Proverbs 18:8-14

Online there and everybody got their message good Okay well last week we were in Atlanta and I told you well, we'll make it on Saturday and then they change our schedule for Saturday And so we had to be up and out of our Airbnb by like 645 in the morning So that didn't get to happen.
You know, the Lord's been teaching me a lot lately He's he's sovereign. His providence is real We have to go with His flow. We can fight against it and buck against it, but sometimes the Lord puts things in our lives, blessings that we get to do, things that come on our plates that we can either be mad about it, be anxious about it, or take comfort that He knows what we can handle. So, we've been busy, and I'll probably update you more later on what's been going on, but for this morning, let's go ahead and have some coffee.
We'll pray and we'll get into God's Word. Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for this day and we thank you for your word. We pray that as we read your word this morning that you would be our teacher. We pray that your Holy Spirit would lead us, guide us, and comfort us in Jesus's name. Amen. Proverbs chapter 8, verses 8 through 14. Proverbs 18, sorry. Verses 8 through 14. No, is that right? Let me make sure, I'm not, that doesn't look right to me. Yeah, eight through, 18, eight through 14, okay. In my Bible, the sentence there is part of a paragraph, so, okay.
The words of a tailbearer are like tasty trifles, and they go down into the innermost body. Tidbits of gossip are like junk food and candy going down into the hearts of those who do evil. Talebearers, gossips, this is the stuff they live for, this is the stuff they want, this is what they desire.
The Lord says, don't do that. That's not what's going to build others up. Verse 9, he who is slothful in his work is a brother of him who is a great destroyer. I think I've told you all this before. There's a show that we used to like to watch on Netflix with our kids, Dino Trucks. A whole bunch of dinosaurs that are like trucks, and the good guys build things up, and the bad guys are the destructs. They tear things down, and we would have to tell our kids, see? The good guys build things up. Are we a family that tears things down or build things up? And they would say we build things up.
Sloth is next to that. Sloth is a little slumber, a little sleep, holding your hands at harvest time and just taking a nap. Just not doing the work that should be done when it should be done and because of that. And this isn't saying, you know, being all about super over productivity and stuff like that. You can take this in a sinful way as well. But this is a person who is able to do the right things and has the work to do and the ability to do them, but just doesn't do them. And that's what this is saying here.
Verse 10. The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run to it and are saved. The name of Yahweh is a strong tower. The righteous run to it. I don't know what you're going through in your life, but this has been a comfort to me recently. You can go to the Lord and find strength. He's our fortress. He's our high tower. We go to the Lord. We don't run to ourselves. We don't run to our own mind or our own strength, but we run to the Lord.
And there we find refuge. There we find strength. So today, if you are struggling, Jesus says, come to me, all ye who are weary and heavy laden, I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, for my burden is easy and my yoke is light. Go to Christ. Take refuge in the Lord. Verse 11.
The rich man's wealth is his strong city. And like a high wall, it's his own esteem. The world wants to retreat to itself. A rich man's strength is in his own castle, in his own high walls. But you know who could destroy those? Other people, other things. But no one can overcome our God. No one can overcome the strength that you have in the Lord. Because the Lord is the master maker of the universe. Verse 12, before destruction, the heart of a man is haughty and before honor is humility.
You want another way to honor, true honor, not just spoiled honor, not just, you know, in the Navy we talked about people who have all sorts of accommodations and medals and everything, but they haven't done anything. Nobody actually respects them. They just have their rank and they have these things because of administrative stuff. But then there were true leaders. those who were humble, those who earned their place.
The way to honor is humility. The way of pride leads to destruction. This is exactly what Jesus showed us. Jesus has a crown that will never fade. And Jesus earned that crown by humbling himself, by taking on the form and likeness of a man. Jesus earned that crown by humility. That's how you'll find true honor, by serving and loving others.
Verse 13, he who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him. To be honest with you, this is one that I have to, as someone who makes their living talking, I have to remind myself, shut up, Brian, be quiet. zip your lips and listen. Actually hear, listen, lean into what people are saying. Hear them out before I want to give a quick fix. This is especially true, you might find this in your marriage. It is extremely wise. You'll frustrate your spouse. Be quiet and listen. Listen to the whole matter before you try to fix it.
Verse 14, The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, but who can bear a broken spirit? You can endure your body being hurt in pain. Yeah, it might ache on you, wear on you, but more crushing than that is a spirit who's lost hope. That's what we're called to do as Christians is to remind people of the hope they have in Christ. A verse that's been heavy on my heart lately is, He will keep him in perfect peace whose mind has stayed on you because he trusts in you. Casting all your cares upon him for he cares for you. We have to have hope. And that hope comes in Jesus Christ. That hope comes in knowing our Redeemer. Loving Him. Resting in Him.
Let's pray. Father, we pray that we would not walk as unwise, but as wise. We pray that we would be humble. We pray that we would be those who would listen to a whole matter. Father, I pray that you would comfort those today who need comfort. I pray for those who feel as if they do not have any strength, that you would let them find strength in Jesus Christ. Lord, I pray that you would give us the strength to do our work this day. Please do not let us be tail-bearers or gossips or slothful, but let us work for your glory. In Jesus' name, amen. Well, may you rest in Jesus Christ, and I'll try to see you tomorrow. Bye.