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Proverbs 31:30 ESV
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Charm
Definition of charm – the chanting or reciting of a magic spell; a trait that fascinates, allures, or delights; to allure - to entice by charm or attraction; to enchant – to influence by or as if by charms and incantation: bewitch (M-W Dictionary); seduce, tempt, hypnotize, illusions, deceptions, trickery.
We, as followers of Jesus Christ, are not to be charming, superficial, fake and/or seductive. We are not to lie to (deceive) people or to put on an act to entertain them so that they will like us. We should also not be jokesters who have to turn everything into something funny or amusing in order to keep everyone entertained, laughing, and thinking how delightful we are. And, we should never entice or allure people into disobeying the Lord.
Instead, we are to be sincere, honest, and real, not phony. Our yes should be yes and our no should be no. We should wear no masks to cover-up greed or hatred or secret sins. And, we should be who we are no matter who we are with, and not be chameleons who blend in with their environment, being a different person to fit with whomever they are around. And, we should be the same when we are by ourselves, when no one else can see us, as we are when we are with other people.
Have you ever noticed how many liars and deceivers out there are charmers? They are really good at manipulating people’s emotions and saying what they know is going to get them liked. They are also entertainers who keep people laughing all the time. And, they are story tellers, and ones who like to kid a lot with people so that you never know when they are lying or when they are telling the truth. And, people like them. People are drawn to them, because they are fun and entertaining.
But, they are dangerous because charm is deceitful, and they can talk you into believing just about anything because they can be so persuasive, too. So many people think they are funny, too, but deception is never funny. For, many abusers are also charmers. Many wolves in sheep’s clothing are entertainers and are very likeable. So, not only should we be real and not phony, but we need to guard our hearts against charmers, too. For, they may be fun, but they may also have a snake’s bite. Don’t be fooled by them.
Beauty
Beauty can be inward or outward or both. It is not a bad thing to be beautiful on the outside, for we should all accept ourselves the way God made us in bodily form. But, that should not be what we focus our time, value or attention on, for outward beauty is empty, meaningless, useless and fleeting. And, the older we get, the more we realize this, too.
Now, we should take care of our bodies, eat healthy, be clean, wash, brush our hair and our teeth, and get exercise. We should take reasonable care of our bodies, for our own sake, as well as out of consideration of others who spend time with us, and because we are the temple of God. So, we should not neglect the care of our physical bodies, but they should not be our gods.
Our focus, instead, with regard to ourselves, is that we are beautiful on the inside, inside our hearts, that our hearts should be pure and wholesome and given over to God in surrender to his will and to his ways. We want to have hearts which are unadulterated and unpolluted by this sinful world, and that are not corrupted by our sinful flesh. And, we want to have hearts desirous for God and for his Word and for walking in obedience to his Word, too.
And, we want to love people with pure hearts, too, which are not deceptive, not phony, wearing no masks, but fully sincere in everything we are, and do, and say. So, we don’t flatter people or tell them what they want to hear if what they want to hear is not good for them, or if it is a lie. But, we speak the truth in love, with the kindness and gentleness of our Lord, but for the benefit of those who listen to us, too, for what is for their ultimate good.
Fear the Lord
To fear the Lord is to not walk around afraid of him, but it is to have a reverential awe and respect of him which takes him and his Word very seriously, including his many warnings to us who profess his name. So, if we walk in the fear of the Lord, we are, by our consistent conduct, giving honor to God by our lives. We are living for him and for his purposes for our lives.
Thus, we are not living to please our sinful flesh. The flesh no longer has dominion over our lives. Now, it is still present with us, and it still tempts us to do what is wrong. And, so there is a real battle going on in our lives between flesh and Spirit, for certain. And, this is why our Lord instructed us in scripture to deny self, and to daily take up our cross and follow him.
Every day we have to choose to reject our flesh and to follow God. Every day we have to put on the armor of God with which to fight off Satan’s temptations and his evil schemes against us. Every day we must resist Satan and flee temptation and draw near to God in full assurance of faith. Every day we must say “No” to ungodliness and fleshly lusts and live self-controlled, upright and godly lives, in the power of God, while we wait for our Lord’s return. And, this, too, is how we walk in the fear of the Lord.
We can’t take our Lord and his Word lightly. We can’t take his grace to us for granted, either, or treat his grace disgracefully by mocking it by willfully choosing to remain in our sinful addictions (practices), yet while claiming heaven as our eternal destiny. For, Jesus died that we might die with him to sin, and he was resurrected from the dead that we might be alive to God in Christ Jesus in living to him and to his righteousness, too.
