TRUNEWS with Rick Wiles - Date: Jan. 22, 2026. Lesson: 14-2026. Title: The Rarity of Faithfulness

Episode Date: January 22, 2026

Proverbs 20:4–6 exposes three common failures that undermine wisdom: excuses that avoid responsibility, expectations that ignore preparation, and words that promise more than character can deliver. The sluggard refuses to labor when the season demands it and later wonders why he has nothing. Many proclaim their own loyalty, yet a truly faithful person is hard to find. In today’s Morning Manna, Rick Wiles and Doc Burkhart examine the danger of procrastination, the emptiness of self-promotion, and the quiet power of proven faithfulness that stands out in a world full of talk. Lesson 14-2026 Teachers: Rick Wiles and Doc Burkhart You can partner with us by visiting MannaNation.com, calling 1-888-519-4935, or by mail at PO Box 399 Vero Beach, FL 32961. MEGA FIRE reveals the ancient recurring cycles of war and economic collapse that have shaped history for 600 years. These patterns predict America is now entering its most dangerous period since World War II. Get your copy today! www.megafire.world Get high-quality emergency preparedness food today from American Reserves! www.AmericanReserves.com It’s the Final Day! The day Jesus Christ bursts into our dimension of time, space, and matter. Now available in eBook and audio formats! Order Final Day from Amazon today! www.Amazon.com/Final-Day Apple users, you can download the audio version on Apple Books! www.books.apple.com/final-day Purchase the 4-part DVD set or start streaming Sacrificing Liberty today. www.Sacrificingliberty.com

Well, good morning, everybody. Welcome to Morning Manna. This is the place for your soul is fed. Five days a week, we have a virtual Bible study that meets at 8 a.m. Eastern Time at manna nation.com. That's 8 a.m. Eastern Time. The website is manna nation.com, Monday through Friday. There's a real class here. They're live. You can join it. It's a virtual worldwide class. Now, we are working our way through.

through the book of Proverbs. We started Proverbs way back. I don't even know what month in 2025. We're taking your times. We're not in a rush. We're not to prove anything. We're going to go one verse at a time. And so today we're going to look at three verses.

We're in Proverbs chapter 20, verses four, five, and six. How to pray, invite the Holy Spirit. Then Dr. Raymond Burckhart is going to read the precious word of God. And that he and I are going to start digging and extracting the minerals, the gold and the silver that's in these three scriptures. Almighty God, our Father in heaven, we give you glory and honor and praise. Father, you promise to give to your children who ask wisdom. And so we're asking for wisdom. That's why we're studying Proverbs.

And so, Father, please fill us with wisdom and understanding, discernment, and knowledge for the glory of your son, Jesus Christ, for the increase of His kingdom. In His name, Jesus, we pray. Amen. And welcome to morning man, today. If you're joining us here, please note that today's lesson is number 14-20206, 14-2026. and we tell you this because sometimes you could like go back and listen to previous episodes. And also we have a television audience. And we only share about half an hour of the lesson each day on television.

If you want the full lesson, then you need to go to manna nation.com or go to YouTube. Rick Wiles today, look for lesson 14-2026. Today we're looking at Proverbs chapter 20, verses 4 through. I'm reading from the King James today, and I encourage you to read along with me, if you would. Verse four, The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold. Therefore shall he beg and harvest and have nothing. Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out. In verse six, most men will proclaim everyone his own goodness, but a faithful man who can find.

This should be a fascinating study today, Rick. There is. Let's get started. Verse four, we always, when we're using, when we're studying the old covenant scriptures, we read both the King James and the Septuagin translations. So the King James says, the sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold. Therefore, shall he beg and harvest and have nothing. The Septuagin says, sluggard, when reproached, is not ashamed. So also, he who borrows corn in harvest.

So we'll begin here with the first segment. The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold. And Septuagin says, the sluggard will not plow in winter. In the agricultural cycle of Palestine, The region of Palestine, Israel, Syria, Jordan, plowing takes place in the late autumn, early winter, when the rain soften the ground. The chilly temperatures and the cold rain make outdoor farm work uncomfortable. However, farmers know the work must be done then. where it cannot be done at all. So in this verse, the lazy, the sluggard person is the lazy person. We've studied in previous chapters of Proverbs, the definition of a sluggard.

Bottom line, it's a lazy person. It's a person who elevates his or her physical comfort above their necessary duty in life. Right. He will not plow. Notice he will not plow. not because he's, well, he will not plow because he doesn't like the cold air. Right. He's waiting for perfect conditions that will never arrive.

Plowing cannot be rescheduled for summer because the ground will be too hard. So wisdom understands that opportunities in life have expiration days. If you miss the season of preparation, you lose the season of provision. That's so powerful. I need to say that again. Amen. If you miss the season of preparation, you lose the season of provision. All of us in our lives, we can look back and realize, you know, there was a moment in my life. I missed a blessing because.

I didn't prepare. And the opportunity came and it passed you by. Yes. So what opportunities are coming by you right now? Are you prepared? Doc, there are things going on in my life right now that the Lord gave me instructions. I would say it began in 2006.

