6 Go to the ant, O sluggard;
consider her ways, and be wise. 7 Without having any chief,
officer, or ruler, 8 she prepares her bread in summer
and gathers her food in harvest. 9 How long will you lie there, O sluggard?
When will you arise from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest, 11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
and want like an armed man.
REFLECTION:
This passage uses the diligence of ants as a metaphor—admonishing us to work diligently and not to lose the blessings given by God due to laziness and sleepiness. This is not to say that we cannot rest. In fact, God gave the Jews a Sabbath to let them rest quietly in God one day a week, so that both the body and the soul can regain strength. We often make the mistake of not working hard when we should work, and not taking a good rest when we should rest. This leads to physical and mental fatigue and delays many things that should be done earlier. Please think about whether you often delay things because of laziness? Do you have some important plans that often fail due to delays and poor time management? If so, hope you can draw strength from this passage and become a diligent person from now on, because God’s will is that you are diligent every day and never slack in your life, so you will receive many rewards from God.
PRAYER:
Ask God to give you the strength to free you from laziness and procrastination. Ask God to give you wisdom to manage your time efficiently, organize your work in all aspects in an orderly manner, and maintain a good balance between work and family life. Ask God to give you a heart to rely on Him, and practice diligently every day in the pursuit of faith and spiritual development, and not to lose the blessings God has given you.
15 Drink water from your own cistern,
flowing water from your own well. 16 Should your springs be scattered abroad,
streams of water in the streets? 17 Let them be for yourself alone,
and not for strangers with you. 18 Let your fountain be blessed,
and rejoice in the wife of your youth, 19 a lovely deer, a graceful doe.
Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight;
be intoxicated always in her love. 20 Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman
and embrace the bosom of an adulteress? 21 For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord,
and he ponders all his paths. 22 The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him,
and he is held fast in the cords of his sin. 23 He dies for lack of discipline,
and because of his great folly he is led astray.
REFLECTION:
This passage admonishes us to remain holy in our marriage, to love and keep together with the spouse ordained by God, and to live to old age together. In this era of advocating the supremacy of personal freedom and hedonism, when people feel dull about marriage, there will be many opportunities to induce husbands or wives to abandon each other and seek joy and excitement elsewhere. However, as God’s people, we should understand that God’s ordained marriage is sacred, and only a couple joined in God’s will through marriage can have true love and satisfaction. Don’t abandon the best blessings God has given you. Entrust yourself to God and commit yourself to the spouse that God has given you and share the blessings. At the same time, we should also understand that chastity and loyalty in marriage does not make marriage lifeless and uninteresting. This is not what God intended. We should think of each other in marriage and share the joys of life with our spouse. Think about whether your marriage is still as happy as before. Do you give place to the devil in your heart? If so, ask God to forgive your sins and bless you and your spouse in your marriage so that you can experience a more fulfilling life.
PRAYER:
Pray for God to strengthen your heart and keep you and your spouse pure in marriage; for God to save you from the temptation of the devil, not to be blinded by the vanity of the world, and not to be bound by the desires of the flesh and eyes. Pray for God to make you and your spouse please each other in marriage, create common interests in all aspects of life, and share the blessings that God has given.
20 My son, be attentive to my words;
incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Let them not escape from your sight;
keep them within your heart. 22 For they are life to those who find them,
and healing to all their flesh. 23 Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life. 24 Put away from you crooked speech,
and put devious talk far from you. 25 Let your eyes look directly forward,
and your gaze be straight before you. 26 Ponder the path of your feet;
then all your ways will be sure. 27 Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
turn your foot away from evil.
REFLECTION:
Our heart refers to all our feelings about life and the world, which contains our worldview, outlook on life, and values. The heart governs our way of life, determines how we live this life, and where we will eventually reach. Solomon commanded us to keep our hearts in the Word of God, above all else; we should walk in the path God has appointed for us, without distractions, and not be tempted by the vanity of the world. Solomon also told us that the keeping of the heart includes words, eyes, and steps. As taught in Psalm 1, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2). Think about whether your heart is exclusively looking to God and being protected by God. Do you have a good conscience and faith, and maintain integrity in the three aspects: words, eyes, and steps?
