Papa Pat Tiny Devotionals

A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, remember: it’s just Tuesday. Give intoxicating drink to one who is perishing, And wine to one whose life is bitter. Let him drink and forget his poverty, And remember his trouble no more. Proverbs 31:6-7 I hope that in our fascination with the description of the righteous woman, we don’t ignore the other wisdom available in Proverbs 31. Taken with the preceding two verses, which tell us that it’s a bad idea for kings to get drunk, we have some pretty good guidelines for the use of pain relief. I might summarize by saying that when you have a job to do, the pain is a tool to motivate you to do the hard things. However, sometimes, you just need to catch a break. It’s VERY easy for me to apply this to people who are in an end-stage battle against disease. If there is no possible good outcome, I don’t know that there is a reason to keep hurting. I’m not applying this to any cas...

A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, frozen biscuits and turkey sausage. Who has ascended into heaven and descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has wrapped the waters in His garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name or His Son’s name? Surely you know! Proverbs 30:4, NASB A Yeshua Conversation I’m really glad today’s wisdom is in Proverb 30. That means the only month we don’t read it is February.  There is a LOT of good stuff here! Last month, I covered the two preceding verses, and said it was a set-up, and one I have used in the past. Feel free to click back ; I’ll wait. Now, usually, a set-up is followed by a punch. In this case, though, the follow-through is more gentle than a fist, punching; it’s more like a finger, pointing. Taken with verses 2 & 3, it condenses down a little into: “I’m not saying I know all about the subject, but I’m about to talk a...

A great good evening to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, kettle cooked chips are tasty. A man who loves wisdom makes his father glad, But he who involves himself with prostitutes wastes his wealth. Proverbs 29:3, NASB This is who benefits from prostitution  I don’t know about you, but I NEVER heard about prostitutes in Sunday school. Rahab? She owned an inn! Because the church didn’t address this issue, little boys had to learn about it on the street, along with quantum mechanics and pandemic healthcare tips. Question: is the wealth really wasted, if it’s the means of support for a woman, perhaps a woman with dependents? Prostitutes have to make a living, too, right? Do you need your heart broken? If so, talk to someone who knows about the life of a sex worker. My only experience is attending the funeral of a stripper, but I know people who help women who have been prostituted get out of that life. Frankly, I wonder how they ...

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, salsa, sausage, and eggs. Those who abandon the Law praise the wicked, But those who keep the Law strive against them. Proverbs 28:4, NASB Dachau We can’t SEE the Law. We can see letters on a stone, papyrus, lambskin, or a computer monitor, but those words are not THE LAW.  THE LAW is spiritual, but very practical. It’s away of thinking, a way of life.   Please understand: I’m not talking about O.C.G.A. § 8-6-4 or any of its’ friends and neighbors. That’s a regulation covering construction of buildings on a landfill; it’s a law, but it’s not THE LAW. I’m not talking about dietary rules, or even the Ten Commandments.  God is God, and we aren’t.  That’s THE LAW.  Even the Shema is an expansion on the Law.  Here’s what Yeshua said, paraphrased by me: Hear, O Israel, the LORD is God, the LORD is One; and you shall love the Lord with all...

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, I bought some more Nutella. Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood, But who can stand before jealousy ? Proverbs 27:4, NASB SHOCK TIME!!! We’re dealing with jealousy today, and it DOESN’T have some cool, calm, spiritual meaning, wafting on the breeze. Nope, jealousy is what you experience when someone else wins a relationship you think is rightfully yours. And, if memory serves, it’s not casual dismay over your loss; it’s a desire to obliterate by murder. It’s not envy or coveting. Those things involve wanting what someone else has, and perhaps intending to take it.  Jealousy references in the Bible are:  when a mate commits adultery;  when Israel turns aside to worship other gods;  when the preachers of Christianity started winning converts. Two conditions are necessary. I mentioned one: someone else wins a relationship you believe is rightfully your...