To fear the Lord is to love him, too, and to love him is to obey him. This is certainly not saying that we have arrived, or that we are perfect, though, for this Christian life is a lifetime process of dying to sin and self and living to God and his holiness. But, walking in obedience to him is not living to please our sinful flesh or still living in addiction thinking God’s grace covers it all.
For, the fear of the Lord is taking him seriously, and living to please him, and it is heeding his warnings to us, too. For, he says that if we walk according to the flesh, we will die in our sins, but if we walk according to the Spirit, then we have eternal life with God in heaven. So, we need to take this seriously, because our lives and our futures depend on it. And, we need to live by the Spirit so that we do not fulfill the desires of our flesh. Amen!
In Faithfulness He Leads Me
An Original Work / March 20, 2013 / Based off Various Scriptures
(Ps. 26:3; 86:11; 91:4-5; 111:7-8; 119:73-76; Is. 25:1,4&9; 42:6-7; Hos. 2:16-20)
Teach me Your ways, Lord, and I’ll walk in them.
Give me a pure heart. I’ll fear Your name.
Your love is always, ever before me.
Continually I’ll walk in Your truth.
You will cover me with feathers.
Under Your wings I’ll find refuge.
My Lord’s faithfulness will be my
Comfort and my shield.
The works of His hands are faithful and just.
Trustworthy are all of His precepts.
Your hands have made me, and they have formed me.
Give understanding of Your commands.
I have put my hope, O Lord, in Your word.
Your teachings, O Lord, are righteousness.
Lord, in faithfulness You have
Afflicted me so I may learn of
Your unfailing love and comfort
And Your truthfulness.
You are my husband; You have betrothed me
In love, compassion and faithfulness.
O Lord, You are my God, I’ll exalt You.
In faithfulness You’ve done wondrous things.
You’ve been a refuge for those who’re needy;
A shelter in storms; shade from the heat.
This is the Lord, we trusted in Him,
Let us be glad and rejoice
In His salvation which He
Provided through the Lamb.
Open the blind eyes; free all the captives.
Tell them of Jesus: “Be born again!”
Monday, May 13, 2019
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Charm
Definition of charm – the chanting or reciting of a magic spell; a trait that fascinates, allures, or delights; to allure - to entice by charm or attraction; to enchant – to influence by or as if by charms and incantation: bewitch (M-W Dictionary); seduce, tempt, hypnotize, illusions, deceptions, trickery.
We, as followers of Jesus Christ, are not to be charming, superficial, fake and/or seductive. We are not to lie to (deceive) people or to put on an act to entertain them so that they will like us. We should also not be jokesters who have to turn everything into something funny or amusing in order to keep everyone entertained, laughing, and thinking how delightful we are. And, we should never entice or allure people into disobeying the Lord.
Instead, we are to be sincere, honest, and real, not phony. Our yes should be yes and our no should be no. We should wear no masks to cover-up greed or hatred or secret sins. And, we should be who we are no matter who we are with, and not be chameleons who blend in with their environment, being a different person to fit with whomever they are around. And, we should be the same when we are by ourselves, when no one else can see us, as we are when we are with other people.
Have you ever noticed how many liars and deceivers out there are charmers? They are really good at manipulating people’s emotions and saying what they know is going to get them liked. They are also entertainers who keep people laughing all the time. And, they are story tellers, and ones who like to kid a lot with people so that you never know when they are lying or when they are telling the truth. And, people like them. People are drawn to them, because they are fun and entertaining.
But, they are dangerous because charm is deceitful, and they can talk you into believing just about anything because they can be so persuasive, too. So many people think they are funny, too, but deception is never funny. For, many abusers are also charmers. Many wolves in sheep’s clothing are entertainers and are very likeable. So, not only should we be real and not phony, but we need to guard our hearts against charmers, too. For, they may be fun, but they may also have a snake’s bite. Don’t be fooled by them.
Beauty
Beauty can be inward or outward or both. It is not a bad thing to be beautiful on the outside, for we should all accept ourselves the way God made us in bodily form. But, that should not be what we focus our time, value or attention on, for outward beauty is empty, meaningless, useless and fleeting. And, the older we get, the more we realize this, too.
