Bible Guys Classics: Proverbs 16

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practical ways.

Chris, you're doing such a good job today, so are you. Yeah,

we're ahead of schedule.

Not ahead, but on time. We're kind of We're well,

we started late, we started late, but I guess we

are ahead then killing it. That's good. You're really good

at this. Good for us, you're getting good at this.

It only took me five hundred and sixty nine episodes,

but this is five seventy. Oh, well, you know.

We've done this one yet finally got Okay, okay, okay, sorry.

So, hey, welcome to the Bible. Guys. He's Jeff and

I'm Chris. Okay, I'll be Jeff today. That's the character

I'm playing. Okay, are you are you going to introduce

the segment?

I am going to introduce it. And this is everybody's

favorite episode. And last week we were nice to you

being Thanksgiving and all. Yes, so now that it's December

and the season of giving, we have to give the

people what they want.

That's that's it's not it is. Well, we had protests

last week over this. This is not true. It was

nearly a riot last week. Hasn't even as an area.

Yeah, well that's so. Here's the question. What made Chris

mad this week? And this has been the week of

previews because you've already hinted it.

Well, I'll tell you what. It's pretty rare that I

give people a preview. But a couple of podcasts ago

if you're a consistent listener, because a lot of people

they listen randomly. Right, But earlier this week, probably like

three days ago, I had made refference to something in

my neighborhood. I have more to the story, however, Okay,

so set the scene. Here's the scene we have. You're

walking through a neighborhood in Troy on a street. Okay,

So I live in Troy, Michigan, and it's a it's

a nice city. Troy, Michigan is known to be a

very nice city. It's it's known. If you don't know, now,

you know, it is known. And so in our neighborhood

is a little bit older. Yes, that's sure, that's that's true. Established,

it's established, its big trees. But anyway, this guy who

kept an impeccable house, okay, like and by the way,

it just seems like there's another thing that makes me mad.

Is that is that people have moved on my street,

and then people who have moved in have not taken

care of their homes like the people who used to

live there. And so when I moved onto the street,

people had impeccable lawns and you know, property value and

all that stuff. I've become the old man on the

street for sure. And so I think almost everybody is

changed over except for my two neighbors on either side.

We're the only common denominator on my whole street. Everybody

else has changed okay, And so anyway, this house that

used to be impeccable, gets bought by this family and

immediately they have weeds in their lawn. It's they're unmowed.

You know, it goes, it goes, you know, it's just terrible.

But here's the thing that made me mad the most.

They hang their Christmas lights up and leave them up

all year. They've only been they've only been there for

a year. They hung up their Christmas lights and they

left them so all summer long. I'm taking walks through

the neighborhood and I'm looking up and it's it's not

like they're the nice Christmas lights, not the led ones

that are really you know, like they could be hidden.

They're the icicle lights that hang down like two and

a half feet. And to make matters worse.

And you don't even approve of those, just in general,

just in general principle.

If you hang ice icicle lights nineteen ninety one Colt

and they want their outdated yucky lights, wow, okay yeah,

and then up. But they drooped them, which means they

didn't even like hang them correctly. They're hung in a

nasty fashion and and they're and they're hung all year long.

Now they don't turn them on, thank goodness. But they're

but there's still just an isot take them down. Yeah,

it's redneck to the Instagram. So anyway, I just think

that they're prepared. No, they're they're lazy pieces of garbage. Wow,

who are Here's and here's here's what it makes me

even more mad. It turns out I met them and

like they're the nicest people on the planet, but they're

still pieces of garbage only and they're lighting uh practices

as humans people as humans, they're great. They're pieces of

garbage with their lighting. So here's the thing that's just

guess when I met them at church, No, during during

trick retreat. So trick retreat, they come over and I

just literally just met them for the first time, which,

by the way, me not going over to their house

and welcoming them. That means I'm a piece of garbage.

But they live like four how is up? So anyway,

he comes over and he knocks and they say trick

or treat. Well, they're Indian. They're an Indian family. It's

two dads, a bunch of kids, and the two dads,

I'm assuming the women were probably giving out candy because

their light was on and so, uh, but they have

their sories on because that was Dwali. Oh huh okay,

So I said to hin Hindu celebration. So they they're

dressed and their sorries, and so I say, uh. They said, oh,

great costume, because we go all out every year. We

dressed up like the Wizard of Oz. They go, great costume.