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, you are on your own for breakfast. Like useless legs to one who cannot walk, So is a proverb in the mouths of fools. Proverbs 26:7, NASB The psych unit at the VA hospital in Decatur is where I got most of my experience working with people who couldn’t walk. The proverbs speaks of useless legs. Not all of the veterans I worked with had legs that were entirely useless; some could stand, even walk a short distance, with assistance. Maybe this proverb doesn’t apply to those cases, just to those with zero function in their legs. I worked with a few of those. For them, not only were their legs useless, they were also obstructive and even dangerous.  Obstructive, because their legs would always get in the way whenever they needed to move from the chair to the bed, or the bathroom. We had to deal with that, before taking care of what really needed to happen. It’s aggravat...

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, sausage and eggs over toast with mustard. For by wise guidance you will wage war, And in an abundance of counselors there is victory. Proverbs 24:6, NASB Last Week in Kabul It’s rather strange to read a verse about winning a war, as people are trying to climb on a transport aircraft as it taxis for take-off. The verse is about the beginning and the end of war; don’t start anything without wise guidance, and get lots of (good) advice, and you will win. It would be too easy to point to the Kabul airport and nod my head, saying, “yep, this is what comes from doing it wrong.” Too easy, because I’m not a strategist. I’m a former Spec-5 medic from a half-century ago, and I confess that my opinions on the Kabul evacuation and what lead up to it are uninformed, and really don’t amount to much more than regret. I have made battle for myself, though, and it has nothing to do wit...

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, it’s time to raid the freezer. Do not move the ancient boundary Or go into the fields of the fatherless, For their Redeemer is strong; He will plead their case against you. Proverbs 23:10-11, NASB I might be about to stretch this proverb until it screams. The weak can’t fight back. Bullies and muggers, and less nasty invaders, often are successful because they have the ability to select the victims less able to fight back. By “less nasty invaders,” I’m referencing the hobo I saw trying to strike up a conversation with a sweet young girl/college freshman at the bus stop in downtown Atlanta. He wasn’t hurting her, but he was scaring her, and she kept trying to edge away and become invisible. It didn’t work, of course.  Picking a victim that can’t fight back is a reprehensible act, isn’t it? In old Westerns, the response is “Why don’t you pick on somebody your own si...

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, breakfast with the Men’s Group. To do righteousness and justice Is preferred by the Lord more than sacrifice.  Proverbs 21:3, NASB Church clothes, 1957 l-r: Me; Carol; Bobby; Stan Since we don’t perform sacrifices as part of our worship, what do we do with verses like this? Wait just a minute there, Bubba! Who said we don’t perform sacrifices? Sacrifices in the ancient world were governed by laws that stipulated who could offer what, and when; still, the core element in all sacrifices is implication “this belongs to God now.” We “offer up a sacrifice of praise,” don’t we?  When I was a boy, I had a set of ‘church clothes,’ that I NEVER wore on any other occasion. I think that was a sacrifice, although the point could be made that it was a sacrifice to southern custom, rather than to God. Let’s look at another example of that. My friend Bruce sings beautifully...

 A great good evening to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, I’m eating Ramen. A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who tells lies will not escape. Proverbs 19:5, NASB I started writing this after 10 PM, so I won’t miss a day. I DID do some other spiritual writing, about Taylor Schumann’s book; you can read that here. Okay, back to the Proverb: You can’t get away with telling a lie (even if you had a good reason). I recall running a support group for 8th grade boys, who were dealing with some racial conflicts. In order to make a point, I showed them a long-ago picture of me and an older black woman, and I told them that was my mother.  Now, whatever point I was trying to move to never happened, because the teacher (a black woman my age) was so astounded that she kept questioning me, and I had to maintain the fiction to keep in character. Eventually, the group was over, but I was back in my office before I realized...

 A great good evening to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, there are many different kinds of food. To show partiality to the wicked is not good, Nor to thrust aside the righteous in judgment. Proverbs 18:5, NASB An unrighteous judge Is it showing partiality to the wicked if you appease a bully so he won’t beat you up? Does this concept only apply to the schoolyard playground, or is it applicable in Adultland? People with zero power may not have any choice in the matter. I don’t think either of you who read this blog post fall into that category. The fact that you are accessing this via an electronic device shows you have SOME power. However, there are those who really are helpless against the wicked; and for those of us with some sort of power, I think showing partiality means giving the wicked any kind of support. “Thrusting aside the righteous in judgment” brings to mind the fictional TV/movie judge setting free  crimin...

