Proverbs 14:13 Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness.

Our Identity Must Be In Our Maker

The person who often laughs is not always happy. A good case in point is Actor and Comedian Robin Williams. Robin often had severe depression. Earlier in his life he was addicted to alcohol and drugs, but he stopped cold turkey. After 20 years he re-entered depression, and turned back to his addictions before he killed himself in 2014. He was only 63 years old. Williams was a comic genius as well as a brilliant dramatic actor. Off stage he was quiet and reserved. But onstage he came alive. His suicide by hanging was a surprise to the world.

Sadly, many people find their identity in anything but the right thing.

People chase after identity in power, fame, in their God given abilities (God gave Robin his extraordinary talent), in skin color, in a variety of lesser things. To seek your identity in anything outside of the Creator is to follow a perilous path. When God made man and woman, the Bible says:

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them

Though man was made “from the dust of the ground” (Genesis 2:7) and woman was made “from the rib taken from man” (Genesis 2:22), both man and woman were made in God’s image, “In HIS LIKENESS” (Genesis 1:26). This likeness of God is in every person, male or female, whether they are children of God or children of Adam. Though we may delude ourselves (as atheists and agnostics do), we all resemble God in certain ways:

Morally We Are In His Image: We have a sense of what is right and wrong, though we may warp this sense by hardening our conscience or our heart. We harden our hearts by:

Turning from God’s Direction: Hebrews 3:12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an EVIL, UNBELIEVING HEART, LEADING YOU TO FALL AWAY FROM THE LIVING GOD.

Professing believers who repeatedly ignore the Word and Command of the Creator for the word of man will be absorbed into the darkness. The Pharisees, knowing the Law of God, arranged that false witnesses speak against Jesus at His trial. They did so not out of ignorance, but out of pride and selfishness. They “did not obey or incline their ear to God, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts” (Jeremiah 7:24). People today twist the moral code of the Scripture by ignoring what God has said is right and wrong, and by trusting in the created rather than the Creator. God says:

Jeremiah 17:5 (ESV) Cursed is the man who trusts in man and MAKES FLESH HIS STRENGTH, WHOSE HEART TURNS AWAY FROM THE LORD …

Spiritually: Every person knows that there is a God – however, only the Bible believing Christian worships the right God. The Bible says:

1 Corinthians 8:5-6 (KJV) For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) 6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of Whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom are all things, and We by him.

Every person has a god – whether it is themselves, another person, an idol made of stone, steel, or wood, a profession or an ideology. When the Apostle Paul preached in the midst of Mars’ Hill (aka. Areopagus) in Athens, Greece, he told these pagans:

Acts 17:22-25 (ESV) … Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.

Everyone seeks for God our Creator. Not finding God, we do as Israel did in the wilderness. When Moses was gone 40 days up Mount Sinai, in fear the people created their own god to lead them, a golden calf (Deuteronomy 9:13-21). Turning from the Bible, the Word of God, we all seek after God. The Psalmist said:

Psalm 10:4 (KJV) The WICKED, through the PRIDE of his countenance, WILL NOT SEEK AFTER GOD: God is not in all his thoughts …

We are created by God to know there is a God. But in pride we reject Him, for to know Him is to serve Him and not sin.

Ontological: Like God, we are living beings. Though created, we have personality, and the ability to create. We have been given a freedom of will to respond to or ignore God. We are not animals. We were made in God’s image to rule the planet as His stewards. We have creative ability as God does. Though we can create nothing from nothing, we are manufacturers and makers. Animals re-purpose items crudely to use, but we create technology and tools. We share the nature of God.

