Tuesday, February 16, 2021 Reading Roundup

Time’s a wasting, so let’s get right down to it:

Proverbs 12:1
Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.

Every time I read that verse, I remember what happened when our kids were young and we eventually forbade them to use the word “stupid,” because they were using it to insult each other. My mother was visiting once and used the word in a perfectly reasonable context and little Ruthie (about 3 years old at the time) told her solemnly “You can’t say that word, Grandma – it’s a bad word.” Uh oh. Context is everything, I guess. We had a good laugh over that.

Proverbs 12:24
The hand of the diligent will rule, but the lazy man will be put to forced labor.

As I used to tell my children, “Govern yourself or you will be governed!”

And now for some words of wisdom and inspiration from a magazine we get called “WORLD.” It’s a news magazine which strives to present “Biblically objective journalism that informs, educates, and inspires.” I don’t usually underline things in a magazine, but appreciated and wanted to share a few things from the February 13, 2021 issue.

Benny Tai is a Christian legal scholar in Hong Kong and has been involved in various protests there, such as Occupy Central. He has been sentenced to serve time in prison for his efforts. He said in his closing argument at the trial in 2018:

“If we are truly guilty, then our crime is daring to sow hope even in this difficult time in Hong Kong. I’m not afraid or ashamed to go to prison. If this cup of suffering cannot be taken away, I will drink it without regret.”

Speaking of the gospel, Andree Sue Peterson wrote:

“God is always looking to enfold more people into the secret. A secret that, once a man has buried it in his heart, sets him free from envy of those who seem to be luckier (Psalm 73). It renders him able to forgive; to love; to be honest; to be uncontrolled by his issues, by other people’s issues, by fear of death, fear of man, fear of rejection, past wounds, bad memories… Winter comes, and its chill is felt throughout our land.But keep the secret in your heart, and I will too. And we will make it through.”

And in reference to fleeing ideological addictions, Marvin Olasky wrote:

“Remember that our deeper problems are theological, not political. Elephant-riding Republicans eventually get stomped. Democrats who worship worldly wise-men are betting on the wrong donkey. Biblical objectivity exists. God is sovereign. Praise His plan, not mine or yours.”

Hope you found something of interest or at least through-provoking in the Reading Roundup this week!

I’ll probably delete this in the morning. Maybe?