Hi, Samara.
I can’t believe how late it is—and I’m still awake! Nearly 10pm. But I decided to give some attention to following through with a posting from Proverbs 16.It’s been very busy. Yet we have to rejoice at how quickly funds have been gathered to support this Vanuatu mission endeavor. Wow! I think we’ve already met our basic goal. It’s nothing short of amazing and humbling to watch the giving accumulate. Only 11 days till blastoff! That’s both scary and exciting!
Just for the fun of it, maybe I’ll stick on another photo of that sign for the LUMBER JACK GRILL—after I fabricated and installed a couple axes to compliment the composition. What do you think? I crafted them mainly from rigid foam insulation.
Time for bed. Actually, past time. Good night.
Love, Tua.
Perhaps I will simply make a stab at paraphrasing this idea with some clarification from my own thinking. You can judge how well the shoe fits. “It is much better to have a deep sense of need for God’s forgiveness, guidance, strength, protection, and blessing while at the same time being a member of the persecuted church, rather than to live in opulence and luxury while embracing an ungodly mindset of indifference toward God.”
In view of this perspective, I have to wonder how many high-roller successful movie stars, for example, will ever make heaven their eternal home. Well, since none of us will ever achieve that goal on our own, independent of humbly seeking God and receiving Christ as Savior and Lord, I guess the answer to that wondering question is VERY VERY FEW.
It’s noteworthy to spot two other expressions relating to PRIDE already stated in this chapter. Here they are: “The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: The will not go unpunished” (16:4). “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (16:18).
In applying this standards to our own lives, I suppose we could put the main lesson something like this: You and I are wise to fear and avoid PRIDE in much the same way we would be wise to fear and avoid a 30-foot rattlesnake!