith, to lift the fallen, and to reflect the mercy and faithfulness of our Savior in every relationship. For the unbeliever, they are a warning—because the greatest fall is spiritual, and only Jesus Christ can lift a soul from death to life. These verses don’t just offer comfort—they confront our hearts and call us to live differently. They challenge us to be the kind of people who don’t just talk about love but embody it, one burden at a time.

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Shalom Shalom.

The Brain is The Hub,The Tongue is The Sword Part 2

I continue to examine the wisdom packed into Proverbs, the 21st chapter. King Solomon is giving us insight to righteous behavior, comparing good to bad. We as Christians are called to be separate from the world. This, by design, calls us to produce different fruit, to behave differently. We continue to break down the verses, moving on to verse 13- Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.

John Gill

“A deaf ear will be turned to him by both: the same measure he has measured shall be measured to him again; no mercy shall be shown to an unmerciful man, either by God or man”

I can say simply that it would do us all well to look at a situation and instead of seeing someone else in it, see yourself. I know that a lot of people want money, and there are deceivers out there who look to steal from you. But if we use that blanket to justify miserly ideology, denying those in real need, what good is our heart, where is our compassion? Not all giving has to be money. We really can give food, and if in the right space, we can give work. Did you know that the original welfare system was the church? I personally do not believe in any of the non-profits out there. I think most churches have, long ago, closed the doors. They used to be out in the communities. But they retreated and closed the doors behind them. Now a days, the only time we see churches in the community is holidays. Other times, you must be a member. Now, this is not all churches. There are some that have many programs to help those down and out. Not all churches have abandoned the principle that we are our brother’s keeper; not all have turned their ears from hearing the cries of the poor, but many have. This caused a black hole, a vacuum. This need was then filled by the government and the non-profits. Have you ever heard the saying, give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime? We need to get back to teaching men to fish? A hand out is a hand out, its value is short lived. The value of a hand up is immeasurable. When it comes to salvation, no matter who we are, what we do, we all need that hand up. We are all in a hole. Without Christ, we are doomed. And if John Gill is right, ask yourself, do you simply get the hand out, or do you get the hand up?

16 The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead.

17 He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.

In order to wander away from understanding, you must first have the understanding. This verse should make every believer understand that the devil is out there searching the earth to and from for those whom he may devour. Satan is not just trying to interfere with your rewards, He is trying to devour you. IF all he wanted was to make you stumble and to interfere with your rewards in heaven since you are now saved, that would make your salvation and all of Satan’s efforts about you. That is a very arrogant and misguided approach to both sin and salvation. You chose to wander. No one makes you do it. Satan tempts you and you agree to follow. It happens to the best of Christians. When you do, you will remain in the congregation of the unsaved, the dead. J. Vernon McGee comments, and I paraphrase, We have glorified the theater, they provide our morals and today things are upside down. Jesters were called fools and to this day he doesn’t believe it has changed, entertainers today are sacred cow. I totally agree with him. It is a profession where, because they can act well, we somehow believe they are an authority on everything else. God is to be our idol, He is to be our moral authority, after all, He is the creator of morals to begin with.

Adam Clarke

“That follows gaming, fowling, hunting, coursing, etc., when he should be attending to the culture of the fields, shall be a poor man; and, I may safely add, shall be so deservedly poor, as to have none to pity him.”

20 There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.

21 He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour.

22 A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof.

23 Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.

Albert Barnes

“Spendeth it up – literally, swalloweth it. The wise man keeps a store in reserve. He gains uprightly, spends moderately, never exhausts himself. But the proverb may have also a higher application. The wise man stores up all “treasure to be desired” of wisdom, all “oil” of divine influence, which strengthens and refreshes, and so is ready at all times for the work to which the Master calls him.”

Be aware, and ready. Earn and work honestly. Save and rest often. Spend and work prudently. These behaviors are of a Christian who has something else in mind, something other than the amount. There is an end coming. That end will not care about your possessions, nor your bank accounts. Faithfulness is the bounty to be measured. I was once told that God did not call us to be successful, he called us to be faithful. I think we, me included, sometimes get sidetracked into the success part. We measure the success by different standards. God might want us to go through a thing where the reward is wisdom. We go through it and we are thinking substantial tangible rewards, money or prizes. But as it continues, if we follow after Christ, if we obey, and we recognize that we are not worthy of His mercy and yet be so eternally grateful for it, we find life. If we can understand that if we remain under the care of our LORD, our wisdom will provide us victory over the confidence of the enemy. Verse 22 reminds me of the picture of David and Goliath. David was wise to pick the weapon he was most proficient with. He did not seek a big weapon for the big giant. He used his talent and wisdom, and defeated the giant. We can too. Verse 23 is the stumbling block for me. To know when to speak and when not to speak, a gift that the elders of a church should hold seminars on.