He gave me a specific instruction of things to study. and I said, Lord, I will do it, but I don't understand. I don't understand why you're telling me to study those things. And he said, you'll understand it when the right time comes. That was 2006. I am now doing the things that I studied to do. 20 years later. 20 years later, took the preparation.

So that when the opportunity came by, I knew what to do. Because when the opportunity comes by, you don't have time to prepare. You have to prepare. You have to be prepared before the opportunity comes by. So anybody who's done any farming knows that plowing is the least attractive part of farming, especially when you're doing it with a horse or an ox. Right.

Okay. It's hard. It's monotonous. The reward is far into the future. You're working hard today. Your muscles are hurting. You're aching. And there's no payoff.

The payoff is a long way off. You've got to wait to harvest. So the verse exposes a temperament that desires a harvest without a preparation. That speaks of the mindset of a lot of people today. They desire the harvest, but they do not desire the preparation or the exertion that it takes to get the harvest. Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 11.4, He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards to clouds will not reap. Rainy, cold weather condition are a minor inconvenienced when compared to starvation.

That's right. The sluggard allows a small discomfort to deter him from a life-saving task. He magnifies the difficulty to justify his inactivity. I'll just say this. This is not part of my nose. I wasn't thinking about this. But we live in a time that the world is extremely tumultuous. And the instability of the world is increasing.

And none of us know what's ahead, even for this year. We're in a season of war. The wise person would prepare now. The wise person would prepare now while there is the opportunity. But the sluggard says, that's too hard. I don't want to do it right now. I'll wait until the disaster arrives and I have to be prepared. It's too late.

You can't prepare when the disaster has arrived. So the verse says the sluggard will not plow. It is not that he's unable to plow. Yes. Doc, he just said, I'm not going to do it. It's too cold. It's just a stubborn refusal of his will. And this paralysis is voluntary.

I know, Doc, one lesson you mentioned your days in Missouri that you had mules. Well, my young days in western Maryland, we had a mule, had a mule and a donkey. And that mule, oh, my, that mule was stubborn, doc. Oh, she would just sit down on the ground and dig her heels in. And I mean, I was a kid, I don't know, 11, 12 years old, I would put that rope around. I'd pull on the reins. I'd get behind her and push. I did everything I could as a kid.

I couldn't get that mule to do anything. Why? She made up her mind. She's not going to do it. Right. Her mind was made up. That's what a fluggard's like. My mind is made up.

I'm not going to go out there and work. You can do anything you want to do, say anything you want to do? I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to work. Matthew Henry said, trifling difficulties frighten and hinder lazy people from doing their duty. Yes.

So in this verse, Rick, you know, the slugger, so he steps outside of his house to check the weather conditions. There's a cold drizzle that's fallen down. The temperature is just a degree or two above freezing conditions. Just imagine that. So he has an outwardly plausible excuse, but it's inwardly dishonest. That's what Solomon's pointing out here. Rick, it was cold yesterday.

It's cold today. It's going to be cold again tomorrow. So the lazy person says, well, you know, I'd like to plow. I really would. But it's just not a convenient time. I'll wait for better weather conditions. So he has a very convenient excuse. Yes.

It's no doubt. It's cold. It's wet outside. And no one could argue with the sluggard over the weather conditions. But what Solomon is pointing out here, is not doing a forecast about the weather. He's talking about the excuse that the sluggard is making about laziness and procrastination. The problem is not the weather.

The problem is the man's willingness to endure hardship now in return for a future benefit. Forget about the bad weather. It's his will that is foul, not the weather, his will. He won't plow because he's too lazy, regardless of the weather conditions, Even if it was bright and sunny outside, Rick, he wouldn't plow. So lazy hearts are quick to magnify lesser difficulties into large obstacles in order to justify inaction. Now, the sluggard's reasoning is very short-sighted.

He avoids this temporary discomfort at the cost of a long-term ruin. True wisdom accepts present difficulty for future gain. So the cold or winter here symbolizes it could be any discomfort or inconvenience. The fact that it's Wednesday, any excuse will do. He could have just as easily said his cat was sick, right? So one excuse is as good as another. Charles Bridges brought this point out when he said, any excuse will serve a man who is determined not to work.

Dr. Solomon was a visionary and a builder. He had all kinds of projects going. He was king. And, you know, you can read about it in the Bible. The books that he had, the libraries, the buildings, the gardens. He was always building something. Yeah. I can imagine, you know, there were times, like in the wintertime

when he's checking in with his production form and saying, Hey, I noticed not a lot of work got done on that building this week. And the production for it and say, well, your majesty, the weather was very bad this week. And a tenth of our work crew didn't show up. Really? All right. Don't you think that Solomon dealt with these problems? Yes.

Like he was, he's saying, you know, he's a developer. He's like, where's my crew? But they didn't show up, Your Majesty. He's cold. It's raining. Or they'll say something like. We don't have enough wood. We'll go to Lebanon and get some trees.