I said, oh, I go, this isn't for Halloween. I said,

I said, dressed up for Dwally and and and they

looked at me. You know, they knew I was joking,

and they go, they go, you know of Dwali And

I said yes, I said, I go, I like your sorries.

And they go, that's wonderful. And then they introduced themselves. Hey,

my name is blah blah blah blah. And so we

get to meet them. Man, they're wonderful people, which makes

me even madder because it would be easier if they

were people that I that I could really just be

mad at. But now I've met them and they're wonderful people.

So maybe they just don't know that you're supposed to

take down your lights for Christmas.

Seriously, you live in it. Come on, bro, I don't

care where you're from. You can come directly going to

be nice, to be nice. You can come directly from

your country, and you'd still know that you need to

take down your lights. Okay, so I'm even more mad

that they're nice people, that they're nice. I'm mad mad Okay.

And by the way, if you're listening online and you

think that it's okay to keep your lights up all

year long, I got to tell you something. You are

the problem with America.

The single source of all of the problems in America.

I'd try to come up with the heart. O. Wow,

my wave is mad at me for this episode. Yeah,

she's mad as I'm saying extreme things. By the way,

I don't mean any of those things. Whoa pieces of garbage.

I'm just kidding.

Yeah, okay, I just don't even know where to go

from there.

Okay, well, okay, take away. So let's let's find a

good transition. Take away my harshness. Yes, and do you

at least agree with the principle that a person should

not keep their lights up? Yes? I agree with that principle. Okay, yes,

but you leave me on my island of hearts style.

I'm going to leave you out there on that one okay, yes, yeah,

should I should? I should I rerecord it? No? I

love it. I love it because we could stop and rerecord.

No, no, oh no, we're not covering this sin up

at all. We're just going to leave it out there

for everybody. I'm more strong.

Well, the title is called what made Chris Mad This week? Yes,

and the last few have been a little week. I

still they've been they've been a little namby pamby. So

this one is your went all in.

You pushed all your chips in the middle of the

table and went, you're taking a stand against people who

leave up their Christmas light and.

I called them pieces of garbage. There's that part, hey,

so which I did not mean. No, hold to it.

You said it, hold it own, it own those words, Chris,

I said, it's for funniness, and then they're nice people.

It turns out there's so nice. Yeah, it was just

too harsh. Yeah, it wasn't too harsh. So speaking of

me detesting something so strongly, yes, Proverb sixteen has multiple

mentions of the Lord detesting certain things as well, and kings. Yes, yes,

the Lord it happens to be king. That was close.

It was a good transition. Yeah, it's a good transition.

Yeah, okay, we've been going for if you're listening, we've

been trying to think of the cheesiest transitions.

Yes, yes, that we can think of. So here we go. Proverbs,

Chapter sixteen, Verse one.

We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives

the right answer. I love that verse. There's another one

in here too. This is the same chapter or verse nine.

We can make our plans, but Lord de terms our steps.

I like that those two favor I agree. Okay number two.

People may be pure in their own eyes, but the

Lord examines their motives. Based on that last segment, I

thought maybe I could read that again. People may be

pure in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their motives.

Should we recruitment, Nope, you're stuck with it.

Now commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans

will succeed. The Lord has made everything for his own purposes.

Even though wicked for the day of disaster, the Lord

detests the proud. They will surely be punished. Unfailing love

and faithfulness makes atonement for sin. By fearing the Lord,

people avoid evil. When people's lives please the Lord, even

their enemies are at peace.

With him. Better to have little.

With godliness than to be rich and dishonest. We can

make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. The

King speaks with divine wisdom. He must never judge unfairly.

The Lord demands accurate scales and balances, and he sets

the standards for fairness. A king detests wrongdoing, for his

rule is built on justice. I think the prerequis there

is a good king. Right sure, the anger of the

king is a deadly threat. The wise will try to

appease it. When the king smiles, there is life. His

favor refreshes like a spring rain. How much better to

get wisdom than gold, and good judgment than silver. The

path of the virtuous leads away from evil. Whoever follows

that path is safe. Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness

before a fall. Better to live humbly with the poor

than to share plunder with the proud. Those who listen

to instruction will prosper, and those who trust the Lord

will be joyful. The wise are known for their understanding,

and pleasant words are persuasive. Discretion is a life giving

fountain to those who possess it, but discipline is wasted

on fools. From a wise mind comes wise speech. The

words of the wise are persuasive. Kind words are like honey,

sweet to the soul, and healthy for the body. There

is a path before each person that seems right, but

it ends in death.

