Worldly misconceptions have caused many believers to struggle with the biblical concept of love. Love can originate from what is generally considered a negative expression. Our passage shows that the Lord corrects those whom He loves. Love does not express itself for the satisfaction of the one who loves, but for the benefit of the one that is the object of one’s love. When we think of how to express our love for someone, a hug or kind words generally come to mind. These expressions are often used to send a message of love; however, the Bible presents additional insights often not directly associated to loving someone. This is why the Bible points out that chastening can be used to express love toward the recipient. Furthermore, Proverbs 13:24 shows that a father who loves his son chastens that son because of his love for that child. We are led to believe that expressing love for others is best expressed by bailing them out every time they are in trouble. Yet, the Lord declares that love does what is best for the recipients of that love, even if that includes correction.
Giving by faith requires giving God the firstfruits of one’s increase. The Lord not only wants us to bring our gifts to Him but also wants us to give to Him first. According to Proverbs 3:9, we should honour the Lord with the firstfruits of our increase. We are not to pay all our bills only to give God the leftovers. God is to take first place each and every time. This makes giving to Him an act of faith. After all, “without faith it is impossible to please him” (Hebrews 11:6). This includes the area of giving where so many seem to struggle so much. Is God honoured when we decide to simply give Him the leftovers? Certainly not! Yet, when we give God the first of our increase, we signify to Him that we trust that He will meet the remaining needs we may have.
Nothing testifies more to the regrets of missed blessings than Thomas’s absence when the risen Saviour met with the disciples. Of all the times to forsake a meeting of believers, Thomas will be known for missing this meeting until the Lord comes. The Bible does not disclose why he was not with the other believers, but we do know what special event he missed – the presence of the risen Lord. Although the Lord Jesus will not visibly or physically show up in our church services, missing a service could cause us to miss His presence in a very special way. For instance, a lost sinner could get saved, or a brother or sister who had wandered from the Lord could find repentance. Maybe something for which you have faithfully prayed was to be answered during the service. Regardless of what might take place, missing the service will mean missing wonderful blessings, some of which can never be recovered. The one service you take for granted could be the very one that God meant to be most special for you.
Every astute Bible student knows the importance God places upon wisdom. Accordingly, the Bible says, “Wisdom is the principal thing” (Proverbs 4:7). The verse continues, “therefore get wisdom.” No doubt, wisdom serves as one of the most important gifts for which a believer should seek God. In fact, the Lord promises, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5). More than likely, these truths are not new, but some Christians fail to recognize the association of wisdom with prudence. We ought to rejoice knowing that by seeking prudence, we are seeking wisdom; and by seeking wisdom, we are seeking prudence.