We don't have enough gold. We'll go up to Syria and get some gold. I want this built. Yes. Yes, he didn't take no for an answer. Let's look at some quotations from the great old preachers from centuries ago. One of my favorite, G. Campbell Morgan, congregationalists. Didn't know those old congregationalists were filled the Holy Ghost, did you, Doc?

He said, the philosophy of the sluggard is that of avoiding the unpleasant. He will not face a cold wind to drive the furrow. It is the philosophy of the line of lease resistance. And Alexander McLaren had that same theme in mind when he said, The Slugard is the man who treats the present as a time for enjoyment. He shrinks from the cold of the plowing season, but he forgets the biting winter of poverty. That comes.

Methodist John Wesley said, the sluggard will not plow. He will not take pains because of the cold. He is frightened with the shadow of a difficulty. The shadow of it. Okay, let's go to the second part of this purse. The King James says, So also, he who borrows corn and harvest.

Septuagin says, therefore shall he beg and harvest and have nothing. The therefore connects the lack of plowing directly to the lack of food. It shows the divine order of God's world. Neglect of duty in seed time leads inevitable way to lack in harvest. There's a strict connection between today's diligence. in tomorrow's condition. The law of harvest is absolute.

Zero sowing equals zero reaping. Galetians chapter 6, verse 7, Paul said, be not deceived. I mean, think about that. Don't fool yourself. Yes. God is not mocked. For whatever a man sews,

that will he also reap. Well, you could flip that around and say, be not deceived. God is not mocked. For whatever a man doesn't sow, that will he never reap. That's right. So the slugger shall beg and harvest. This pictures the lazy man seeking to enjoy the fruits of the harvest season in which he refused to labor in the planting season.

So now that there are others reaping, he's stretching out his hands in need and saying, hey, have pity on me. I don't have any food. See, harvest is a time of joy. It's a time of feasting, a time of abundance for the whole community. For the sloggart, it's a time of shame. Because the whole community knows why he doesn't have food. They all remember. He was in bed with the covers on him when it was raining.

While other people are carrying sheaves in the harvest, the sluggard is carrying a cup. What a pathetic sight. Consider the irony. The very man who would not face the hardship of plowing must face the greater hardship of hunger, dependence on others, and public humiliation. It says, and have nothing or shall not be given anything.

That shows that his poverty is not only providential, but is judicial. His lack, his want is a kind of righteous exposure of his earlier sluffleness, his laziness. Now, the verse supports realism, not harshness. mercy to the poor is commanded elsewhere in the Bible. This is not talking about don't give to the poor and hungry. The Bible distinguishes between misfortune and culpable laziness. In this case, the man is without food because he's lazy. So think twice about giving food to a lazy person.

we should give food to somebody that's working, making an effort, or somebody who has a hardship and they can't work with, yes, if you get food. But to a person, an able-bodied person who won't work, you're not obligated to give them food. You'd be contradicting the word of God. That's my opinion.

Right. So this phrase in here that's in this second part of the verse here and have nothing, What's implied here is that his begging is futile. So back in an agricultural society, there was little sympathy for a man who refused to plow. He has no claim on the charity of those who brave the coal to plant their crops. Now, nothing.

When you really think about nothing is a terrifying word. After the harvest season passes, there is no more food to be had. There is nothing to be had. So his opportunity is gone, and his cupboard is bare. Now, we rediscovered this Old Testament principle in the new covenant as well. In 2, The 2nd, 310, the Apostle Paul wrote, For when we were with you, we commanded you that if any will not work, neither shall he eat. Try preaching that from a modern pulpit today.

So the bottom line is this, just as the witness, of correction is the only thing that will get a squirner's attention. Hunger is usually the only teacher that the sluggard will listen to. The Septuant translation says, The sluggard, when reproached, is not ashamed, so also he who borrows corn and harvest. So this is not ashamed when reproach implies that somebody scolds the sluggard for his laziness and poverty,

and that causes the slugger to slip even deeper into a hardened state of his heart. So he hears the correction about his laziness and yet continues to wallow in it, continues to persist in it because he's lost the shame of it. And one other thing to point out here in this verse, you see that principle of free will. Now, the lazy man's outcome is freely chosen. No one forced that on him. You can't blame the devil, you can't blame God. The sluggard could have plowed when the time was given, but wouldn't, just would not do it.

And therefore, the sluggard alone bears the responsibility for his later destitution. This is a choice that he's made, Rick. Yes. So so far we've been discussing this verse from how it applies to us financially. If you don't work, you don't eat, you shall have nothing. what is less than nothing and there's nothing beyond nothing I mean it's a very severe punishment

but let's discuss it now how this verse applies to us spiritually you could apply this first to the final judgment and the great white throne when Christ returns those who will not sow to the spirit in this life

meaning they refuse to hear and obey the gospel and they treat grace in salvation as things of little value, those people will beg at the great harvest and they will have nothing, nothing but regret. The rich man, remember the story, the rich man begged Lazarus for a drop of water, but he had nothing. So what about believers? How does this verse apply to Christians in our daily life? Well, Rick, we can make the observation from Scripture that God gives strength and seasons.