PRAYER:
Come to God humbly. Ask God to enlighten and cleanse your heart, and remove the darkness and filth in your heart; ask God to protect and teach you, so that you can speak upright, have bright eyes, and keep your feet safe, so that you can live a life of holiness and consecration. Stay away from evil and bear a good testimony for God!
1 My son, do not forget my teaching,
but let your heart keep my commandments, 2 for length of days and years of life
and peace they will add to you.
3 Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;
bind them around your neck;
write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 So you will find favor and good success
in the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths. 7 Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. 8 It will be healing to your flesh
and refreshment to your bones.
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth
and with the firstfruits of all your produce; 10 then your barns will be filled with plenty,
and your vats will be bursting with wine.
11 My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline
or be weary of his reproof, 12 for the Lord reproves him whom he loves,
as a father the son in whom he delights.
REFLECTION:
Loving kindness and honesty are both important virtues. Not only do they need to be in the heart, they also require action to show them. A loving person not only feels love, but also loves honestly and seriously. Faithful people not only believe in the truth, but also strive for justice for others. Thoughts and words are not enough to show whether we are truly loving and honest. Only in our lives and behaviors can it be reflected. Only in this way can we please God and gain true intelligence. Think of your top priority, what do you think is the most valuable? In what ways are you still unclear about God’s will? What advice and admonition does God have for you? In everything you do, have you accepted God as the master and dedicated your firstfruits, that is, your best, to God? If you still have a gap, ask God to give you the confidence and strength to do this.
The righteous are not always prosperous, because God will admonish and discipline us through adversity. For many people, discipline often has a negative meaning, but God does not punish us for liking us to suffer, but because He loves us and cares for our growth. He knows that in order to make us strong and good in virtue, we must use His loving discipline to enable us to distinguish right from wrong. When we are disciplined by God, it is sometimes difficult to immediately understand His intentions, until we look back at the situation in the future to understand. Let us not think that we are wise, feel unfair when we are in adversity, and complain to God. Trusting and obeying God in everything is true wisdom.
PRAYER:
Pray for God to make you understand that His thoughts are far higher than yours, and His wisdom is far greater than yours. If you are caught in temporary injustice or suffering, ask God to give you greater trust in Him and do not complain to Him. Ask God to supervise and teach you like a father admonishes his beloved children, so that you can walk in His way throughout your life, with love and honesty in everything you do.
1 My son, if you receive my words
and treasure up my commandments with you, 2 making your ear attentive to wisdom
and inclining your heart to understanding; 3 yes, if you call out for insight
and raise your voice for understanding, 4 if you seek it like silver
and search for it as for hidden treasures, 5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God. 6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; 7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, 8 guarding the paths of justice
and watching over the way of his saints. 9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice
and equity, every good path;
REFLECTION:
Solomon tells us in this chapter that wisdom is not only bestowed by God, but also depends on people’s dedicated pursuit. The beginning of wisdom is God and His revealed words recorded in the Bible. It is the source of our true “knowledge and wisdom”. We should understand that wisdom is God’s gift to us, and it is only given to those who strive to pursue it. God’s Word is hidden from those who think they are wise, but are actually rebellious and foolish; while it is open to those who are humble, upright, and pure in behavior. Although the path to wisdom can only be found through hard work, once we embark on this path, we will find that God will guide us to move on, so that those of us who sincerely seek wisdom will benefit in all aspects.
At the same time, we should also understand that just as a journey of a thousand miles is not an overnight effort, the growth of wisdom also has a process. To walk on this path of wisdom, we must first trust and honour God, and at the same time know that it is the Bible that shows us God’s wisdom, and we learn from it by reading the Bible every day. In life, we must practice integrity and justice throughout our lives, and ask God to save us from temptation and evil. If we sin and fall, we must confess our sins and repent in time, and learn from the lesson that we should never sin again. Reflect for yourself: Am I trying to walk on this path of seeking wisdom? Does my wisdom grow day by day?
