Good Ending
Proverbs 11:22-23
22 Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion. 23 The desire of the righteous ends only in good, but the hope of the wicked only in wrath.
Once Upon a Time
Have you remembered when your parents or teachers told a story and started with, “Once upon a time?” Maybe, you had a favorite story that begins with the phrase “Once upon a time.” You like it when a story starts with this phrase “Once upon a time?” Why? You may anticipate that it has great ending like, “and they live happily ever after.” To live happily ever after is fantasy but it can be realized in the paradise of God, only in heaven. How many individuals you know personally who had happily lived ever after until they have grown old?
Together, let us reflect on what it narrated in Job 42:16-17, 16 After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. 17 And so Job died, an old man and full of years.
The life of Job was very dramatic; it ended desirable after all. He remained faithful to the Lord despite the trials that God intentionally allowed to test his faith. How many religious or not religious people lived life with great ending? God has particular purpose for every situation, and no one can control how long they live.
So, it is best for us to use every moment of our life doing good works that God prepared for us to do and earn eternal treasure for ourselves in heaven.
Personally reflect on what Christ declared in Matthew 11:11, 11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
According to scholars, John the Baptist died at the age of 30. Christ is the Truth; he declares the truth that John the Baptist was greater than any mankind who was born of a woman. Performance is what Christ counts as greatness and not the numbers of years we live on earth. Can you accept that?
We may wish to live long like Job; many people want to live longer, why? They want to explore every wonderful detail of life experiences that others have. Anyone may agree that temporary excitement of life on earth can be curiously satiable, but we should be more intentional of doing our mission purposes. Have you discovered your mission purpose? Pray for decisions and discretions.
1. Discretion
22 Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.
The term “discretion” is also properly translated as “intelligence, advice, behavior, decree, judgment, reason, taste or understanding.” These days, pigs are taken care as pets like cats and dogs. Have you heard of anyone who allows a pig to sit on the sofa, sleep on their bed or just allow the pig to roam around the house? Pigs are now treated just like the way they treat cats and dogs pets.
Anyone may choose whatever pet they may want to have; some people may find their animal pets as therapeutic to them. But if you let pigs run around your backyard, what can you expect? The pigs will behave like pigs; they plow or dig the ground with their snout. What if they put gold rings in the snout of the pig?
Will the pig appreciate that it has gold ring in its snout? What do you think?
Gold rings cannot make pigs behave better; likewise, beauty is useless to a person who has no discretion. And you may have heard of many blonde jokes?
Blonde’s First Football Game
Someone took his blonde girlfriend to her first football game. They seated right behind their team’s bench. After the game, he asked his blonde girlfriend, “How do you like the experience of watching a Football Game for the first time?” “Oh, I really liked it,” she replied, “especially the tight pants, all the big muscles, but I just couldn’t understand why they were killing each other over 25 cents.”
He was puzzled by her answer; so he asked her, “What do you mean they were killing each other over 25 cents?” She explained animatedly, “Well, they flipped a coin, one team got it, and then for the rest of the game, all they kept screaming was, ‘Get the quarterback! Get the quarterback!’ Why were they killing each other just to get the quarter back?” I’m like, hello? It’s only 25 cents!”
Giving conclusion without proper knowledge of the matter is not relegated to the blonde. Anyone can be overconfident of their stature, but discretion or wisdom is proven dominant traits beneficial for anyone. Psalm 111:10 declares,
10The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.
To fear of the Lord and to follow his precepts are practical effects of faith in him; they are not instinctive human desires. Naturally, we desire to do things that are opposed to godly instructions; we would rather resist the Lord than to obey him. Therefore, we should seek his help for us to desire and follow his precepts.
2. Desire
23 The desire of the righteous ends only in good, but the hope of the wicked only in wrath.
The term “righteous” is also properly interpreted as “blameless.” But how can a sinful mankind be blameless when we are prone to commit sin? The Lord knows it very well that we cannot be righteous and blameless on our own effort. So, God sent his Son Jesus Christ to be sacrificed so that everyone who believes in him will become righteous, blameless and perfect in his eyes.
Meaning: We can realize being righteous in the eyes of God only when we seriously and completely rely upon the Lord; then, we can hope of good ending. Again, we can never be righteous on our own initiatives. We need God’s help.
Hannah
Trivia question: What was that name of the mother of Prophet Samuel? What was the name of his father? It narrated in 1 Samuel 1:7-11, 7 This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. 8 Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?” 9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up… 10 In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. 11 And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”
The story narrates that Hannah gave birth to Prophet Samuel, and the Lord was gracious to Hannah; she had 3 sons and 2 daughters. Eventually, Prophets Samuel became the leader of Israel from his youth until his old age. Now, imagine the woman who provoked Hannah until she cried. How did she behave when the son of Hannah Samuel became leader of Israel? Did she ever ask Hannah for consideration about her indifferent attitude? What do you think?
Do you know that the Israelites were nervous whenever they saw Samuel? When the Lord instructed Samuel to go to Bethlehem to anoint David as king it narrated in 1 Samuel 16:4-5, 4 Samuel did what the Lord said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, “Do you come in peace?” 5 Samuel replied, “Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.”
Hannah may have been very glad that the Lord made her the mother of Prophet Samuel who became great leader of Israel; in contrast, the woman who provoked Hannah until she would cry may have been very anxious all her life. She may have been praying that Hannah may forget her animosities toward her.
Bullying is one of the problems of students in school. Have you ever been bullied in school? Reflect on this: Someone said that “Bullies are ordinary people who try to hide their insecurities by intimidating others.” Truly, most bullies if not all bullies will never become great; they’re relegated into oblivion in the society.
Together, let’s reflect on what Hannah declared of God in 1 Samuel 2:7-9,
7 The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts. 8 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. “For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s; on them he has set the world. 9 He will guard the feet of his faithful servants, but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.
Pray for increase of faith and godly wisdom. Expect that God will help you live a life happily ever after and forever in heaven, if you have it now, the better.
><((‘> .. ><((‘> … ><(((“> tmec\2024 <“)))>< … <‘))>< .. <‘))><