A great good evening to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, Old Dan Tucker was a fine old man. A servant who acts wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully, And will share in the inheritance among brothers. Proverbs 17:2, NASB I don’t want to write about this verse, because I don’t know anything about it, AND I don’t feel well. Still, duty requires.  I’ve never had a servant, and very limited experience with inheritance. Therefore, what follows is conjecture, based on watching PBS series and movies about rich English people.  According to what I see on those shows, I THINK a servant mostly differs from a slave, by not being actual property; they are hired, not purchased, and they can quit, if they want to. However, they live on the property, and seem to be on duty all the time, with every other Sunday afternoon off, or something.   I also imagine that in the time of Solomon, the separation between servant an...

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, the kitchen belongs to God. All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, But the Lord weighs the motives. Proverbs 16:2 NASB Proverbs tells us it’s a really bad idea to use a fool to do ANYTHING. So, what am I to do when I examine my ways? I have assigned the job to a fool; namely, myself. One of the first bits of insight I ever had was discovering I could pervert Reason to justify doing anything I wanted to do. My entry into substance abuse was cloaked in a thin veneer of conducting a scientific experiment: “how much can I drink before I can’t walk?” While years of drinking and drugging gave me plenty of opportunities to lie to myself about how clean my ways were, my fabrications extended far beyond intoxication. Occasionally, I had brief moments of clarity, such as the time I realized I WANTED to buy a VW Beetle, and that I was setting up my purchase criteria to...

A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, ha-ha, very funny. The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable, But the mouth of fools spouts folly. Proverbs 15:2, NASB Yesterday, I overheard my gift-from-God, happily-ever-after trophy wife Vanessa, the elegant , foxy, praying black grandmother of Woodstock, GA, comment that Facebook was putting a warning label on every post that had anything to do with COVID.  I’d seen it before, but didn’t care. This time, however, I decided to have a little fun. I posted that I was going to test the limits of the policy, followed by TWO posts that were an attempt to get the algorithm to behave stupidly. They were both  about the ineffectiveness of masks, BUT with respect to masked heroes. I picked Superman and the Lone Ranger.  I was HOPING that by saying that their disguises were really ineffective, I could trick Facebook into putting a COVID warning on my posts, ...

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, prepare for a nap. In the mouth of the foolish is a rod for his back, But the lips of the wise will protect them. Proverbs 14:3, NASB The Book of Proverbs is the best example of wisdom literature that I have access to. Wisdom literature doesn’t seek to tell a story, as much as to transmit information about the world, and how to adapt to it, from one generation to the next. Joke books, cookbooks, the Boy Scout Handbook, and some works of poetry, are also a form of wisdom literature.  Cookbooks and poetry had no attraction to me when I was a lad; the Boy Scout handbook had a little more. Joke books, on the other hand, just fascinated me. I never wondered where the books in my house came from, until it was too late to ask anyone. From the wide variety, I’d guess my step-dad the pilot picked them up in airports all over the world. Wherever they came from, I picked the...

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, Remember Everyone Deployed. From the fruit of a person’s mouth he enjoys (eats) good, But the desire (soul) of the treacherous is violence. Proverbs 13:2, NASB Normally, I write about the clear meaning of the chosen verse. The clear meaning of this verse isn’t instantly apparent to me; which leads me to talk about TRUST.   The New American Standard Bible is the most literal of all translations; the translators took a word-for-word approach, rather than meaning-for-meaning. Where that includes idioms not familiar to the modern reader, they substitute an equivalent, but always include (in a footnote) the literal translation.  Thus, in today’s verse, they substitute “enjoys” and “desire,” but reference the literal “eats” and “soul.”  I believe this verse means a good person’s words produce good things, but the treacherous are hungry for conflict. ...