Didn't we just read that same verse? Yeah, yeah, that's

kind of a repeat. Obviously, need to hear that highlight

if people need to hear that, I guess right.

It is good for workers to have an appetite, and

empty stomach drives them on.

Oh wow.

Scoundrels create trouble. Their words are a destructive blaze. A

troublemaker plants seeds of strife. Gossip separates the best of friends.

Violent people mislead their companions, leading them down a harmful path.

With narrowed eyes, people plot evil with a smirk, they

plan their mischief. Gray hair is a crown of glory.

It is gained by living a godly life. Better to

be patient than powerful, better to have self control than

to conquer a city. We may throw the dice, but

the Lord determines how they fall.

I love that one. That's great. These are great ones.

I like these ones. Yeah, those are really clever. And

by the way, for the first time since I could

ever remember. Ever you actually skipped a verse? Did I

skip a verse? Yeah, you've skipped first thirteen that says

the king is pleased with words from righteous lips. He

loves those who speak honestly.

Oh yeah, I wound up saying I gave the caveat

of yes, it's a good king.

That's what you did. Yeah, because because you said you

said it's a good king, and then you picked up

with verse fourteen. So well, thank you for catching that. Well,

you know, the people who are watching on video are

the only ones that would have really probably known it.

And I'm humble enough to accept your correction. Yes, well

it's not a person. It's not a correction, it's just

an addendum. Yeah. So anyway, there's a lot in here,

and I want to jump on one.

Have you ever noticed how much my hair is getting gray?

Have you ever noticed so much? Great? It didn't used

to me this way? Right? Where did that come from?

Verse thirty one says gray hair is a crown of glory.

It's gained by living a god life.

Oh there, and I recognize you have almost no gray hair.

Oh my goodness, gracious, you got it right. Hair to

be kidding me. Well, you know what it doesn't say

on the head beard, my's a crown. I don't know

you wear crowns on your chin. Hey, listen your hair.

You've done it to yourself. Now. My beard is way

more white than your hair is.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, but way more wisdom. If

you want to wear your crown on your chin, that's

fine with me.

Oh it doesn't.

I just, I just, I just I just think that

some people cover up their godly.

I see, I do not dye my hair. Something I

do not dye my hair. Is that your That's not true.

By the way, I've had people ask that. People say,

how are you fifty three and you don't have any

you know, gray hair? And I say I do. If

you look close a little bit, you can see. And

they say, well, how how is that? All my brothers

are white, They're all like, like white white hair.

Well, you have to be godly to get gray hair.

That's what the verse says. Gray hair is a crown

of glory. It is gained by living a godly life.

I see, I see you see.

So I was just gonna mention it. You know what

it means.

I figure, I figured I couldn't lose on this tack

because either you're going to say you never die your

hair or you die your hair.

If you said you died your hair.

I was going to be able to say, well, you're

covering up your godliness, right, you're faking it. And then

the other side was if you say you never die

your hair, then the only way you can get it

is by living a godly life. But you also I

read that and immediately thought that's a win win for me.

Hey, I think it's referring to longevity, like those who

those who live godly are proper prosperous with a long life,

which means eventually my hair will get gray. And so

the longer you live, the grayer you get, which means

that you've lived a godly life and God is blessing

you with longevity. Yeah.

Yeah, if you want to jump through the hoops. But

the words on the page say what they say, I

also say. I also like the verse thirty three. This

is a surprise to people. We may throw the dice,

but the Lord determines how they fall.

Yeah, and make your plans and watch God laugh.

Yeah yeah, yeah, So this idea is casting lots, you know,

and It's not that God is behind all of your

gambling winnings.

That's not that's saying.

What they would do sometimes is when people couldn't make

a decision, they would draw a number, they'd roll of

the dice, they'd draw.

Sticks, and they'd ask God to reveal to them.

Right right, God, just just show us what we're supposed

to do. We're not sure what we're supposed.

To do, right, you show us what to do.

And so even in what would seem like the simplest thing,

you know, rock paper scissors kind of a thing, or

you know, drawing straws or whatever, and there's a certain

amount of peace in that.

Have you ever it says the lot fell on Jonah?