But each person must choose to seize the appointed time for sowing to the spirit rather than pampering flesh. We must learn to cooperate with Holy Spirit when grace is being offered. That time is now. Another spiritual lesson in this verse for believers is a warning. If you choose to neglect study of the word, choose to neglect prayer, choose to neglect spiritual sewing in this life,

it's all going to be painfully exposed, eventually when a season of spiritual harvest comes and then you're left empty-handed. So it's so important that we must have the attitude of constantly sowing seed for the harvest. Sowing seed for the harvest. Today is the day to plant.

Today is the day, Rick. Amen. Great. The sluggard Christian, we're now talking about the man or woman who identifies as a Christian, but has a sluggard heart. And I've met a few of them in my lifetime. They will not break up fallow ground

in repentance. in self-examination, in prayer. Why? Because such heart work is laborious and humbling. Yes. We have so many things competing for our attention with the media, entertainment, and so forth. And people don't want to be taken away from those things

to get into serious spiritual introspection of themselves. seeking the Lord reading the scripture. I mean, it's prayers, Bible studies, repentance, is asking the Lord to look into your heart. It's searching the Word of God to find answers, to show where you're going wrong in life. So like the sluggard who says it's too cold to plow, there are sluggard Christians who say,

that prayer and self-examination and Bible study is too difficult, too uncomfortable, too inconvenient. It requires them to leave the warmth of their religious complacency. The agricultural imagery reinforces a broader biblical principle. God ordinarily blesses prayer for harvest. How to say this? prayer for harvest is no substitute for plowing and sewing and grace does not reward idleness right and you know and you know when

jesus talked about pray the lord the harvest talked about didn't say pray for the harvest the harvest the harvest was already there what do you pray for workers laborers workers so my grandmother had a saying talking about lazy people rick it just came to my mind here just a moment ago. It's weird how the Lord brings these thoughts back. My grandmother used to say, if you gave that boy a boiled egg, he'd ask you to peel it for him. You knew what she meant by that. If you give him a gift, they'd want more. And so, and that applies to believers. So for personal devotion, this verse invites believers to ask this question. And what fields in my postponing plow because it's too cold or I'm too old or I can't do this or I can't do that and what

harvest is being lost because you're choosing to wait now I'll give you some examples these fields could be family matters they could be career obligations maybe business obligations maybe personal holiness well when I get my life straight now I'll do something for the Lord it could be empathy It could be a false sense of generosity. It could even be participating in religious activities with church if they are a distraction to you to what God's called you to do. So sometimes God calls us out of our comfort zones,

out of our comfortable lives, into a cold, damp world to represent his son and his kingdom. Listen, if you wait for perfect conditions, you will never plow. It'll be too cold, it'll be too hot, the grand's too soft, the grand's too hard. Any excuse will do, Rick. I agree.

You know, Doc, and I can look back in my life and I can realize there were times I was talked out of doing something. I knew I was supposed to do it. And people around me talk me out of it, say, is not the time to do it. Rick, just wait a little bit longer. And they turned out to be wrong.

Yeah. And I missed the opportunity because I listened to them. Because they were saying, well, the conditions don't seem perfect right now. You should just wait. And I did wait and wait, and wait, and the opportunity went by. Right. Sometimes you just got to get out there and you've got to do what you've got to do no matter what the conditions are. Right.

Or even Christians will say, well, God will, if God wants me to do it, he's going to send me the right condition. No, he's not. No, he's not. I guarantee you the apostles, the disciples walked in really bad weather to get to the cities and towns of Israel, the priestages. Thomas went all the way to India. He probably encountered some bad weather. And there's some mountains between India and the Middle East. Were there any people saying to him, Thomas. You got this wrong. God would send you in the good weather, not now. How about Paul? How many times was he on a shipwreck? You're getting on a boat again?

Yeah. Yeah, I am. All right, let's see what the old-time preacher said. Albert Barnes, Presbyterian pastor in Philadelphia in the 1800, said, The picture is one who neglects the fitting time for sewing and then we share the fruits of others toil. The moral is that industry in its due season is the appointed way to competent while sloth ends in shameful penury.

Yes. Alexander McLaren said, to refuse plowing because a cold is to trifle with the solemn order of seed time and harvest. He understood seed time and harvest, Rick. Nature will not reverse her laws for the sluggard, nor, and this is extending out to the end of time, nor will God's moral government set aside consequences

for the man who will not work. Cheryl Spurgeon, Reform Baptists. Many there are who complain in harvest that they have no sheaves, yet they never broke up the fallow ground in spring. He who idols away his opportunities must not marvel if, by and by, he has to beg his bread.

Right. G. Campbell Morgan said, Here the wisdom of literature enforces the law of cause and effect. The man who refuses necessary toil at the proper time forfeits all claim to share in the harvest, whether in material things or, and spiritual. Free Church of Scotland, Pastor William are not.

The proverb makes the sea time and harvest of a lazy man pass before us. First, his hands in his bosom when the plow should be going and then his hand held out in beggary when the sickle is busy. His poverty is the child of his own sloth.