Now, we should take care of our bodies, eat healthy, be clean, wash, brush our hair and our teeth, and get exercise. We should take reasonable care of our bodies, for our own sake, as well as out of consideration of others who spend time with us, and because we are the temple of God. So, we should not neglect the care of our physical bodies, but they should not be our gods.
Our focus, instead, with regard to ourselves, is that we are beautiful on the inside, inside our hearts, that our hearts should be pure and wholesome and given over to God in surrender to his will and to his ways. We want to have hearts which are unadulterated and unpolluted by this sinful world, and that are not corrupted by our sinful flesh. And, we want to have hearts desirous for God and for his Word and for walking in obedience to his Word, too.
And, we want to love people with pure hearts, too, which are not deceptive, not phony, wearing no masks, but fully sincere in everything we are, and do, and say. So, we don’t flatter people or tell them what they want to hear if what they want to hear is not good for them, or if it is a lie. But, we speak the truth in love, with the kindness and gentleness of our Lord, but for the benefit of those who listen to us, too, for what is for their ultimate good.
Fear the Lord
To fear the Lord is to not walk around afraid of him, but it is to have a reverential awe and respect of him which takes him and his Word very seriously, including his many warnings to us who profess his name. So, if we walk in the fear of the Lord, we are, by our consistent conduct, giving honor to God by our lives. We are living for him and for his purposes for our lives.
Thus, we are not living to please our sinful flesh. The flesh no longer has dominion over our lives. Now, it is still present with us, and it still tempts us to do what is wrong. And, so there is a real battle going on in our lives between flesh and Spirit, for certain. And, this is why our Lord instructed us in scripture to deny self, and to daily take up our cross and follow him.
Every day we have to choose to reject our flesh and to follow God. Every day we have to put on the armor of God with which to fight off Satan’s temptations and his evil schemes against us. Every day we must resist Satan and flee temptation and draw near to God in full assurance of faith. Every day we must say “No” to ungodliness and fleshly lusts and live self-controlled, upright and godly lives, in the power of God, while we wait for our Lord’s return. And, this, too, is how we walk in the fear of the Lord.
We can’t take our Lord and his Word lightly. We can’t take his grace to us for granted, either, or treat his grace disgracefully by mocking it by willfully choosing to remain in our sinful addictions (practices), yet while claiming heaven as our eternal destiny. For, Jesus died that we might die with him to sin, and he was resurrected from the dead that we might be alive to God in Christ Jesus in living to him and to his righteousness, too.
To fear the Lord is to love him, too, and to love him is to obey him. This is certainly not saying that we have arrived, or that we are perfect, though, for this Christian life is a lifetime process of dying to sin and self and living to God and his holiness. But, walking in obedience to him is not living to please our sinful flesh or still living in addiction thinking God’s grace covers it all.
For, the fear of the Lord is taking him seriously, and living to please him, and it is heeding his warnings to us, too. For, he says that if we walk according to the flesh, we will die in our sins, but if we walk according to the Spirit, then we have eternal life with God in heaven. So, we need to take this seriously, because our lives and our futures depend on it. And, we need to live by the Spirit so that we do not fulfill the desires of our flesh. Amen!
In Faithfulness He Leads Me
An Original Work / March 20, 2013 / Based off Various Scriptures
(Ps. 26:3; 86:11; 91:4-5; 111:7-8; 119:73-76; Is. 25:1,4&9; 42:6-7; Hos. 2:16-20)
Teach me Your ways, Lord, and I’ll walk in them.
Give me a pure heart. I’ll fear Your name.
Your love is always, ever before me.
Continually I’ll walk in Your truth.
You will cover me with feathers.
Under Your wings I’ll find refuge.
My Lord’s faithfulness will be my
Comfort and my shield.
The works of His hands are faithful and just.
Trustworthy are all of His precepts.
Your hands have made me, and they have formed me.
Give understanding of Your commands.
I have put my hope, O Lord, in Your word.
Your teachings, O Lord, are righteousness.
Lord, in faithfulness You have
Afflicted me so I may learn of
Your unfailing love and comfort
And Your truthfulness.
You are my husband; You have betrothed me
In love, compassion and faithfulness.
O Lord, You are my God, I’ll exalt You.
In faithfulness You’ve done wondrous things.
You’ve been a refuge for those who’re needy;
A shelter in storms; shade from the heat.
This is the Lord, we trusted in Him,
Let us be glad and rejoice
In His salvation which He
Provided through the Lamb.
Open the blind eyes; free all the captives.
Tell them of Jesus: “Be born again!”
Monday, May 13, 2019
