Your "House" (Prov. 24:3-4)

Your house -- build it.  It won't build itself correctly.  Effort, investment, consistency, details.
Your house -- establish it.  Durability, strength, continual reinforcement, habits.
Your house -- fill it.  Delayed gratification, occupation, training, teachable, etc.

Wealth and Health (Psa. 39:4-11)

Read Psalm 39:4-11.

• When your money dwindles, you pay attention.  No one hates money.  You don't have to be in love with it and have it dominate your life, but you don't hate it.  I haven't met one person who would turn down just a little bit more.
• When your money seems to be disappearing and you don't know why, it is wise to consider if it is God's discipline.  Have you been tithing?  Have you been a poor steward of the other 90%?  Have you been living obediently?  Is there an area in your life you haven't submitted to Jesus?
• The greatest wealth is your health and life.  It won't last forever, but why should it dwindle prematurely?  This is not to suggest that every person who struggles with a health issue does so because of sin.  Part of the curse is sickness.  We can't, however, automatically rule out that it could be God's doing.  God knows that if He needs to get someone's attention, the two things to touch are wealth and health.

Breath and Shadow (Psa. 144:4)

This verse reaffirms mortality.  "Breath" and "shadow" are temporary.  Here are four themes to consider.

• Brevity of life.
• Fragility of life.
• Dependency of life.  Breath and shadow depend on outside influence.  Breath comes to us.  It is borrowed.  A shadow is impossible without light.
• Opportunity in life.  The time is now.  You will never have "right now" again. 

Woven by the Lord (Psa. 139:13)

To weave is to take raw ingredients and put them together to form a finished product.

When a chef takes raw ingredients and blends them together, you enjoy a gourmet feast.  When a seamstress takes different fibers and stitches them together, you see a designer garment.

God wove your body the same way.  He took raw ingredients called cells and put them together.  The result was "you."  You are God's handiwork!  You weren't His experiment or hobby.  No, you're His masterpiece.

God is a personal Designer.  There is no cloning, no mass production with Him.  He hand-stitched you with care and pleasure.  You are His design, not His happy accident.  Rejoice and be glad in your Creator.  You bring Him pleasure.  Today is a new opportunity to live as He made you.

Job Emphasizes the Brevity of Life

I'm reading chronologically through the Bible.  Right now the plan has me in Job.  I'm about 1/3 done.  One thing I've noticed is the constant reference to life's brevity.

• Life is a fading shadow (Job 8:9; 14:2).
• Life is a passing breath (Job 7:7, 16).
• Life is a collapsing tent (Job 4:21).
• Life is a vanishing cloud (Job 7:9).
• Life is a withering flower (Job 14:2).
• Other references to consider (Job 6:11-12; 7:6; 9:25-26; 13:28; 14:5; 16:22)

Life is short.  Make it count.  For Jesus.  Today.  Don't squander the gift of "now."

Alternative Courses (Prov 23:19)

Life offers some troubling electives. Unfortunately, too many have signed up to take these courses.

1. Wine (23:1, 7, 20-21, 29-35). Staggering, drunkenness, loss of control. So many TV ads make drinking popular, sexy, glamorous. Did you notice these ads never follow up with the consequences?
2. Women (23:26-28). Prostitution, fornication, adultery. Stay true in your marriage covenant! Both before and after marriage, keep you mind and hands off what isn't yours.
3. Wealth (23:4-5, 10). There is nothing wrong with honest gain. There is nothing wrong with having money so long as money doesn't have you. Life is more than money and possessions. Wealth gained isn't necessarily wealth kept. It is unstable.
4. Wildness (23:10-11, 13-14, 17a, 20-21). No restraint, no limits. "I'm going to do what I'm going to do and you can't stop me!"