3 Foot Forks (Proverbs 15:15)

Hope can be the determining factor in how one lives their life.

"All the days of the desponding afflicted are made evil [by anxious thoughts and foreboding], but he who has a glad heart has a continual feast [regardless of the circumstances]." Proverbs 15:15, Amplified

Where is your hope? There are those in this life who have no hope in the hereafter. One must have some expectancy of good to come or hopelessness will consume leaving an empty husk. Jesus is that hope for myself as well as many others.

My mother told me an allegory that went like this: "There was a man who had died. He lived a pretty moderate life so the angel who met him at the gates of the afterlife told him that he could make a decision as to where he would spend eternity. The man nodded his head and followed the angel. They came to a long hallway with a large pane of glass on either side. On the other side of the glass in each room was a long table full of food. It was the most exquisite set up he had ever seen. In the first room, there were people who were starving for they had three foot forks tied to their fingers. These people were starving because they could not directly reach their own mouths, so they would try to drop the food into their mouths, but most found its way to the floor. The man was petrified at the thought of spending his eternity like this. So he turned to see what awaited him in the next room. In this room there was a similar table with a similar spread. These people in this room had the same three foot forks tied to their fingers, yet they were not starving. These people were feeding each other across the table. They were caring more for one anther than themselves."

What we must realize is that everyone in this world is given a set of circumstances. It is the hope, or lack thereof, that determines how we conduct ourselves. Will anxiousness consume you until you starve, or will you take the time to feed those around you and know that you till will be fed?

When Death Comes Knocking (Proverbs 14:32)

Death comes for all men. It does not matter what kind of lifestyle was lived, what religion you ascribed to, or even what god you bowed your heart to. The truth is that death comes for all, but what transpires after death is something that we can know today.

"The wicked is overthrown through his wrong doing and calamity, but the [consistently] righteous has hope and confidence even in his death." Proverbs 14:32, Amplified

There is a hope for the righteous, but for the wicked there is no hope at all. Even here in this life, there is hope for the righteous. By the context of the verse, it seems that Solomon is speaking about the present concerning the wicked. In this lifetime they shall be overthrown because of their wickedness. And if the here and now offers no hope for the wicked, they what of the future, life beyond death? Do not misunderstand me, there is always hope for everyone in Jesus. The wicked being referred to here are those who refuse to turn from their wickedness.

The book of Hebrews is a wonderful book full of the meat of theology. In it we can find this verse, "And it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." (Hebrews 9:27, KJV) Death and judgment will come for all men. If death and judgment come for all men, then where is the hope for the righteous?

The hope the the righteous has is not having to endure the Great White Throne Judgement. "But why to you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ." (Romans 14:10, NKJV) Remember that Paul is writing to other believers, not sinners. He states that we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, or the "Bema Seat". Though the word translated has nothing in its definition concerning judgment, it still has the connotation of coming before an elevated throne. This is the judgment where our deeds are burned with fire. All the hay wood and straw will burn leaving only the gold, silver and precious stones. It is a judgment of fire concerning how we presented the name of Jesus in this lifetime. "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hat and straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet as though by fire." (I Corinthians 3:11-15, NKJV)

The difference between this judgment and the Great White Throne Judgment is salvation. The Bema Seat offers passage into heaven whereas the other only opens the door to Hell.

Where is your hope?

Hope for the Hopeless (Proverbs 14:2)

I couldn't sleep again tonight. So I am going to the emergency room this morning. I have so out of of tune with the Lord for so long, I did not want to leave without doing my devotion first.

"He who walks in uprightness reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord, but he who is contrary and devious in his ways despises Him." Proverbs 14:2, Amplified

As an employee for Denny's for over two years, my walk with the Lord wavered greatly. I had begun to smoke a year before, however I resolved to quit as I made the transition. This of course did not happen. My life was slowly slipping away and out of my control. I stopped going to church on a regular basis. But my love for the Lord did not die. Deep inside I knew that He alone was the answer for me. It was not until I had been fired that I finally reached out to Him and called upon His name for help. In getting fired, "Red Letter Addition" was born. I actually began a daily devotional. This is something that I had never done before in my entire relationship with the Lord.

As I walked in my own devious ways for that while, my heart was contrary to the Lord. I began to hate the people of my church that I had once loved. Not because they had slighted me, but because the light of the Lord shown so brightly in them. It is impossible to serve both the Lord and the flesh. Only one will rise victorious. The Lord is prepared to put up a fight for your soul, but you must be willing to fight along side Him. There will always be hope for the hopeless.

Hope (Proverbs 13:12)

Sometimes hope is the only thing the heat has to hold on to.

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire is fulfilled, it is a tree of life." Proverbs 13:12, Amplified

When the hope that we have is gone, the heart sinks into sickness. It is said that most survivors in a tragic accident hold on simply because they hope to be rescued. But when that hope of salvation is gone, they slip away into death because there is nothing left to hold on to: hope is gone. My father clung to life for a few weeks, knowing that the doctors would find a way to fix his liver. When the realization came to him that his life would not be the same when a new liver was received, he called my mother on their anniversary, December 24. He told her how much he loved her, but that he could not fight anymore. She told him that everything was going to be okay, and she would she him on Christmas Day. The next morning we got the call about my father. We were able to spend the very last 3 hours of his life with him on December 25, 2008.

Hope as we saw it was gone, for my mother and my hope was for my father to live. But this was not the case. My father's hope was fulfilled, he received his tree of life. His desire was for the pain and suffering to end. Once he had breathed his last, his fight was over.

Whatever the hope may be in life, the heart wants for it so much that it can physically make one sick. But when that hope is fulfilled the heart springs back to life. It could be love or something a little more tangible. Whatever the case, present your concern to the Lord.