Okay, now we're going to go to verse 5. Proverbs 20 verse 5. The authorized King James Version says Council in the heart of a man is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out. The Septuagin says counsel in a man's heart is deep water, but a prudent man will draw it out. Let's see how we can put this together.

We'll look at the first part. Counsel in the heart of a man is like deep water. So in ancient times, we still today have deep wells. I have a well on my property. I can't drop a bucket down at a dock, but many places, there are still wells that you can drop a bucket down into the water and bring up the water. You've traveled to many nations. You've seen, you were in Africa, you've been in Asia, you've seen wells. but in ancient times these wells were were dark, mysterious,

and difficult to access. You could not see the bottom and you could not easily retrieve the water. So Solomon is comparing our inner thoughts, our intentions, and our plans. That's the word counsel of a person to deep water. Right. How does that apply to us?

Well, humans are inherently secretive. Jeremiah said, the heart is deceitful above all things. Who can know it? I mean, deceitful above all things. So we often hide our true motives behind a mask of silence or words. As I said, this word counsel means advice, plan, purpose. So whether these plans are evil or wise, they lie far below the surface in our being. And they're out of view from the sight of others. The average person only shares surface water,

polite conversation the deep water of their soul is guarded some people go through life and never share never ever open up and share the deep things

in their soul so the image of deep water suggests that these purposes are not shallow or immediately available visible they they lie concealed like the depths of

well or deep lake that simply can't be measured a glance or measured a red in a simple glance you just don't know how deep it is and Rick we we both have had the opportunities to really meet some wise people and profound people and what I've observed I'm sure you would agree with this that a profound person is not shallow they're like a deep aquifer they possess a reservoir of knowledge and experience and emotion that's not immediately visible to the passerby. You know Rick my dad he would drill wells through his plumbing business everything and I can tell you from personally experience deep water requires

effort to reach you can't simply you know dip a cup in you're gonna need a rope but a bucket to get the deep water the good water. And this teaches that knowing another person or even knowing one's self requires labor. It's going to require time. It's going to require patience. It's going to require the right tools. It takes time to get to the bottom of a deep well. So even in wise and godly people, Rick, there could be a depth and reserve. So good judgment is not always on the lips, but an inward guidance has to be patiently sought. Now as we look in the context of wicked men and wicked women, this deep water works the other way. It represents complex schemes and traps that are hidden from

the innocent. The psalmist in Psalm 5.9 said that spoke about those people whose very inward parts, Rick, are very wickedness. Now, Proverts 20 verse 5 here recognizes that there's a certain opacity in the human heart, transparency, if you will. What a man or woman truly thinks, what they intend, what they struggle with is often much deeper than his or casual words or appearance. I want to go to some of the scholars and preachers and theologians of past centuries. John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church, said,

counsel is like deep water. It is hard to be found out. Most men have their hearts deeper than their mouths and cover their intentions with a veil of secrecy. Yes. Alexander McLaren said, we are all mysteries to one another. We live like islands separated by a salt, unplumbed, estranging sea. The depths of the human heart are practically infinite.

William are not. Some men are deep wells. You drop a bucket and you feel it strike the bottom, but it comes up empty. The water is there, but it is hard to get. Yes. All right. Now we're going to go to the second part of this first. But a man of understanding will draw it out.

It requires a special breed of person, a specific kind of person. A man, a woman. of understanding to access these depths in the souls of other people. This requires discernment, wisdom, insight, emotional, and communicative skills. A skill is needed to probably draw out water from a deep well. If you had a well on your property, you have to know how to get the water out. I mean, I'm talking about if you don't have an electric pump, you're doing the old-fashioned way, you're going to drop a bucket down in the well. You have to know how to do it.

You have to correctly lower the bucket. You have to be able to fill the bucket up with water, and you have to know how to bring that bucket up to the surface and not spill it. It takes practice. It takes skills. is not something people's just going to do it on the first time. So in communication with other people, this represents the skill of asking the right questions listening actively and attentively

and creating an atmosphere of trust to allow truth to surface. A lot of people have sad to say, among Christians who are just terrible communicators, horrible communication skills, and the church is full of them. They don't know how to talk. They don't know how to communicate.

They don't listen. And they certainly don't go to this level of actively drawing out of the other person, deep things that's inside that person. This is an essential principle for counselors, judges, and friends. The wise man, a wise man or woman, does not accept the first answer. They always probe deeper.

And they navigate the defenses of the other person that's put up to prevent someone from exploring these deep places in their soul. A wise person will keep probing until they find the truth, find the, the real intention of the heart. Now, some people have developed the skill, this gift of good questioning and listening. You might see this in wise pastors, counselors, therapists, friends

who listen closely to what another person says and helps them discover what they really believe. Yes. Sometimes we have to help another person actually understand what they feel and believe. Right. And to express the counsel that was already in their hearts. I remember, Doc, maybe five, six, seven years ago sitting in my office at a church with a young employee. and it was just him and me together talking

and I was actually doing this I was helping him understand some things that were going on in his life and he said these words talk he said Rick I've never said those words ever in my life there was something that came up out of him and he was surprised himself at what he said it was like it came up

came out up from the depth of his soul. He said, I have never verbalized those thoughts ever in my life. What was the Lord doing? The Lord was using me to draw up this deep water from his soul. Right. To help him understand himself. Now, this drawing out, it can work in two directions. He can draw out to good.