PRAYER:
Come to God humbly. Ask God to give you confidence and strength, so that you can walk on the path of seeking God’s wisdom throughout your life. Ask God to lead you to put your faith in concrete actions; keep reading the Bible and praying every day; and practise daily devotion, so that your wisdom will grow day by day through continuous spiritual discipline.
Israel understood that the Creator had placed an order in his world that could be discovered. The book of Proverbs captures these lessons in compact, memorable sayings passed down from the wisest among their elders. Many of them are from Solomon, a king renowned for his wisdom (see 1 Kings 4:29-34). These proverbs are especially designed to help younger people avoid common pitfalls and find the path to prosperity, health and security.
After a short section of teaching, wisdom itself, personified as a woman, calls out to the simple and invites them to grow in knowledge. This section ends by presenting two banquets, one hosted by Wisdom and one by Folly, illustrating the essential choice to be made in life. A collection of 375 proverbs of Solomon follows, reflecting the numerical value of his name in Hebrew. (Hebrew letters were also used as numbers, so words had a value equal to the sum of their letters.) After some “sayings of the wise,” next is a collection of Solomon’s wisdom compiled by the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah. Here the count is 130, equaling the value of Hezekiah’s name. The book closes with sayings from Agur and Lemuel, ending with a poem whose 22 parts begin with consecutive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The character qualities praised throughout the book are seen in a description of the ideal wife.
This rich book of short, pithy wisdom presents a consistent theme: the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.
1The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and instruction,
to understand words of insight, 3 to receive instruction in wise dealing,
in righteousness, justice, and equity; 4 to give prudence to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the youth— 5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning,
and the one who understands obtain guidance, 6 to understand a proverb and a saying,
the words of the wise and their riddles.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 Hear, my son, your father’s instruction,
and forsake not your mother’s teaching, 9 for they are a graceful garland for your head
and pendants for your neck.
REFLECTION:
If Psalms focuses on walking with God in prayer and spiritual life, Proverbs focuses on manifesting the truth of God in daily life. Proverbs is not only a collection of good words about life, but also contains spiritual insights gained from life experience. The language of Proverbs is refined and beautiful, full of heavenly wisdom, and can make people put the truth of God into practice everywhere. This book is centred on God. It uses concise and exquisite aphorisms to let people know God’s characteristics, actions, and blessings, and teaches us how to build an intimate relationship with Him in our lives.
In this era of technological advancement and advanced information, people are becoming richer in all kinds of knowledge, and their ways of being in the world are becoming smarter, but they lack real wisdom from God. The author teaches us in this chapter that God’s wisdom is far superior to human ingenuity, and it has a lasting and profound impact on all aspects of human life. To obtain the wisdom bestowed by God, the most fundamental beginning is to fear the Lord and obey His words. We must know that everything works for the benefit of those who love God. As children of God, loving and trusting in God should be our highest standards of life. We should regard God’s teachings and laws as more precious than crowns and golden chains, and strive to obey them in our lives, so that we will be protected and blessed by God for a long time.
PRAYER:
Come to God quietly, examine yourself, and ask God to examine yourself. Ask God to remove the pride in your heart, so that you don’t think you are clever and rely on your own ability to do things. Like Solomon, ask God to give you true wisdom so that you take this wisdom from God as the highest rule in your life to guide all actions in your life.
Pray for Us 1 Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, 2 and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.4 And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.
Warning Against Idleness 6 Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. 9 It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. 11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. 12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.
13 As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.14 If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
Benediction 16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.
17 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine; it is the way I write. 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
REFLECTION:
Members of the Thessalonian church were refusing to take responsibility. Some had quit working because they thought Jesus would be back any moment and didn’t see any reason to exert themselves. Others relaxed because there were plenty of wealthier members in the church who were always willing to share. Regardless of the reason, Paul was abhorred by such laziness and set the rule: “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat” (v10).
