Let Sleeping Dogs Lie #Nightlight #RTTBROS #Wisdom #Proverbs #Character

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie #RTTBROS #Nightlight

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

Proverbs 26:17 - "He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears."

Geoffrey Chaucer knew something about human nature when he wrote in his medieval poetry, "It is nought good a slepyng hound to wake." He understood that sometimes the wisest thing you can do is leave well enough alone. There was even an earlier French version that said essentially the same thing: don't wake the sleeping dog.

Anyone who's ever been around dogs knows exactly what this means. You see an old hound sleeping peacefully in the sun, and common sense tells you to walk quietly around him. Sure, he might be friendly when he's awake, but startle him out of a deep sleep and you might get a very different reaction. Better to let him wake up naturally than to poke him and find out the hard way that he doesn't appreciate being disturbed.

Solomon understood this principle too, long before Chaucer wrote about it. He said that getting involved in someone else's fight is like grabbing a dog by the ears. You're asking for trouble, and you're probably going to get bit for your efforts. Sometimes the most loving thing you can do is step back and let peaceful situations stay peaceful.

Now, I'm not talking about ignoring real problems or turning your back when someone genuinely needs help. There are times when we absolutely need to get involved, times when love requires us to step into difficult situations. But there's a difference between helping someone who's asking for help and stirring up trouble where there doesn't need to be any.

We all know people who seem to specialize in waking sleeping dogs. They bring up old hurts that had been forgiven and forgotten. They ask questions that are designed to start arguments. They poke at sensitive subjects just to see what kind of reaction they'll get. They meddle in marriages and friendships and family relationships that were getting along just fine without their input.

Friend, sometimes wisdom means knowing when to speak up and when to keep quiet. Sometimes love means getting involved, and sometimes it means staying out of it. Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is walk quietly around that sleeping dog and let him rest in peace.

Before you wake up an old controversy, ask yourself: is this really going to help anyone, or am I just satisfying my own curiosity? Before you bring up that past mistake, consider whether it needs to be discussed or whether it's better left buried. Before you get in the middle of that family dispute, think about whether your involvement will bring peace or just make things worse.

There are enough real problems in this world that need our attention. We don't need to go around creating new ones by waking sleeping dogs.

Prayer: Lord, give me wisdom to know when to speak and when to stay quiet, when to get involved and when to let sleeping dogs lie. Amen.

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All That Glitters #RTTBROS #Nightlight #Deception #foolsgold #Character

All That Glitters Is Not Gold #RTTBROS #Nightlight

"But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart." — 1 Samuel 16:7 (KJV)

Back in the twelfth century, a French theologian named Alain de Lille wrote something that would echo through the centuries: "Do not hold everything gold that shines like gold." Eventually it became the phrase we know today: "All that glitters is not gold."

These medieval thinkers understood something we sometimes forget. Appearances can be mighty deceiving. Fool's gold sparkled just as pretty as real gold, but it was worthless when you tried to spend it.

We're so quick to be impressed by surface things. Someone drives up in an expensive car, and we assume they're successful. Someone speaks with confidence, and we figure they must know what they're talking about. Someone looks put-together, and we think they must have their life figured out.

But God showed Samuel a different way of seeing. When Samuel looked at Eliab, Jesse's oldest son, he thought, "Surely this is the one. Look how tall and strong and kingly he appears." But God said, "Don't look at his appearance or his height. I've rejected him. Man looks at the outward appearance, but I look at the heart."

Seven sons passed before Samuel. Every one looked like king material to human eyes. Then came David, the youngest, the shepherd boy nobody even thought to call in from the fields. And God said, "This is the one."

Friend, the world is full of glittering things that aren't gold. The only way to tell real gold from fool's gold is to test it. And the only way to see what God sees is to ask Him to give you His eyes. Look for character, not just charisma. Look for faithfulness, not just flashiness. Look for the heart, because that's what matters to the One who matters most.

Prayer:

Father, help me see past the glitter to what's really gold. Give me Your eyes to see hearts, not just appearances. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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Nest Egg #RTTBROS #Nightlight #God #Heaven #legacy

NEST EGG #RTTBROS #Nightlight

Nest Egg

Luke 12:21 - "So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

Medieval farmers knew something smart about chickens. When collecting eggs, they'd always leave one in the nest, what they called the "nest egg." That one egg kept the hen coming back to lay more. Take them all, and your chicken might hide her eggs somewhere you'd never find them.

By the fourteenth century, peasants used this phrase to describe their approach to the future: set aside a little now, find security later. It was about thinking beyond today's hunger to tomorrow's needs.

That's good wisdom, and there's nothing wrong with planning for the future and being responsible with what God gives us. But Jesus told a story that puts this in perspective. A rich man had such a good harvest that he tore down his barns to build bigger ones. He was planning for many years of easy living, but God called him a fool because that very night, his soul was required of him.

See, there's a difference between wise planning and foolish hoarding. The question Jesus asks is: what kind of nest egg are you building?

Are you laying up treasure in heaven or just on earth? Are you investing in things that'll matter a hundred years from now, or just things that make you feel secure today?

I'm not saying don't plan for retirement. I'm saying make sure your spiritual nest egg is growing too. Every act of kindness, every moment in prayer, every dollar given to God's work, that's your eternal nest egg growing.

Because friend, earthly nest eggs can disappear in a market crash, but heavenly treasure is safe forever.

Prayer: God, help me be wise with earthly planning but even wiser with eternal investing. Show me how to be rich toward You. Amen.

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