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, I finally got to the grocery. A person will not be established by wickedness, But the root of the righteous will not be moved. Proverbs 12:3, NASB A friend had a storm pass overhead yesterday. It dropped a tree on his road and took out the power lines. But the root of the righteous will not be moved. Yesterday marked significant anniversaries in the lives of two young men who died too soon. Their mothers mourn, and so do I. But the root of the righteous will not be moved. My pastor friend near Manila had to change plans for his church’s birthday, as the delta variant rages through the Philippines. But the root of the righteous will not be moved. A trouble-free life is not an option.  In addition to our own catastrophes, we get hammered when a catastrophe happens to someone we love. There are also tragic events that impact people we don’t even know, but still affec...

A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, it’s only turkey sausage; sorry. Riches do not benefit on the day of wrath, But righteousness rescues from death. Proverbs 11:4, NASB   In writing the Tiny Devotionals, I ALWAYS want to let the Bible speak, and ignore whatever is the world is saying. Today, though, there is a clear intersection of current events with ancient wisdom. Riches A Prominent Governor of a Prominent State enjoyed both political favor and personal wealth. His job performance inspired support from the public, and within his political party.  He was certain to win re-election, and his name was mentioned as a presidential candidate. His personal wealth permitted him to obtain the services of the best lawyers and advisors.  The Day of Wrath Prompted by complaints from several women, an investigation sought to determine whether  Prominent Governor had sexually harassed women who worked...

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, I need to buy groceries. Poor is one who works with a lazy hand, But the hand of the diligent makes rich. Proverbs 10:4, NASB “That’s a big 10-4, good buddy.”  Probably no one under 50 will understand that reference. You see, before the internet, there was a pre-existing world-wide-web of rednecks with CB radios. Enough of that. In a prior career, I had the chance to address incoming college freshmen. I told them that they were just beginning a great period of fun, fellowship, and freedom, and hopefully a great period of learning as well. I also told them that it would never be this easy again. So, I begged them: do the academic work to keep the fun happening. I believe everyone who reads these words can look back at a time when their life was easier. Maybe not everyone wasted those opportunities, but they can at least recognize that waste was a possibility. And, ...

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, Chinese food. Give instruction to a wise person and he will become still wiser; Teach a righteous person and he will increase his insight. Proverbs 9:9, NASB Today’s message is pretty much the same as yesterday’s. I did not plan it that way.  Maybe there is some crypto-structure in Proverbs, causing the message to repeat. If so, a scholarly paper has been published about it. Alternatively, this could be divine intervention; God is shouting that wisdom comes to those who seek it, and teachers get the best results from the best students. It might just be a random event.  These are three alternatives for the reason today’s topic so closely resembles yesterday’s topic. What do you think?  Today, I think it’s random.  In 1973, though, I would have energetically proclaimed that the repetition of the teaching was God speaking specifically. I would have tes...

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, it’s small group Sunday! Wisdom speaks about her words: They are all straightforward to him who understands, And right to those who find knowledge. Proverbs 8:9, NASB Overcoming the World Wisdom says: To the one who has, more shall be given.  I’ve got to admit that my MODERN thinking is somewhat disturbed by this; I want things to be FAIR! Shouldn’t those suffering from wisdom-deprivation be given a fair shake? Even precedence? Well, yes. And that’s ANCIENT thinking as well: Upon those in darkness, a great light shined Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven God has chosen the foolish things to confound the wise If you aren’t seeing a discrepancy, good. There ISN’T a discrepancy, just an (implicit) step in the process of transitioning from foolish to wise. TRUTH: we are ALL poor, hungry, naked, blind.   ALSO TRUTH: not all of us see tha...

A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, chicken breakfast with the Men’s Group. For at the window of my house I looked out through my lattice, Proverbs 7:6, NASB Jerusalem Courtyard Window, with Lattice Behold, I shall conceal nothing from you: this is another fill-in-the-blanks selection. Even so, is there anything that I can learn from this? (This is a creativity challenge: Hand someone a random object, and tell them to use that to talk about God. Or, just to describe that object for the next 10 minutes.) Here’s the context of the verse: the wise father is advising his son how to avoid falling to temptation; specifically sexual temptation here, but it applies to all forms.   All we have in THIS verse is where the wise father is sitting. Shall we just consider that, then? Number One: He’s not getting mixed up in what is happening on the street. He is observing from the  safety and security of h...