His plans could lead to suck. Godly desires, right conclusions, but it can also expose the hidden things, foolish motives, fears, sins that must be brought to light. But the wise person knows how to do this. And there is a cooperative aspect. The man or woman of understanding does not force counsel into another person, but helps others to discover and own the truth. that God is already pressing into their conscience or maybe pressing it to come out of their soul. Right.

And so what this scripture here, Rick, is revealing is that, let's say if that counsel, quote, counsel is an evil plot, the man of understanding is like a detective who pieces together the clues and exposes the schemes before it can succeed. seed. Now, if the council is wisdom and a quiet person, the man of understanding is the one who refuses to let that wisdom remain buried. He draws it out, the benefit of everybody. He knows

that still water is run deep. Now, how can we apply this to ourselves? A man of understanding, a woman of understanding, knows how to draw out his own heart, to ask questions of their own heart to examine their own motives and confess them before God. That's where real wisdom is, Rick. And it takes a lifetime of learning to do that, to draw out your own heart, Rick. You're right. We can apply this to the mystery of God's work in hearts, the Holy Spirit's dealing, convictions, consolations that are profound.

found deep within us, and yet they're not easily expressed. I have been through season in my life where the Lord has done open heart surgery on me. Doc is like he just cracked my chest open and said, Rick, you're going to be awake for this heart operation. I'm going to look into your heart and I'm going to pull things out of your heart. We're going to have a discussion about these things. Yes. And, Doc, I found myself saying things to the Lord.

I had not even ever said to myself. Yeah. The Lord was doing this very work in my life, helping me to bring up out of me. He's like, well, how did this get in your heart? And he was leading me back in time. Where did this come from? And I had to think back, oh, that's... That's where that came from.

First of all, there were things I didn't even know were there, and then I didn't even know how they got there. But the Lord and his kindness, his love, his wisdom, took me through the process to understand it and then bring it up to the surface. That's what this verse is about. Yes. Doc, I'll let you move on with this

before we get to the quotations. Okay. Well, so what we see here, Rick, in this verse is both an encouragement and a warning. There is more in a person's heart than meets the eye, whether it's for good or for ill. And wise dealing with others must reckon with that depth. We must use wisdom and dealing with people. The verse can also be read negatively. The deep water may hide motives and schemes that are not immediately obvious,

reminding us that human beings are complex, and sometimes they're self-deceived. Our own hearts, Rick, contain dark depths that need to be searched out by the Holy Spirit. And what's at the bottom of our hearts needs to be brought up to the surface as well. Now, ultimately, many see Christ as

that supreme man of understanding who knows what is in a man and by his word and by his spirit brings those hidden things to light, both to heal and to judge. Jesus is definitely, definitely the ultimate man of understanding. In John chapter 4, he sat by the well with the Samaritan woman

and with infinite skill, a master class in drawing out information at a well of all places, Rick, drew out the deep secrets of her life that she had hidden from everyone else. John 42930 says, the woman then left her water pod, went her way into the city, to the man come see a man who told me all things that I ever did could this be the Christ they went out of the city and came to him doc it was not a story it was not until today in preparing for this lesson that I connected this proverb was John 4 the Samaritan woman by the well.

Yes. And he brought up from her inner depths of her soul. He brought up, she went through town and said, he knows everything. Yes. He knows everything about me. Yes. But now I understand why he did that conversation at a well. He was teaching us, talk about this proverb.

That's right. I've been a Christian, though, for a lot of, that. and I didn't see this until today. He grew out of the depths of her heart, just like she was bringing water out of the depths of Abraham's well there. That's right. And let's not forget John 2, verse 24, 25, but Jesus did not entrust himself to them

because he knew all men and did not need anyone to bear witness of man, for he knew what was in man. Yes. He knows. He knows what's in you. He knows what's in me.

He knows what's in every person in this planet. He knows what's in us. Rick, G. Camel Morgan had this to say, the man of understanding is the man who knows how to let down the bucket. He's not deceived by the surface appearance. He knows that there are depths. And he has the patience to draw them out. John Wesley said a man of understanding will draw it out by prudent questions

and in artful and obliging carriage he will discover the secret. Yes. Charles Bridges said this, it is the prerogative of God to search the heart. Yet a man of understanding may do much to draw out the secret counsel. He catches the words or the looks that inadvertently escape. And what I say to the audience who are clear, As we read these quotes, we're doing a few extra than we normally do. Listen to what these great old preachers said. They're revealing to us the gifting and the skill that they had to draw out of people

the truth that they were trying to get to. I can imagine sitting face to face with John Wesley. Yes. Or Alexander McLaren. Imagine McLearn peering into your eyes and saying, Doc, Doc, tell me, tell me the truth, Doc. Imagine Spurgeon saying, now, Doc, I perceive that there's something more here that you need to tell me.