Those Who Find The Maker, Find Joy

When we depart from God, we will never find true joy, which is what God wants us to have. Joy, unlike happiness, is not temporal nor based upon your current situation. Joy comes from being complete, fulfilled in your creation. At the announcement of Christ’s birth the Angel told the shepherds:

Luke 2:10 … Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

When the Magi saw the Bethlehem Star, the Bible says:

Matthew 2:10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

To know Jesus is to know Joy, great Joy. We are not guaranteed happiness, which is temporal, but JOY is found when we find God. When the child John the Baptist heard the voice of Mary, pregnant with the Christ, the Bible says “the baby leapt for JOY” (Luke 1:44). Jesus said:

John 15:11 (KJV) These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

Telling His disciples that He had to go to the Cross for us, Jesus said:

John 16:22-24 (NKJV) you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you. 23 “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

In the Book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon tells us the futility of living your life apart from the Lord. He had riches, fame, women, popularity … but he found no satisfaction nor significance in any of it. Solomon tells us in the end:

Ecclesiastes 12:13 (ESV) The end of the matter; all has been heard. FEAR God and KEEP his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

You will always be incomplete, always be unfulfilled and joyless, until you return to the Lord Who made you.

Fill Your Cup With God

Proverbs 14:14 The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.

When you turn away from God, you get what you ask for. It’s like the old saying, “What goes around comes around”. If you reject God, you “SHALL BE FILLED WITH YOUR OWN WAYS”. God does not leave His children alone. He has promised,

Hebrews 13:5 … I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

And again, Psalm 9:9-10 (ESV) The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. 10 And those who know Your name put their trust in You, for You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.

God does not abandon His children. However, if you backslide and turn from the Lord, you will find yourself walking alone. God will not walk in darkness. The Scripture says,

1 John 1:7 … (KJV) if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), though a child of the Father, walked away from his home and his Father. “Give me my portion of my estate”, he demanded, and the Father gave him as he asked. Going into a far away land this foolish child “FILLED WITH HIS OWN WAYS” began to suffer for all the bad decisions and bad company he made. In time, the Prodigal found himself eating out of the trough with the pigs he fed.

Beloved, if you walk away from God, you will find yourself very lonely, FULL OF YOURSELF until you repent and return.

God will not walk in darkness. God will not eat out of the pig trough with you. When that foolish person repented, going home to his Father saying:

Luke 15:21 (NKJV) … ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.

It was only then that the Father embraced him, and killing the fatted calf fed him. If you are miserable, dear one, it is because you have miserably abandoned your Father. You have walked away from your vows, and held up your God to open ridicule as you imitated the world. My commentary notes:

“As the book of Proverbs often notes, ignoring God increases risks in earthly life (Proverbs 13:21) and guarantees death in eternity (Proverbs 10:29; 11:4). Galatians 6:7–9 tells us: ‘Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.’ Isaiah 3:9 addresses the backsliders in Judah and pronounces woe to them, asserting: ‘they have brought evil on themselves.’”

Proverbs 14:14 The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.

Those who abandon God find burdens, but those who seek after God find blessings.

The only person that can find joy for the Christian is the Christian himself. We lift up others by our works. We are humble before God and others. But we live our lives for the Lord. The Bible says:

Galatians 6:4-10 (ESV) … But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. 5 For each will have to bear his own load. 6 Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

A Christian is called to the work of the ministry. Jesus said, “My Father works, so I work” (John 5:17). We, as followers of Christ, work. It has been my experience that the most miserable Christians are those who sit around waiting to be waited upon. If you are a Christian, you are called to work. To “DO GOOD TO EVERYONE”. Not THINK Good, but DO Good. You are called to sow the seed of the Gospel, and to labor so that the seed can be sown. It is a scriptural principle that “whatever one sows, that will he also reap”.

Sow nothing, expect nothing.
Sow self, expect self.
Sow goodness, expect goodness.
Sow wickedness, expect wickedness.

What you do, or don’t do, matters. Find something that glorifies your Creator, and do it for His glory. Matthew Henry wrote:

“As sinners never think they have sin enough till it brings them to hell, so saints never think they have grace enough till it brings them to heaven.”

Simple Vs Prudent

Proverbs 14:15 The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.