Yeah, yeah, Well they cast lots for Jesus clothes at

the crucifixion, so that that was a common thing. But

what I was going to say is, have you ever

sat down or have you ever got into a game

or something people want to argue over whose turn it

is or whatever? But how much simpler is it when

you just spin a dial and the and everybody terms

ahead of time before any decisions are made.

Highest number starts.

And then we go, yeah, yeah, the highest number of

starts you spin it, it ends on five.

Nobody else gets us six, so you get to go

right right.

But if you got a one and somebody else gets five,

you oh rats, but you're not mad at anybody. It

just didn't work out for you. There's some benefit in

choosing neutral ways to begin a thing when others might

feel like there was a benefit for them starting first, right,

And so you can choose a peaceful way. And then

when it comes to the really difficult decisions, the Lord

determines how they fall anyways, and so even on a

little thing, God can sort things out for you. So

there's some wisdom in leaving a little bit of randomness

to difficult decisions when there's a disagreement between two ways.

Instead of you don't always have to fight. You could, literally,

instead of fighting over a restaurant, say okay, right, heads

your tails, heads your tails, right, keep a coin.

Yep. Yeah, it's just it's wise, That's what I'm saying.

You wouldn't think it was wise, but it's wise. Yeah,

Batman's enemy two face make decisions, but flipping coins which

so you stack the deck and have the same you know,

heads on both sides, right, heads on both sides, right, So,

unfailing love and faithfulness make a tone for sin. Fearing

the Lord people people avoid evil. Unfailing love and faithfulness

make atonement for sin. Yeah, so I've always heard that,

you know, there are consequences for sin. Some of them

are spiritual consequences, right obviously with God, with their heavenly Father.

But then some are earthly consequences. And so we could

break relationships for you know, by our choices. And have

you ever heard this when when you have a child

that is mad at you or a family member that

is mad at you for a very long period of time,

have you ever heard of this advice? You need to

serve your way back in. Have you ever heard that

your lives? Yeah, just serve your way back in. So

I'm estranged from my child, right, I'm a strange from

my parents. Just to continually, over time, serve your way

back in. And unfailing love and a faithful and faithfulness

will make atonement for sin. And uh. And the the

advice that I heard from a pastor saying that came

from this verse and said and said like, yes, unfailing

love and faithfulness can can fix our relationship with our

heavenly Father, Right, it makes atonement for our sin. And

but but when it comes down to our earthly relationships,

the same is true. And I've just never forgotten that.

You know, how how you can just be faithful with

your love and your service and just serve them until

eventually you become more known for serving them than you

do for the offense. Right, So it may it may

take some time.

Right, Yeah, that's a really good, really good phrase.

Yeah.

The verses along the lines of verse three, commit your

actions to the Lord, your plans will succeed. I'm always

attracted to the verses in the Bible to talk about

how to succeed, and he's saying, commit your actions to

the Lord, and your plans will succeed. It amazes me

how often people will ask me to pray that God

will bless something that's bad, right, And I'm like.

Really, right.

So, the more mature you become spiritually, the more aware

you are that, Hey, if I'm going to pray for something,

it should be something that God would do himself. If

Jesus wouldn't do it, I shouldn't be praying that I

could do it, right, right, Hey, would would you come

and bless the apartment? I'm moving into with my boyfriend.

Right right. That kind of stuff.

Well, if you can't imagine Jesus moving in with his girlfriend, right,

then maybe we shouldn't or or it's just stuff like that.

Hey.

Uh, I had a guy ask me, genuinely asked me

to pray that he would hit the lotto because he

has no other options, right, So and and I was like, whoa,

let's let's be careful with that one, right and and

and and I'm not saying that he's a bad person.

I'm just saying, man, there's there's a either and this

is somebody been a Christian for a long time, it

seemed like, but uh, there is something about commit your

actions to the Lord. They have to be actions that

are worthy of being committed to the Lord, and then

your plans will succeed. It's not just throwing up a

prayer and going, hey, God, I'm gonna give this to you.

Could you make it work out for me? Because it

has to be the kind of action God would do.

It has to be the kind of action that should

be committed to God. Then your plans will succeed.

You know, it's so interesting. The two examples you used

are like huge cans of worms. People are gonna be like,

what do you mean is it wrong to buy a

lottery ticket? One seeing a lottery ticket for dollars? That

what you're saying? No? And then and then then the

other one is living with your boyfriend, and and there

are people are legitimately or like, what that's bad? Your boyfriend?

Why is that bad? Where's the command in the Bible?

Those are two massive cans of worms.