John Gill

“Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue,…. Guards the one and bridles the other; is careful of what he says, that it is truth, and without dissimulation and guile; and is not injurious to the characters of men, and is not offensive and provoking; who abstains from ill and wrathful language, and which tends to stir up wrath and contention.”

Ephesians 4:29  29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

James 3:8   But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

The bible, Jesus himself, could be quoted over and over when talking about speech. In today’s culture we understand this to mean that we must dilute the truth because the tongue “cuts to and fro”. The words that come from the brain and then out of the mouth can kill. Jesus stated that it is not that which goes into a man’s mouth that defiles him, but that which comes out. He also said that what comes out of the heart, which is the brain, reveals who the man is.  Without the spirit, we are told that our brains can only imagine wickedness. Wait….WHAT!?!?!?!?! Yes, even those who spend their whole life doing great things and inspiring others are wicked if their service is not for the glory of God. It is all idolatry if they are not inspired by God and give glory to God for all the blessings from their words. The wisest man that has ever lived is telling us that the man who learns to watch his words, tells the truth without omitting the hard stuff, the fine or minute stuff, and does so not to cause injury to the listener, but to grow and disciple the listener does well. Be mindful, therefore, in the thought to withhold truth or soften the truth so as not to offend. Truth is easily lost in the weeds of fluff.

Proverbs 21:28 A false witness shall perish:

Joseph Benson– one who is forward to swear or speak false things, or such things as he hath neither heard nor seen, but devised in his own heart

 

John Gill By telling lies in trade; by bearing false witness in a court of judicature; or by preaching false doctrines in the church of God: such treasures, though ever so great, are like any light thing, smoke or vapour, straw, stubble, chaff, or a feather, tossed about the wind; which is expressive of the instability uncertainty of riches ill gotten; they do not last long, but are taken away and carried off by one providence or another; and they are likewise harmful and pernicious; they issue in death: and those that seek after them, and obtain them in a bad way, are said to “seek death”: not intentionally, but eventually; this they certainly find, if grace prevent not;

We see again that words contrived in our hearts, not based in truth are wicked, telling lies and making up stories that harm others. Additionally there is no watering down of the consequence. A liar shall perish. That’s pretty simple to read and understand. God wants the truth. There is love in the truth. We are a society that has become afraid of the truth. We would much rather hear a lie that makes us feel good than the truth which heals us, completes us, makes us whole. Again, God does not want the truth used as a weapon. But it is an agent for change; change that is for the better.

The 21st Proverb is filled with wisdom for the ear that is willing to hear. The truth can be hard to hear sometimes. It can hurt, it has a sting. But the great thing about those who tell the truth with love is that they remain to walks us through that pain and help us endure that sting. Love is not disguised, it is not covered in balls of cotton so thick that it cannot be seen or heard. The truth just is, and that is why there is no escape from it. The bible itself has been attack for thousands of years, including this year. And yet it stands just as truthful today as it was the day they penned it, or chiseled it. It is always important to be led by love. Let the Holy Spirit take control and guide your tongue. Let the spirit tell you when you should speak and when to remain quiet; when to be gentle and when to be direct. At the end of the day, however, I would rather be alone on an island in communion with almighty God, than to be seen as a Saint by a million dear friends and relatives because my words simply make them FEEL good.

If you stand in the mirror what will the reflection tell you about yourself, and what are you going to do about it? May the peace of God be abundantly heaped upon you and your house, straight from the cross to the Christian!

 

The Brain is The Hub and The Tongue is The Sword, Part 1

So many times I have heard how the Old Testament (OT) has no meaning in today’s life. I have heard that once Christ came on to the scene all that was, is no more. All things are made new. I even have heard people, in the same sitting, tell me that Christ changed all that, and then used the OT to validate their thought. In Jesus fulfilling the law all that is left is faith in Him. In some ways, this is absolutely true. We no longer offer the annual blood sacrifice for the covering of our sin. Christ’s blood sacrifice was the completeness of the sacrifice. There is no other sacrifice that can do anything more than that which Jesus dying on the cross has already done. But the New Testament does not negate the Old Testament. There is so much that is alive and just as effective in the application to our doctrine and daily lives. As I read the 21st Proverb, I was overcome with this feeling. Every single instruction of how to live and every example of God’s view of right and wrong are just as true today as they were when King Solomon wrote them.