Word Study: The “SIMPLE” is the Hebrew pᵊṯî (pronounced peth-ee) which means “those who are naive or foolish, open minded without qualification, silly”. If people would listen to God’s Word, we are promised “the Law of the Lord is PERFECT and CONVERTS the soul: God’s Word is certain, making WISE the SIMPLE (pᵊṯî) (Psalm 19:7). Those who are simple or silly choose to ignore what God has said in favor of what man projects. Instead of believing we are created by a loving and all powerful God, the simple or silly believe that we evolved from goo, from fish, and from apes. The simple believe in a “Big Bang”, but will not acknowledge the One Who made it so. They can see no limit to space, but believe the infinite evolved from the finite. The simple ask foolish questions, like “What is a woman?”. Then they ask us to believe that a man can become pregnant, or compete fairly in women’s sports.

The simple fool follows whatever trend is popular among humanity at the time, but

but the prudent man looketh well to his going

Word Study: The “PRUDENT” (Hebrew ʿārûm, pronounced aw-room) does not follow the crowd, but follows the Word of God. These people are like the Berean Christians that Paul and Silas met with. When told that something was Biblical or godly, the Bible says:

Acts 17:11 (ESV) Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

The Berean Christian did not just accept what was said, but searched the Scriptures to see if the Bible supported the preaching. This is what the Apostle told us:

2 Corinthians 13:5 (NKJV) Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.

People are often quoting “Bible verses” that are not in the Bible. Things like:

God helps those who help themselves
(Quran Surah Ar-Ra’d 13:11, not the Bible)

God works in mysterious ways (see Isaiah 55:8-9)

Cleanliness is next to godliness
(Quran 2:222, but not in Bible)

God never gives us more than we can handle
(see 1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Corinthians 1:8)

God will give me everything I want
(Philippians 4:19; Matthew 6:31-32)

Money is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10)

We believe every word of the Bible by faith, and receive God’s Word as the truth. But as believers we always test what we hear. Had Adam tested what the serpent said before eating, the world would not have fallen, and we would not be immersed in sin. Consider carefully before stepping out on a “truth” that someone shares with you. Ask yourself, “Where is this in the Bible?” Remember, God’s Word …

Psalm 119:105 … is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Proverbs 14:16 A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.

A wise or prudent person doesn’t act on instinct, but carefully examines each situation he confronts through the lens of God’s Holy Word. The devil loves to attack us at our point of weakness. The fool “RAGETH”, that is, they charge forward without thought into sin. They have no regard for consequences. They do not ask, “That loose man or woman, do they have AIDs or HIV? Who else have they been with?”. They go to bars and drink beverages offered by strangers. They walk down dark alleys, never considering that evil hides its damnation in the darkness.

Just as “Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10), we should have a holy fear of sin (1 Timothy 5:20).

When weak and hungry, Satan came to Jesus to tempt Him in the wilderness. Jesus did not rely on His own power, but with each temptation responded “It is written” (see Matthew 4). Just as we fear snakes, spiders, scorpions, tigers, lions, skunks, and other things that can harm, we should fear dabbling in sin.

Proverbs 14:17 He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.

Word Study: The words translated “SOON ANGRY” is the Hebrew Ketsar appayim, which means “to have short nostrils”. When a person gets angry their nose contracts, and is drawn toward the eyes. Those who are easily angered always “DEAL FOOLISHLY”. They make errors in judgment, errors in business dealings. Those who are easily angered make foolish statements that, when they are called on it, they reject all discussion like a rabid dog. They are not self aware. They have no self control.

The “MAN OF WICKED DEVICES”, on the other hand, is hated because he cannot be trusted. They twist situations to their strategic advantage. God promises to eventually judge these people. We are told:

2 Peter 2:9-15 (ESV) the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority. Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones, 11 whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord. 12 But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction, 13 suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you. 14 They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! 15 Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray.

The sign that someone is out of balance is that they have a quick or explosive temper. They make up lies to cover up their deficiency and their misery. Do not hang out with these people, but share the Gospel of Christ with them.

People need the Lord.