My Favorite Proverb

You'd think that as long as I've been reading the Proverbs, I'd have them all memorized. Not so. However, there are some that are always stuck with me. I never really think about them beforehand, but when I open my Bible each day to the Proverbs, that are certain chapters that bring a bigger smile than others. Like today, for instance. Proverbs 16.

I'll never forget the first time that particular passage made the biggest impact on my life. It was September 16, 1995. On the following day, the congregation with which I had been working was voting to decide whether they wanted to move me from my position as assistant pastor to the big chair. My dad had pastored this church for five years and was leaving rather unexpectedly to take on another challenge. During the transition, someone began to voice some rather loud and, might I say, stupid opinions about his ministry and the value of getting rid of both of us while they had the chance. In one week's time, a board which had voted 3 to 1 to let me be their first candidate revealed that they were 3 to 1 against me ever being the pastor. I needed some guidance and perspective from someone otuside the immediate situation, so I called two godly men who were in positions of authority over me and asked to see them. One told me to withdraw my name from consideration, thus rising above the conflict and removing myself from any further hurt. The other told me that if I did not let my name stand, I was removing it from the hands of God. Was I confused!

I kept praying and mostly fretting about the approaching election, because I had followed the advice of my second advisor and the big mouths from church had ceased their attendance, but not their mouthing. The night before the election, I opened up my Bible to read my Proverbs for the day, and all my fears, worries, and doubts were put to rest.

Four years later, I was trying out for my second church, and was facing different turmoils over the transition. God brought me back to Proverbs 16, and I preached a message from it which put a Holy Ghost smack-down on a lot of busybodies, gossipmongers, and manipulators. At that point, it didn't matter which way the vote went--my conscience would be clear about having told them the truth that they needed to hear.

In both instances, I was elected to the position by overwhelming majorities (not unanimously, as I would have liked). And the verse that set me at ease about all things?

Proverbs 16:33

The [bal]lot is cast into the lap,

but its every decision is from the Lord.