And he could do it in one of the five languages he knew. Oh, yeah, in different languages. McLaureen said, it takes a wise man to know a wise man. Wisdom draws out wisdom, a shout. nature will only bring up a bucket full of mud, but understanding will bring up the clear, cool water. Yes. John Gill had an interesting observation. He drew up a story from David's life. He said he'll find a means to discover it as the woman of Toccoa got the secret out of David and as the mother of Cisphers General and the Philistines found out Samson's riddle. He works the other way

too, Rick. It works the other way. They can pull out classified information. Charles Bridges said, and many a believer there is a hidden spring of sound judgment and gracious purpose, which, without the help of a judicious friend, might never rise, but a man of understanding, like one drawing from a will. A patient dealing brings it for it.

Albert Barnes said, men have within them schemes and intentions which are not easily discovered. Yet there is a faculty of penetration given to some by which, through observation and questioning, they reach the inner counsel. I've got another Alexander McLaren quote. The proverb recognizes both the depth of human nature and the power of sympathy. The wise man by tact and love can help his brother to find in his own heart the counsel which God has lodged here.

And Charles Spurgeon had this to say, There is many a man who has much good sense and gracious thought, but it lies at the bottom. You must know how to draw it up. This is the wise Christians' business to bring out what God has put in for his glory and for his neighbor's good. Okay, our last verse for today,

Proverbs 20 verse 6. King James says, Most men will proclaim everyone his own goodness, but a faithful man who can find? The Septuagin says a man is valuable, and a merciful man precious, but it is hard to find a faithful man. We'll begin with the first half of the first.

Most men will proclaim everyone his own goodness. Solomon observes a common human trait, a human frailty, the urge to broadcast your own virtues. Right. I guess, Doc, we think, well, nobody else is doing it. I should just do it myself. Right. You know, because I don't hear anybody else bragging about me,

so I'll brag about myself. I guess that's why we think this way. He says most men. I mean, not everybody. He says his self-promotion is the rule, not the exception.

It's kind of the ancient version of virtue signaling. That's good observation. Yeah, so the Hebrew word that's used here is Kasid. It means loving, kindness, merciful,

and inclination to do good deeds, to be charitable, to be benevolent. So people love to be seen as a good person. Who doesn't want to be seen as a good person? Even the most honorary guys wants to be seen as a good person. Everybody wants to be seen as a good person. They proclaim their intentions to help. They talk about their soft hearts.

They talk about their past donation. but we're all very lenient judges in our own case. We judge ourselves by our intentions, but we judge others by their actions. Let me say that again. We judge ourselves by our intentions, but we judge others by their actions. That's right.

The proclamation of our virtue is really a projection of what we, wish we were not what we are. True. So we're actually puffing up our image. It doesn't cost anything to proclaim goodness. That's free. You can do it. Promises are easy. Performance is difficult. Performance will hosting something. Dog is you and I have observed in many years of ministry together. the world is full of people who meant to. Yes. We meant to do this.

We meant to give. We meant to help. We meant to good. We hear that all the time. I was planning to. I intended to. I meant to. Okay.

I'm sorry you didn't. You know, I intended to give. I intended to help you with that project, but they don't do it. Why do people proclaim it? because they're seeking the reward of public opinion. Yes. Jesus, this is in Matthew 6, verse 2.

Jesus said, he's talking about to the Pharisees. Therefore, when you do your charitable deeds, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets that they may be honored by men. Truly, I say to you, they have the reward. Now, this is what he was speaking to his disciples. Right. regarding the hypocrisy of the public Pharisees,

the louder the proclamation, usually it means the smaller the reality. Oh, preach it, yes. Okay. The wagon that rattles the most is usually empty. Well, it's true, Rick, that we're all very lenient judges when it comes to our own.

case, we judge ourselves by our intentions. And like you said, we judge others by what they do. So this proclamation is often a projection of what we wish we were, not what we are, as you mentioned before. And you also said it costs nothing to proclaim goodness. Jeremiah said that the heart is deceitfully wicked, more than all things. He said, the heart is more deceitful that all things and desperately wicked. Who can understand it? I, the Lord, search the heart. I test the mind, even to give to every man according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds. So when Jeremiah asked that question, the Lord provided the answer. The Lord can do that. So fallen man naturally tries to justify himself, Rick, and flatters his own goodness and

minimizes his need for, I don't need that. much grace. So everybody sees themselves as a good spouse, a good parent, a good son, or a daughter, a good friend, but really few are brave enough to ask the Holy Spirit to test their character and behavior according to the standards of God's word. And Rick, I'm telling you, we're all going for false for the glory of God. That's a given. The second part of verse 6 says, but a faithful man who can find. The Septuagin says, but it is hard to find a faithful man.

So Solomon now offers the contrast to the self-boaster. It's a faithful man or a faithful woman. He's also contrasting goodness with faithfulness. Yes. In the first part of the verse, the emphasis was on everybody wants to be known,

as being good. And he's saying, well, really, instead of being known as good, you really should be known as faithful. Now, that could be an eye-opener to some people, Doc. Yes. I think there are people who are good

who are not faithful. Yes. They get good hearts. They do good things, but they're not faithful. They can't count on them. But they do good things. They're generous. They're helpful.