Proverb 21:1 The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.

The very first verse pierces my heart as it tells me that my God has every heart in His hands. First, we must understand that the word “heart” here really means the mind of man. I have said over and over, the true heart is just a muscle that pumps blood throughout the body. It does not create feelings and thoughts and words. The heart does not control our behavior. It is a vital organ, and we should care for it. But the brain is the hub of where we generate our behaviors. God controls even the King’s mind. I think of all the times that we read about how God hardened or softened a heart (mind). How much further do you have to go than the story of Joseph who was sold into slavery and ended up in the house of the Captain of the Pharaoh’s guard, Potiphar. God had Potiphar’s heart in his hand and cause him to have favor for Joseph. He made Joseph the superintendent of his house. Because he would not lay with Potiphar’s wife, she makes accusations against Joseph and he ends up in prison. God had the Warden’s heart in his hand and caused him to have favor on Joseph. He made Joseph the jail keep. There he interpreted dreams of a baker and cup bearer. The baker was reinstated and after 2 years of forgetting about Joseph, the Pharaoh was having bad dreams that no one could understand. The baker remembered Joseph and told the Pharaoh of the dreams Joseph interpreted and how he predicted rightly that the cup bearer would be executed but that the baker would be reinstated. The Pharaoh called for Joseph. After interpreting the dreams, the Pharaoh did not let Joseph go, but God had the Pharaoh’s heart in his hand, and God directed it like the waters of rivers. He directed Pharaoh to make Joseph the Vizier, the second in command of all of Egypt. The most powerful thing is that the Pharaoh was not a believer. Being a sinner is no match for my God. Let us not forget, that the most evil of all evil, falls in the end. In the hands of the evil and wicked Pharaoh, Joseph went from slave to convict to Second in charge of all of Egypt, and having great influence on the Pharaoh as well. Make no mistake, these simple words, the introductory declaration, are simple, but carry great power when you stop and ponder that the God who had the Pharaoh’s heart in his hand and cause great things to come upon Joseph is the same God who sits on the throne and can be in charge of your life if you believe that He still has man’s heart in his hand. And that sets the tone for this proverb. It is one of wicked compared to righteous. There is no gray area in obedience to the LORD. Either you are living a life serving the Master, or you are living a life serving satan. There is no third party. There is no gray area.

2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts.

3 To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

Most of us, if we are being honest with ourselves, think we are right about a lot of things. Some of us are good at admitting that we are wrong about something, but only after being shown that we are wrong. Most of us start off by thinking we are right. Our faith is no different. Those who reject God think they are right. Those who accept Christ but twist the word of God to suit their own flesh think they are right. There are so many different ways to take this, all ending with the same, we really do think we are right in our behavior. The real story is in the proverbial heart, or literally the mind. That is where God does the examining.

Dr. J. Vernon McGee says, and I am paraphrasing here, Jesus is the great physician, and a heart specialist. Jesus was the first in the heart transplant business. He was the first one to take the old heart and replace it with a heart that is obedient to him.

Matthew Henry states,

“Man is right in his own eyes. The proud heart is very ingenious in putting a fair face upon a foul matter, and in making that appear right to itself which is far from being so, to stop the mouth of conscience…..  God looks at the heart, and judges of men according to that, of their actions according to their principles and intentions; and his judgment of that is as exact as ours is of that which we ponder most, and more so; he weighs it in an unerring balance.”

I do believe that the one thing that Christian behavior has gotten far away from is principle. I think today’s society has convinced even the strongest of Christian that independent and free thinking is best. Being empowered to be you is better than compliance to any norm, including the biblical living Christ calls us to embrace when we accept Him. I fear that we have gotten away from things like principled living, and things like reverence. We have diminished God to someone we can take off a shelf when we need him, and put him back on the shelf whenever we are moved to be empowered or free thinking. We can truly see this as church after church, denomination after denomination allow the unrepentant sinner to enter the pulpit, behind the sacred desk (if your church even has a pulpit or a sacred desk anymore) to lead others. Think about weddings. Most of the Christian Faith have an objection to same sex marriage. But at the same time, the church that refuses to marry a same sex couple will marry two drunks who never attend church or even make confession for Christ. Think about that for a second. The idea of justice is righteousness or holiness. What is righteous about marrying one pair of sinners, but not another. Either we observe God in the boundaries of marriage or you do not. Of course, anyone behaving like this will open the scriptures and find something they will use to justify their position because they are right in their own eyes. But read what the king wrote here. To be just is acceptable to the LORD. Meaning the LORD is watching. We can explain our sin to each other all we want. Explain it to God; give the LORD all the excuses and let’s see how he judges us in return.

