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Proverbs 20:12 Ears that hear and eyes that see– the LORD has made them both.
Today, I am again thankful for my “eyes that see.” No. They are not perfect. I’ve got a -11 and -12 prescription. VERY near sighted. I am at heightened risk for retinal tears. I am also high risk for glaucoma. BUT, with glasses and contact lenses I can SEE. With yearly doctor appointments, I can keep up with the health of my eyes and hopefully spot and treat and potential problems. So, I am very thankful.
Proverbs 13:3 He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.
Proverbs 7:1 “My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you.”
What more encouragement do we need to MEMORIZE the Word of God? “Store it up” or “treasure it” within!
Proverbs 20:4 A sluggard does not plow in season; so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing.
Obviously, this proverb has direct application to work ethic, not only in the fields, but in any work in which we are engaged. If you are not working hard at the right time, you cannot expect to reap any result.
The language does make me think of the work of the church as well. Jesus often depicts the mission activity of the church in “harvest” or farming language. When we lament that there is no “harvest” or that there are not more people coming to trust in Christ as their Savior, could it be, perhaps because we are not busy in our work of plowing and planting and watering? Could it be because we are staying at home on our couches when we could be out “in the fields” where the people are sharing our lives with them?
They can cut, or they can heal.
Proverbs 12:18 Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Proverbs 27:14 If a man loudly blesses his neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse.
I tried this this morning with my sleeping son. The Proverb was so right. He did not appreciate my greeting. Imagine that. 
Proverbs 10:5
He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.
Jesus tells us that the harvest is ripe. (see John 4, also Matthew 9:37) Are we busy in the harvest, or are we asleep on the job?
Sunday night I drove over to the grocery store. I parked the car and walked up to the door only to discover that they had closed two minutes earlier. It was just after 10PM. I walked back to my car, put my key in the ignition……..nothing. No click. No chug. Nothing. It was dead. A guy in the lot let me use his car for a “jump” but to no avail. It wasn’t happening.
Our other car, ironically, was in the shop, so my wife would have no way to help me out. I decided to walk home. Not a big deal, really. It’s only 2.08 miles. But it was 17 degrees. And it was dark. You never realize how dark sections of the road are until you’re walking on them. When you’re driving you have your own lights in addition to the street lights. But when you’re walking it’s just plain dark at times. I was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and winter coat. No gloves. And jogging pants that were rather porous. All my clothes were dark. I jogged and walked the way home facing traffic so I could dodge a car that couldn’t see me.
At one point, I jumped up on into the snow to avoid a few cars coming. I walked into a tree branch and knocked my contact lens out. Great. Thankfully, the lens was still clinging to my eyelash and I was able to reinsert it after moving to a place with more light. (If I was going to drop it, I wanted to be in a place I had SOME chance of finding it.)
I got home without further incident, but my thighs were bright red. Sooooo cold. The next day, the car was towed and is now fixed. It had been the starter.
I was thankful again for so many of the conveniences that can easily be taken for granted. A working car. Grocery stores. Contact lenses. (I’ve thanked God over and over and over again for glasses and contact lenses. I am horrendously near sighted and could not function without them.
Proverbs 20:12 Ears that hear and eyes that see– the LORD has made them both.
Proverbs 16:16 How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver!
And yet–how much of our time and energy is spent pursuing true wisdom and understanding from God’s Word?
The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. Proverbs 4:18
Think of this verse in light of (pardon the pun) the journey of the believer. The “first gleam of dawn” comes when God causes “his light to shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” (2 Cor. 4:6) Before there was only darkness, but now there is a ray of hope, the gleam of dawn, the promise of a bright future. With the coming of faith, “the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.” (see 1 John 2:8) What Paul says is true. We were “once darkness, but now [we] are light in the Lord.” (Eph.5:8)
Yes, “the night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” (see Romans 13:11-14) We are urged to “Live as children of the light,” and to “let [our] light shine before men.” (see Eph. 5:8ff and Matthew 5:13-16)
May the Light of Christ burn ever more brightly in our hearts until that day when He appears. “For we know that when He appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” (see 1 John 3:2)
