Counseled By The King: The Proverbs Of Solomon. Day 85, The Test Of Character

Solomon makes several profound statements today about human character. We learn that the true test of our character is not adversity, but praise and recognition.

"Death and Destruction are never satisfied, and neither are human eyes." (Proverbs 27:20) Earlier in the week we found Solomon pointing out that it's possible to have too much of a good thing, but he also knows it's the carnal nature of man to believe it's impossible to have too much. The flesh craves more money or more possessions or more relationships or more renown. Solomon has lived long enough to know how greedy and covetous human nature is. He once lived a life of excess himself, denying himself nothing he desired, only to be left empty and broken and nearly suicidal. He's learned that our eyes find far more satisfaction when we keep them focused on the Lord rather than on the world. This world makes a lot of promises to us that it will never keep, assuring us that a different job or a different spouse or more money or better clothes or a flashier car is all we need to finally be satisfied. If the wealthiest man who may ever have lived found all these things lacking, I think we can take his word for it that fortune and fame won't make us happy. Nothing will make us happy if we leave the Lord out of our lives as Solomon once did.

"The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but people are tested by their praise." (Proverbs 27:21) I can't recall ever being quite so impressed before with the brilliance of this verse. Just as heat reveals how much dross is contained in a piece of precious metal, our character is revealed by how we respond to praise. How do we react when we receive recognition and promotion? Do these things bring out the best in us or the worst in us? Do we remain humble, thanking the good Lord for all He's allowed us to accomplish? Or do we become puffed up with pride and begin to think of ourselves as a pretty big deal? We wouldn't ordinarily consider praise from others as a testing or a form of temptation, but I believe Solomon is right on the money when he appears to view it as a better test of character than adversity. Adversity has a tendency to bring us closer to our God, while honor and renown have the potential to carry us farther from Him.

A perfect example of this is Solomon's father David. When we read the Scriptures we find him a more godly and more humble man during his years of adversity than during his years as king. It wasn't until after he became king of Israel that he committed the most shocking sins of his life, and this is because he fell for the world's lies. It's because he began to believe in his own mighty reputation. He became prideful over his authority and believed he didn't owe an answer to anyone. But he owed an answer to Almighty God, to the God who took him out of the sheepfold and placed a crown on his head and made him leader of His chosen people. So Solomon says, "Don't believe your own press! The world can praise you all it wants, but this is ultimately meaningless. Where will all these false friends and hangers-on be when trouble comes? They will desert you faster than rats will jump out of a sinking ship. The only praise we should ever truly desire is for God to say to us, 'Well done, good and faithful servant'."

"Though you grind a fool in a mortar, grinding them like grain with a pestle, you will not remove their folly from them." (Proverbs 27:22) Grain is ground to separate the edible parts from the inedible parts, and Solomon has judged enough court cases to know that some folks can't seem to be separated from their tendency to do wrong. He's seen some of the same people time and again in court because they never learn their lesson. He throws his hands up and declares, "I don't know what it would take to get through to them! Applying the law and passing sentences on them doesn't work. They don't appear to be affected by having to suffer the social, familial, or financial consequences of their actions. Nothing seems to make any difference to them." I want to point out that where man's help fails, God's help begins. All of us probably know at least one person who never seems to learn from mistakes and who keeps falling deeper and deeper into sin. We don't know anything more we can say or do to try and help them. But what is impossible for us is possible with God. He is the changer of hearts. We may have to give up hope in our own ability to help a person turn their life around, but we should never give up hope in God's ability.

Solomon concludes today by reminding us to be good stewards of everything God has blessed us with. "Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds; for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations. When the hay is removed and new growth appears and the grass from the hills is gathered in, the lambs will provide you with clothing, and the goats with the price of a field. You will have plenty of goats' milk to feed your family and to nourish your female servants." (Proverbs 27:23-27) If we don't take care of what God has already given us, why should He bless us with more? Furthermore, He never promised us lives of ease and idleness. We have to maintain our homes and lands and livestock and possessions. There is always work to be done when we own anything, and what ungrateful children we would be if we didn't care for and protect our blessings from God. We are not entitled to anything; we owe everything to the love and mercy of a holy God who had compassion on us even in our weak and sinful state. Let's thank Him today for all our blessings and let's work hard to nurture and protect all that He's given us.