Time to Build

"Put your outdoor work in order, and get your fields ready;
after that, build your house." Proverbs 24:27

The more I read this proverb, the more it speaks to me. As a matter of fact, it is screaming at me! The profound truths of it are really resonating with me.

One of the things I love about the Proverbs is that unlike other verses in the Bible, they are very difficult to take out of context. If you know me well, you know I am constantly trying to make sure to teach in context. That is, I am deeply committed to not fishing an idea or point out of a single verse that does not relate to the whole passage. For example, when verses are used to substantiate our predetermined point, but are not about what we are making a point about, and they just have a key or similar word. This kind of weak “theologizing” drives me crazy.

In the Book of Proverbs, many of the wise sayings are “stand alone” teachings or points. Verse 27 of Chapter 24 is not at all related, or in context with verses 26 or 28, which are about other topics. In verse 23, Solomon prefaces this section by saying, "These also are sayings of the wise", inferring that they are, indeed other wise sayings not related necessarily to each other.

Now, back to the Proverb of the day. We have a few sayings that are similar and they kept coming to mind as I read this over and over. I believe all wisdom can be discovered in His Word, and that almost all classic American axioms are rooted in Scripture.
Let me list a few:

1. First things first (do things in the correct order)
2. Make hay while the sun shines (we usually figure this one out after it starts raining)
3. A stitch in time, saves nine (preventive maintenance)
4. Don’t put off til tomorrow, what you can do today (the pitfalls of procrastination)
5. Finish what you started (don’t get me started on this one, or I’ll never finish. lol)
6. Think ahead (reminds me of a few signs I’ve drawn)
7. Deferred gratification (the only real curative for entitlement)

These sayings bring back memories; make us smile, and may even evoke some defensiveness, too. Let the Spirit apply the wisdom for you. For me, I am thinking I have learned a lot in my life that I haven’t applied, at least in some ways. Someone, significantly my senior, recently noted that, "You have grown a lot in the last decade" which is quite a compliment the more I think about it. Certainly better than having only grown a little, or not at all, eh?

I got to thinking about this verse in the context of all of this and am praying about all the preparation work and readying the fields that have been going on in Grace Harbor. Maybe it’s time to build His house, just sayin’. Maybe, a lot of this and that has happened over the years is in preparation for what He is doing. Solomon continues his wise teaching in Ecclesiastes, saying in Chapter 3, there is a time for everything, including a time to build. I hope soon.

In His time,
Pastor Fred

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