4 An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.

5 The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.

6 The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.

7 The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them; because they refuse to do judgment.

 

Charles Ellicott States,

The plowing of the wicked.—i.e., their work, all they do; for it is not done to please God but themselves; nor carried on in His strength, but in reliance upon their own, and therefore it is “sin,” not pleasing to Him.

How we live is important. In the four verses above we see pride of man being brought to light. A high look, a facial expression that has your nose high in the air, a look that says that you see me but you turn your head from me as if I am not worthy of your acknowledgment. When God looks into our mind and He sees us, He sees the sinful pride. There are many things to be proud of, to be pleased with. The way to know the difference is to compare your thoughts to God. Jesus would never look down on anyone. Jesus would never allow His joy, pleasure, or simple contentment in any accomplishment to lead to the pain of another. He came as a humble servant, not as one who thought he was better than anyone else, or that their children are better than your children, or my home is better than your home, job than your job, paycheck/bank account than your paycheck/bank account. We see that God certainly did give us brains so that we can ponder life, and temptation, and think about them righteously. Jesus was tempted. It is not a sin to be tempted. There was nothing that satan had that Jesus did not already have. This is not true for us. Sometimes the temptations look so good, they smell, taste, feel and sound so good. To have diligent thoughts is to take into consideration God’s will. To do so leads to abundance. It may not be abundance of what your flesh wants, but it is the abundance that God wants you to have. Quickly, lets examine sexual sin. I am a heterosexual man. My flesh loves beautiful women. My lust desires them. Satan offers me all the women I can have. My God has already blessed me with a beautiful and wonderful wife. I have a choice to make. To be diligent in thinking about it, if I take all the women I can have, I might think that to be a great abundance. But an abundance of what? Pain, sickness, divorce, poverty, loneliness, and a great big hole where true companionship once lived? I had an abundance of women that led to death. Yet, if I diligent consider the gift God has given me, I have a life filled with love, companionship, peace, joy, and a life after death because my behavior was pleasing to God for bringing Glory to Him. That is the abundance He wants us to have. So as His, as a follower of Jesus, it is my responsibility to align my wants with His wants. I do not want, nor need the life of abundant women. I need abundant love.

9 It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.

10 The soul of the wicked desireth evil: his neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes.

Albert Barnes

“The flat roof of an Eastern house was often used for retirement by day, or in summer for sleep by night. The corner of such a roof was exposed to all changes of weather, and the point of the proverb lies in the thought that all winds and storms which a man might meet with there are more endurable than the tempest within.”

Whom we chose to spend our time with in important. I believe that the command to not be unequally yoked is not just a command for marriage, but also close friendships. We should be a friend to all, and we should always be prepared to let the light of Christ shine whenever darkness knocks on our doors. But when it comes to who we allow into the sanctuaries of our homes, and in the case of marriage into our own bodies as we become one, we should be certain to be equally yoked. Having said that, a brawling man is unbecoming. But I believe that men and women were designed for two totally different purposes. I believe that men are the hunter gatherers. They were designed to be the rugged piece. The woman however is the nurturing piece. For her to act like him is highly unbecoming. The bible does not refer to the woman as the weaker vessel as a testimony of a lack of strength, but of pricelessness. Again, a biblical principle that satan has used society and very determined sinners to destroy. Here, the bible is saying that it is totally unacceptable to be with a brawling woman. Brawling meaning loud and storming voice, violent, filthy mouth, and prone to verbal arguments/fights. God is saying that it is better to be exposed to the scorching sun, violent wind and sand storms and torrential rain storms on the roof of a house, where there is no cover, than to endure this type of woman in a luxurious home, with all the amenities. This behavior is not Christ like from male and female. But again, there should never be any mistake that, while man and woman were both made in the image of God, and that in the pure spirit form all will be equal, there was a specific and real difference between man and woman. I truly wish the church would do more to preach the difference between man and woman. Especially in the home. We are truly off the mark.

When I was not walking with God, thus called wicked, I focused only on what I wanted. This came to a great expense for others, as I would violate others during my quests to satisfy myself. Christians are command to love our neighbors. We ourselves are to be good neighbors. The wicked have no such principle. It is only about their gain. No matter what the behavior, a wicked man does it for his own good, even if it seems to suit the neighbor.

If you stand in the mirror what will the reflection tell you about yourself, and what are you going to do about it? May the peace of God be abundantly heaped upon you and your house, straight from the cross to the Christian!