Proverbs 19:11-12

¹¹A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.

¹²A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.

Naughty

High school memory is great reminiscence. Laughter was liberate.   The students walked home when out of the blue, a naughty boy threw a pebble at the group without warning. Sadly, the pebble hit the eyeglass of one student and wounded his eyebrow. The accident was not forgotten.

Few years passed by, the same victim was bullied. Someone asked, “Why didn’t you retaliate and remain quiet?” “It’s OK. Let him be!” the victim said. The victim had composure when he was accidentally hurt and bullied randomly. He may have visualized a future greater than temporal harm. Well, the victim had career success greater than those who bullied him.

Bullies can be dominant temporarily but there’re essential things that great people can overlook yet ordinary people can actually contribute. Let’s reflect on what happen in 2 Kings 5:1-3, ¹Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy. ²Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. ³She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

The great Commander Naaman followed the advice of his servant. Prophet Elisha told him to wash himself 7x in the Jordan River. What? An army commander like Naaman was simply told to wash in the murky water of the Jordan River. He felt insulted. He was angry. He felt disrespected.

A servant told Naaman where to find healing. Still another servant convinced him to go and dip himself 7x in the murky water of the Jordan. Naaman listened and saw a miracle that day. His flesh was restored clean.

Pray for discernment to internalize simple instruction from the Lord. God wants to bless us more than we can imagine. We just need to follow. Obeying the Lord is favorable blessing that extends to eternal glory.

1. Glory

                                 ¹¹A person’s wisdom yields patience;

                             it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.

Wisdom yields patience. It brings glory to anyone who acquired it.

Godly wisdom comes from the Spirit of wisdom. Jesus Christ is the wisdom of God. The Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of wisdom. When the Holy Spirit produces patience in us, we can conceptualize bigger picture of any situation. And so, we can overlook an offense and focus on greater results.

Wisdom helps us realize that everyone can commit mistake. People who cannot realize that great relationship is favorable, they may offend us. Why do kingdoms go to war against other kingdoms? Why do nations go to war against other nations? Kings can be war freak in the past until now.

They wanted to dominate and control. Businessmen want to control the market. Domineering personality may have become devil’s tool to steal peace and order, kill friendships and destroy productive cooperation. Christ declares it in John 10:10-11, ¹⁰The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. ¹¹I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

God designed adventurous life in its fullness. Every good thing comes from God. The thief is the devil that diverts us away from fullness of life. The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy the good things that God created. Anything that may influence us to ignore the Lord can be a devil’s scheme.

Pilate

Matthew 27:19-21 narrates, ¹⁹While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.” ²⁰But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed. ²¹“Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor. “Barabbas,” they answered.

Why did Pilate ignore the warning of his wife? Pilate was concerned that his political privileges will suffer if he offended the chief priests and the elders. Privileges that come with political power are deceptive tools of the devil to destroy even religious people. Politics are deceptive like grass on the ground. Grass looks attractive in picture but it’s laborious to maintain.

Mowing grass is tedious work but many people cultivate lawn grass.

2. Grass

                                 ¹²A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion,

                             but his favor is like dew on the grass.

No matter what may happen, it is best to secure favor from the king.

When the lion roars, everyone will flee for safety. Everyone is scared when the king is angry. His favor is desirable. A king’s favor is refreshing like dew on the grass. The words, “Dew on the grass,” represents divine provision and blessing of the Lord that we receive every single day.

How do you interpret and explain to ordinary listener when the Lord teaches us to pray in Matthew 6:9-11? ⁹This, then, is how you should pray:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, ¹⁰your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. ¹¹Give us today our daily bread.”

Aren’t you puzzled why Christ wants us to ask God for provision daily instead of lifetime blessings to be given at once? God knows that mankind has limited memory. What he gives today will be forgotten tomorrow. And mankind can easily forget even their own personal promises.

Divorce

Divorce is one concrete example of mankind’s forgetfulness. Spouses take oath on wedding day to live with each until death separates them. Yet, statistics proves that Christianity has far higher rates of divorce than other religious groups. The devil knows that Christians will enter heaven, and divorce is its instrument to slowly deceive Christians from obeying God.

And the devil does not need to deceive religious people who have no assurance of entering heaven when Christ returns. Could divorce prevent Christian from spiritual maturity? It practically proves that they’ve moved to the next level of their spiritual growth if they have avoided divorce.

Reflect on what the Lord warned in Malachi 2:16, ¹⁶“The man who hates and divorces his wife, does violence to the one he should protect,” says the Lord Almighty. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful.

Divorce is unfaithfulness to the covenant made at wedding ceremony. God is a witness when the marriage covenant was made. It’s unfaithfulness before God to get divorced. Certainly, there are various and valid reasons why they want divorce. Why does God allow marriage problems? We seek his help and experience his faithfulness to keep marriage grow stronger.

The human nature dictates us to fight for our right when offended. But when the Holy Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience and faithfulness despite misunderstanding and mistakes, we want our marriage be strong.

It is by the gracious favor of God to fill us with the Spirit of wisdom. When the Spirit of wisdom is functional is us, we’ve got patience and not bothered by any offense. We can overlook an offense instead.

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