How can our laziness affect the work of Christ?
When is it hard for you to feel motivated to do the work of your church?
Pray that like Paul, you will be a good example to others in your attitude toward work.
PRAYER:
Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what He wants to tell you. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in your spiritual journal.
The Man of Lawlessness 1 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time.7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 12 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Stand Firm 13 But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. 14 To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.
16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.
REFLECTION:
The “man of lawlessness” (v3) points clearly to a person commonly referred to as the anti-Christ. He is introduced in Daniel 9:25-27, and Jesus referred to him in Matthew 24 and Mark 13. He also appears in books such as Revelation. Here, Paul describes this anti-Christ as “opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God” (v4).
Paul advises us that Satan has yet to attack us with the worst he has, and when he does, it will be a fearful time to be alive. However, Paul also promises that God will always be in control.
The Thessalonian church was facing persecution, false teaching, secularization and various uncertainties. Therefore, Paul wanted the Thessalonian believers to know that accepting Christ and salvation is only the beginning of one’s spiritual life. He encouraged them to “stand firm” and hold fast to God’s teaching.
What potential threats to the safety of the world do you see right now (for example, attitudes, weapon building, warfare, diseases, crimes, and so on)? What personal fears or concerns do you have about that?
Talk openly with God about any fears or concerns you have regarding the future.
PRAYER:
Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what He wants to tell you. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in your spiritual journal.
Apparently only shortly after writing his first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul had to write again to correct a false report that he had said the day of the Lord had already come. The day of the Lord was a phrase from the Hebrew prophets to describe God’s key victory over every opponent, when his faithful ones would be rewarded. The Thessalonians’ concern seems to have been not that the day had come and gone and they had missed it, but that it was now present. That would mean nothing more was to be expected from God in terms of setting things right. Since they continued to suffer persecutions, this was a depressing prospect.
Even before he contradicts this false report, Paul reassures the Thessalonians that God will indeed pay back all those who were troubling them. He reminds them of the details he had discussed with them in person of how the day of the Lord would arrive. He then repeats some instruction from his earlier letter, urging them not to be idle but to work hard and earn their own livings.
At the end of the letter, most of which would have been written by a scribe, Paul adds a greeting in his own handwriting. He wants them to know for sure this teaching is really coming from him!
To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving
3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.4 Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.
The Judgment at Christ’s Coming
5 This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— 6 since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.11 To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
REFLECTION:
Some people want to think of God as being “nice”. Much too nice to get angry at people, and much too nice to punish sin. The truth is that the idea of “nice” as we understand it is not found in the Bible. This passage talks about Jesus coming “with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God” (vv7-8). And they will “suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord” (v9). The justice of God is displayed in two ways. One is by “repaying” those who do evil (v6). The other is by taking on Himself the punishment due those who do evil. This has already happened on Calvary.
Spend a few moments to meditate on the enormity of God’s love in sacrificing Jesus to save you!! Say a word of thanksgiving to God.
Think of the non-believing family members and friends. Think of one or more that you will FAITHFULLY pray for their salvation.
PRAYER:
Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what He wants to tell you. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in your spiritual journal.
12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.
23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
25 Brothers, pray for us.
26 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
27 I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.
28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
REFLECTION:
Paul wanted the Thessalonians to “live in peace with each other” (v13) and closed his first letter to them with several instructions on how they could do this.
Among the instructions are: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, giving thanks in all circumstances” (vv16-18). These three teachings are totally contrary to our human nature. However, as we learn to obey God’s Word wholeheartedly, we will develop different perspectives toward people and things, and we will then discover that to be joyful and thankful isn’t that difficult after all, but rather the natural outpouring of our hearts.
Follow the discipline of giving thanks in all circumstances by finding as many things in your life as you can to be thankful for.
PRAYER:
Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what He wants to tell you. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in your spiritual journal.