They do good things, but they're not faithful. Solomon is saying, you need to be faithful more than you need to be good in terms of, you know, your image here. So goodness is a sentiment of kindness, but faithfulness is the stability of character. Faithfulness is not just being nice, it is being trustworthy, being reliable. all the time. So Solomon asked us question, who can find? The question does not deny that such men and women exist, but the king is lamenting their extreme scarcity. He said, I know they're out there, I just have a hard time finding them. Like Diogenes searching Athens with a lantern and looking for an honest man, Solomon was searching Jerusalem.

He's going through a crowd of nice people in Jerusalem, trying to find one good man. Yes. So imagine walking through a crowd, say, I see many nice people here, but there are a few faithful people here. See, he's not saying this crowd is full of mean people. He's saying it's full of nice people,

but they're not faithful. consider the similarity of Proverbs 31 verse 10 who can find a virtuous woman for her worth is far above rubies I was written by Solomon too so for King Solomon's

he put priority you know put a premium value dog on faithful men and virtuous women that's what he was looking at for. Faithful men, virtuous women. Proverbs 20 verse 6 and Proverbs 31 verse 10, both treat faithfulness in both men and women as a treasure. It's more precious than any riches. The faithful man or woman does not need to proclaim their goodness because their works speak for them. Yes. Let your work speak about your goodness.

These faithful men and women are people who stay when it's hard. They pay when they're broke. They hold their tongues when they're provoked. And they do this consistently over time. You know, Rick, you mentioned Diogenes, and that's from, you know, Greek literature. And I hear that quoted quite a bit. People, oh, it's Diogenes searching. But you know what? That lantern that he was holding, it wasn't at night.

He was going through Athens in the daytime with that lit lantern. And he was walking through looking for an honest man in Athens, right? And so what that story really means is Athens thought it was so enlightened, so honest, so truthful. And yet Diogenes is going through with a lantern and saying, you're not enlightened at all. not one bit. So really, this, it draws us out. This is a sharp contrast to many who boast that there's a rare jewel in faithfulness. The truly faithful man who is steady, who has a covenant-like loyalty, so rare today,

proves his words by his long obedience. Faithfulness includes things like reliability. truthfulness, constancy, and affection, steadfastness under trial, such a person keeps promises. They bear burdens from the people. They remain the same in adversity and in prosperity. Now, a faithful friend doesn't forsake others in trouble.

They don't betray confidences. They don't change with the shifting circumstances. But here's the thing, Rick. Faithfulness can only be proven over time. A man or woman can simulate goodness for a day, right? A rich man or somebody can do some good deed. But you know what? Faithfulness, you cannot fake it.

You cannot simulate faithfulness for a decade. It is the setting plodding of integrity, day after day after day. Now, instead of looking for a faithful man, consider this. The disciple and the follower of Christ should become the faithful man, right? Am I a person in my word? Do I perform more than I promise? Do I remain faithful?

And so the question here is who can find? and really the only answer is in Jesus Christ. He's the truly faithful one. In fact, Revelation, praise God 314 says this. To the angel of the Church of Laudezia, right? The amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation says these things. Jesus is the ultimate faithful and true witness.

He did not just proclaim his father's love. He demonstrated by going to the cross, Rick. He's everything. Yes. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is everything. He's our role model. He's everything that we need. He's everything we should be.

He's everything. Whatever we need to know, he's already done it. Yes. He's shown us the way. How do we acquire this faithfulness? Well, faithfulness is a fruit of saving grace in the work of the Holy Spirit. Only those whom God has changed at the root of their being can, over time, be found faithful. Such believers, however, must cooperate with the Holy Spirit.

Believers have a responsibility to grow and mature in faithfulness by continually yielding to grace. and walking and obedience. Yes. Well, let's look in a few quotes from some of the teachers from the past here. I'll start with Charles Bridges here. The world is full of loud professors of kindness, who will tell you much of their goodness. But the scripture inquires mournfully for the genuine article,

a man whose love is not in tongue only, but indeed and in truth. Who can find, Rick, who can find? Yes. Alexander McLaren, the contrast is between the cheap currency of self-praise and the fine gold of real steadfastness. You may hear of many who say that they are loving and loyal, but you will not easily light upon the man whose life makes no noise and never fails. Yes, Charles Spurgeon says, easy to find men who will sound abroad their own goodness, but hard to find. one who is good without advertising it, whose word you may always rely upon and whose heart is true when others turn their backs. Gee Campbell Morgan, the proverb reveals a sad fact in human life.

There is an abundance of claim, but a scarcity of reality. The wise man therefore seeks not those who speak of their kindness, but those whose fidelity is proved by long continuance. Yes. and William R. Not said the self-laudation fills the air with professions of kindness. But when storms arise and sacrifices are demanded, most of these fair blossoms fall. The faithful man whose love and truth abide is a rare plant in the Garden of the World. Okay, that wraps up today's lesson.

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