Nate Crandall

“Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys.” Proverbs 18:9   Slack in a rope has no pulling power. You must first straighten it out before you can accomplish anything. Being slack in your work means that time and opportunity are wasted. Not only is this comparable to stealing from an employer, it also steals from your satisfaction and sense of accomplishment. The Lord made us to work. The Sabbath command includes in it the command to work for six days. In our work it is not only foolish to waste time and energy, it is also dangerous. Notice that Solomon didn’t say that the slacker is second cousin once removed from the destroyer. He said he is a brother. What does being slack in our work destroy? It destroys our joy and sense of self. Yes, work brings joy because it honors God. Ecclesiastes 12:13 says, “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” To respect God and honor ...

“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22   My grandmother told me the story many years ago of a man who was very sick. I do not know what his condition was or his prognosis, but I do know that it was serious. He responded to his sickness by acquiring all of the funny movies, like Laurel and Hardy, that he could find and watching them continually. I still remember how she told me that he laughed and laughed and laughed. Eventually, his condition improved. This verse was one that she used to tell me about why he was healed. I was very young when she told me that story, so I don’t remember the particulars very well. I don’t know if there is any way that I could follow up to examine what happened in more detail. However, I do know that my grandmother was convinced in the reason for his healing because she applied the lesson to her life. I remember laughing with her as we talked and spent time together, and those times ...

“Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” Proverbs 16:32   Of all of the things to master in life, mastery of oneself is perhaps the most difficult. Under pressure our emotions scream to be set free. It takes super strength to keep them under control, and that strength, comparatively, is greater even than the strength it takes to attack and subdue a city. We know that Solomon was the wisest man in history, but it seems hard to believe the truth of this statement at first glance. We need to ask the question, in what way is the self-controlled person better than those with this power and strength? In one sense, both the self-controlled and the mighty have subdued an opponent, but is the way they are subdued the same? The powerful can force others into submission. The nature of causing our spirit to submit is different. Self-control is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. It comes out of the overflow of a heart th...

“The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.” Proverbs 15:33   Proverbs 15 is a treasure of wisdom, so my first thought is to encourage the reading and meditation on the entire chapter before reading any further. This final verse of chapter 15 is a culmination of sorts of the wisdom contained in it. Notice that the fear of the Lord is “instruction in wisdom.” Without it, the words of the wise will bounce off of us rather than penetrating our minds and hearts. Just because we have a pithy saying at our disposal doesn’t mean we know how to use it in truth. Having money without wisdom will insure that the money doesn’t last long. Having a quick wit without wisdom will insure that the will to carry out a prudent lifestyle never materializes. Only the fear of the Lord will insure that a person will become wise. To fear the Lord is to respect his laws, his ways and himself. The moral laws are some of his laws. The laws of natu...

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” Proverbs 14:12   I am a big Star Wars fan. The new spinoff series, The Mandalorian , has really hooked me. In the series you are introduced to the order of Mandalorians who have a very prescribed and rigid code of life and conduct. When referring to it they will often say, “This is the way.” Whether our way is well thought out and rigid, like the Mandalorians, or on the fly and flexible or anywhere in between, it is wise to think about whether or not it is the right way. Even more, it is wise to think about why it is the right way. There are many different ways which have many different underlying reasons for why their way is better than another way. Most people don’t think about why until the fruit of their way comes to harvest. Some ways that seem right can lead to disaster. Well-meaning people can follow these ways and not realize where they are headed. How can we know that the way we are...

“Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” Proverbs 13:20   Walking in our modern society is typically for the purpose of exercise and leisure. In the days of Proverbs walking was the mode of transportation. So when verse 20 talks about walking with the wise it takes on a greater dimension. One cannot become wise by a leisure time kind of commitment. It must be a decided lifestyle choice, consistent and dedicated. Behind everything of value there is a commitment to its growth and development. Fools lack the ability to commit to seeing something of value grow because they either do not recognize value or appreciate it. Seeing worth in whatever it is that we desire growth is the first step before the commitment is made to its development. If we can see it, whether literally or figuratively, then we are able to take the steps required for change. When you walk with the wise you begin to see what wisdom is like, its nature an...

“Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” Proverbs 12:25   This might just be the proverb of the year for 2020. All of the unknowns that the whole world has been facing have been a heavy burden, and we are all just waiting for a good word so that we can breathe a sigh of relief that it is all over. Along the way there have been some good words such as when the initial quarantine period was over, when there was good news for certain treatments for COVID, and last week when I heard that the clinical trials of a vaccine were in their 3 rd and final phase of trials. The problem that we have faced this year is that we have been waiting a long time for these good words. In the time of the wait, the weight of anxiety for many has almost been unbearable. What do we do when the time between the uncertainty and the good word is long and drawn out? Some go into hibernation and shut out the world. Others ignore reality like the ostrich hiding its...