Proverbs 15:23-24

²³A person finds joy in giving an apt reply—and how good is a timely word! ²⁴The path of life leads upward for the prudent to keep them from going down to the realm of the dead.

Hot Pepper

            Do you like hot chili peppers? Hot chili peppers are spices that many people crave to be added in their food. Someone asked, “If hot chili increases appetite to eat more, what good can spicy or chili word do?” A touchy, sensitive, cranky person has habit of responding in spicy chili answer. Words that provokes or stimulates negative response has been described spicy or chili.

            A video published online about a man who tried to start a communication with his old cantankerous mother. The testy irritable old mother was picking some squash flowers to cook. The man asked her, “What are you picking, Ma?” The bad-tempered cranky old mother was not in good mood replied, “I am picking banana flowers! Why? You know that I am picking squash flowers and you still asked?” The man said, “Now, I know from whom I inherited my behavior.”

            Behavior can be developed, and children can easily learn them from home. Most often, if parents love to tell jokes, some children if not all will tell jokes they heard from their parents. Likewise, if parents love to sing praises to the Lord, children will love singing praises to the Lord. Now, if parents love to gossip about their neighbor, do children avoid gossiping?

            Certainly, there are sincere and honest questions, but others may ask questions as click-bait to expose your vulnerability. When they ask something, they may not necessarily want you to answer accordingly. If you’re not careful, they’ll take advantage of your mistakes.

            As Christians, when potential believers start to communicate with us, could we grab that opportunity to lead the conversation in sharing the gospel of Christ? How could that be?

            For instance: There were news reports of earthquake in Asia. And someone may remark, “There are many earthquake victims in Asia!” You may respond by saying, “If we were one of the victims who died during the earthquake, do you have an assurance that you will enter heaven?”

            Be intentional in your answer. Grab each opportunity you can as divine appointment to share the gospel of Christ. The Lord may use our word to ignite curiosity or cause anyone to reconsider their spiritual life. Should we convince anyone to believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior? When a person is ready, the Holy Spirit will certainly use our word appropriately.

1.  Word

²³A person finds joy in giving an apt reply—and how good is a timely word!

            Giving an appropriate word of reply at the right moment could be beneficial to anyone who asked a question. For example: “Someone asks for direction, and you appropriately give the right word for direction, the inquirer benefitted from your apt reply. How about you who answered appropriately? What benefit do you obtain from giving apt reply?

            How do you interpret when it says, “A person finds joy in giving an apt reply—and how good is a timely word?” It’s fullness of life to have gladness and joy. You’ve got fullness of life when you are glad instead of irritable or sulky. Giving an apt reply practically display joy in the heart of a person. In contrast, a grumpy person won’t answer gladly. Don’t you think so?

Respect

Many people would demand respect from others. Others say that respect should be earned. But, who benefits between the person who gives respect and demands respect? What favor do you get if others respect you? What benefits do you get when you respect others?

There may be bonus favor for the recipient of respect, but did you know that the person who gives respect to anyone who deserves or not, is actually more blessed? How is that?

Let’s us try to dissect Ephesians 6:1-3, ¹Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ²“Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— ³“so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

Who are possible recipients of blessing from God in this passage? Parents or children? God did not say that it may go well with parents if their children honor them. Parents may have the glorious moments when children honor them, but when children honor parents, they are blessed for a lifetime. Children hesitate to honor parents because this is godly command.

Children cannot comprehend the lifetime blessing of honoring parents. Why? It is by faith and inspiration of the Holy Spirit that believers obey the Lord. Again, lifetime blessing for honoring parents, is not readily accepted without faith in God. The human brain reasons out as exaggerated, but nothing is too much by faith in God who has unlimited supply of blessing.

How strong do you personally interpret what it declares in Deuteronomy 28:2-3?

²All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God. ³You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.

This passage which was originally given to the Israelites. Do you think that it was written exclusively for them only. Would it apply to non-Jewish believers of Christ? Again, the Lord who gave this promise is the same Lord who was born Jesus Christ in the New Testament. By faith, we seek inspiration of his Holy Spirit to discern which part of the Scripture is exclusively promised to the Israelites and promises that are available to all believers who trust in him.

Our ways, lifestyle and behavior as Christians reflect what we believe in the Scripture. If we believe that the ways of God benefit us, we should be more serious in obeying the Lord instead of trying to find appropriate scripture passage to support our convenience. Instead of misleading interpretation, it is wise and prudent to behave according to the ways of the Lord.

2.  Way

²⁴The path of life leads upward for the prudent to keep them from going down to the realm of the dead.

            Upward path may pertain to the righteous ways of the Lord, as compared to going down path that leads to the realm of the dead or hell. So, it is smart to keep and follow the ways of the Lord to avoid going down the region of eternal punishment. The Lord is very clear of his warning that disobedience and rebellion to him has horrible consequences eternally.

How do you personally interpret what it declares in Genesis 2:16-17? ¹⁶The Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; ¹⁷but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

            Adam and Eve did not die instantly after they disobeyed the Lord God. Why? God is patient. He delays punishment to give us time to repent of our sins and return to him. Surely, we cannot grasp the wisdom behind the command of God with human effort. But faith teaches that we still trust the ways of God because we believe he designed what benefits us when we obey.

Naaman

            It is really intriguing that the story of Naaman was included in the Scripture. It narrated that the Lord gave victory to Aram through Naaman. But he had leprosy. Then Naaman learned that a prophet in Israel may cure him. So, he asked permission, and the king of Aram allowed him to see the prophet in Israel. Prophet Elisha told Naaman to wash himself seven times in the Jordan River. Observe how Naaman responded in 2 Kings 5:11-15, ¹¹But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. ¹²Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.

¹³Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” ¹⁴So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

¹⁵Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.”

            Naaman was given a simple instruction, but he hesitated, why? Like many among us, we have our personal interpretation of how God works. When we are sick, our immediate decision is to see a doctor, then we pray for healing, right? Yet, many stories have circulated online about wrong diagnosis of medical doctors. There are even wrong surgeries made. Where is faith here?

            To see a doctor when we are sick is right decision, but we have to pray which doctor to visit. There’s family of doctors: A medical doctor, doctor of philosophy, and doctor of theology.

Someone came knocking at the door. The doctor of theology opened the door. The person said, “I need to see the doctor!” “Which doctor do you need?” the doctor of theology asked. “I am a doctor.” “Please, doc. Come and see my child. She is sick,” the person pleaded. “No! You don’t need me. You need my son, He is the medical doctor,” the doctor of theology explained.

            When it says, “The path of life leads upward for the prudent,” we are advised to always follow the ways of the Lord. The Lord himself will lead us to the right path for our benefit. Our human tendency is to follow what we think as best for us and we ignore simple things.

            Naaman thought that he could have wash himself in the waters of Abana, Pharpar and Damascus which were far better than all the waters of Israel. Yet even with misguided thoughts of Naaman, God cause him to listen to the advice of his servant. Naaman obeyed and cleansed.

            How about us? The commands of God is very easy to understand even by children or ordinary people. But that smartest among us try to dissect the word of God in misleading way.

            This is why we always need the Holy Spirit to guide us when interpreting the Scripture.

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