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, it’s our tenth anniversary! “A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest,” Then your poverty will come in like a drifter, And your need like an armed man. Proverbs 6:10-11, NASB (Kenneth didn't oversleep) “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Need is always with us, and that, in the appropriate dose, is a good thing. It drives us on, and we all benefit from inventions. Wrapping tamales in corn shucks? BRILLIANT! The person who first came up with THAT genius move was actively engaged in trying to feed people. They took what they had, and made what they needed: a portable meal.  As a sometime food preparer, a great thing about the portable meal is that I can make it, give it to the kids, and send them away. THEN I can fold my hands and take a nap! It’s not the nap that this proverb warns against, it’s the sequence. You have to do the wo...

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, let’s go with tamales and theology. Keep your way far from her, And do not go near the door of her house, Otherwise you will give your vigor to others, And your years to the cruel one; Proverbs 5:8-9, NASB Context: this is the wise father, giving instruction to his son, concerning strange women. “Stay away from them, or you waste your life!” The response of the son is not recorded; thus, I have to substitute my own reaction when having this conversation with my father: “___“ Why a non-reaction? Because it was a non-conversation. And why was it a non-conversation? That’s really not my story to tell.  I DID have this paternal conversation, but only  AFTER I had entered the house of the strange woman: “That’s not the way I was raised.” Oh, I could write books on that conversation. In fact, I’m sort of writing them in my head right now, despite some feeble-but-ri...

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, living the Sh’ma. Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth. Proverbs 4:5, NASB Hear, O Israel What is true wisdom? Yesterday, I heard a man explain devoting his life to teaching children in assorted jungles (both urban and rain forest). He said his motivation came from the Sh’ma.  That’s the name of a prayer, taken from Moses’ farewell address to Israel, found in Deuteronomy 6:4-5.  “Hear, Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”  In 300 words, I can’t provide a good context for the Sh’ma. I know I can’t, because I’ve been trying for the past two hours.  How about this: the rest of Deuteronomy is commentary on the Sh’ma;  the Book of Proverbs is commentary on the Sh’ma;  the ...

A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, spam and egg sandwich. Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6, NASB  Thanks to  Dr. Furaha Asani This is one of the very first Bible quotes I memorized. Over the years, I’ve also had it reinforced by music (I’m singing along with Babbie Mason in my head right now).  The translations vary slightly, but those variances don’t change the meaning; we are talking about “direct your path” vs “make your path straight.” If your translation says “abandon you in the bushes,” then I suggest you get a new Bible. Has my path been straight?  In one respect, only: the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Translate that from geometry to a philosophy of life, and you get: Do the next right thing. Perhaps there are some people ...

A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, pizza. Discretion will watch over you, Understanding will guard you, Proverbs 2:11, NASB This is a part of the latter portion of an “If-Then” statement. In other words, it’s conditional. So don’t expect discretion and understanding to drop out of the sky in random fashion. I first learned about If-Then statements when I started playing around with programming in BASIC in 1982. I was, LITERALLY, playing around; I took an existing program, and modified it, and that’s how I learned how to shoot a duck with a keyboard-launched arrow. Later, I found more productive outlets for programming, some rather sophisticated. Long before that, though, I was living in an If-Then world, and I still am. For the first few decades, I didn’t understand it, and I liked it even less. That’s because I lived with people who loved me, and desired to protect and train me, and one of the ways they did...

A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, you are on your own. To understand a proverb and a saying, The words of the wise and their riddles. Proverbs 1:6, NASB Ah, yes: the words of the wise and their riddles. If some future blog archaeologist were to find this selection uninformed, what conclusions might they reach as to the purpose? Let me shed some light. 92.7% of the reason for this selection has to do with completing a pattern, by back-filling verses I skipped over before adopting a first-to-last approach. True, but not very enlightening. The remaining 7.3% is because so MUCH of wisdom is a riddle.  It’s an intentional riddle to the observer. The intent is to create a desire to understand, and by doing so, allow the naïve to pay a price to become wise, and therefore EARN wisdom, without having to risk life and limb. We tend not to value things that cost us nothing, you see. However, learning wisdom by lif...