Yeah, there's there's a lot of commands in the Bible

about that, right, But yeah, I would say that when

it comes to honoring the Lord, the longer you walk

with God and the more you know his words, the

more Solomon says, you're going to walk away from the

bad choices and you're going to do the right things.

So when you read this phrase commit your actions to

the Lord and your plans to succeed, it sounds like

if you just tell God this is what you're about

to do, He's going to always make it succeed. And

that's not true, right right. What he's saying is they

have to be the kinds of actions that you would, legitimately,

through God's word, be able to say, Okay, these are

the kinds of things God blesses, right, and so there's

wisdom and even choosing the right actions. And then you

give those wise actions to God and he will make

your plans succeed. So it's way more complex than just

the surface. And what I was trying to point out

is every one of these proverbs are far more complex

than just the surface of the word right.

Right. And so I want to make two defend the

statements because I'm a person who doesn't like can of worms.

So so number one is that I believe wholeheartedly with

my entire heart that if you approach a marriage relationship

God's way, which is reserving sex for marriage, which would

include the whole living together and the appearance of evil

and everything else. And if and if and if I

you know, I have two daughters, and so my advice

to them would be, if you approach a relationship God's way,

it has and by the way, this has proven statistics. Right,

It's not just it's not just a theory, this is

every study ever ever done, ever right. The chances of

staying together, longer, healthier, happier, are are better tremendously exponentially

when done God's way. Right. So when somebody when somebody

does it, so so I would advise against all of that.

So I agree with you. So while while while you

can debate all day long about economy and living together

cheaper and everything else, when it comes to the way

that God designed a relationship both physically and emotionally, when

done God's way, God will bless it and you'll stay

together in the chances of success or exponentially maybe even

times one hundred. I mean like it's it's I've heard

studies before where it says where they're unbelievable, it's in

like the ninety percentile right when done, when done God's way,

and then and then the other statement about the gambling

is the Bible calls gambling unwise, right, So so I

personally don't believe that betting a dollar is a sin.

I believe that. I believe just like taking a tiny

sip of alcohol isn't a sin, but the abuse of alcohol,

the Bible talks about that being drunk, being you know,

all those kinds of things. So the abuse of gambling

or you know, gambling resources, you know, if you're been

a dollar, But there's difference in betting your rent, right, right,

So anyway.

Some people don't have the ability to differentiate between the two. Correct,

it becomes.

Why it is unwise. The Bible literally calls it unwise, right, right,

so best to avoid, best to avoid unwise things altogether,

right right? So anyway, so.

The verse seventeen kind of goes along those lines. The

path of the virtuous leads away from evil, not towards evil, right, right.

And whoever follows that path is safe. So we make

safe choices, and we we that's what a wise person does.

Right.

So here Salomon is not talking about when when Salem

talks about wise people and foolish people, he's not talking

about people on their way to heaven and people not

on their way to heaven all the time, right, He's

just talking about a wise person avoids the things that

could take them in the wrong direction, right, and a

foolish person runs to those things right.

Right.

But then when it comes to committing your actions to

the Lord, those kinds of actions and your plans will seed.

That sounds like a generic promise that everything you give

to God he will make succeed.

That's not true, right.

It has to align with God, the wisdom of God's word,

and in obedience with what he's already said.

And if so, then your plans will succeed. Yeah. And

one last thing, I know it's our time, but verse

number nineteen, better to live humbly with the poor than

to share plunder with the proud, you know, And it

says that so many times. It talks about, it talks

about better to be an ordinary person with a servant

than to be a self important person. You know, the

idea of like pride and unrighteous. You know, if you're

a person who compromises character for wealth in any way,

shape or form, the Bible warns against that, over and

over and over and over. Right, it is better to

be poor and to live with integrity and to live

with godliness than it is to be rich and to

have so much strife and on goodliness in your home.

So the goal would be, of course, live live godly

and humbly, and then just trust in God's ways and

then God will make you prosper right, let God do it.

So don't try to gain wealth, prosperity and self importance

and power and prestige by yourself. Absolutely, let God give

it to you. Yeah. So that's great conversation, fantastic, Yes,

And so hopefully we will see you next time. I

can't believe I'm leaving. My wife hates that opening segments.

My wife is so mad.

You said he's a really nice guy. I did, you

just want him to straighten his lights.

That's correct, that's all right, so hopefully I'm still regretting it.

Per see you next time on the Bible Coupe.