Starting Small
We’ve been learning in church this month that Proverbs began with the words of King Solomon — written nearly ten centuries before the birth of Jesus. These words were meant to guide people living 3,500 years ago, yet they’ve come down through the centuries as a voice of reason, hope, and steady counsel for anyone willing to listen.
And yes —I agree, the Bible can be hard to understand. We weren’t there when it was written over the span of fifteen hundred years, in three languages — Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Not English, Spanish, French, or German.
Here’s another thing, word meanings shift over time. Most of us remember when feeling “gay” meant something very different than it does today. Language changes. Culture changes. And sometimes translators make mistakes or use phrases that sound stiff or foreign to modern ears.
But in a sin‑stained, broken world, we need an anchor. And God has given us one — the sixty‑six books of the Old and New Testaments. See that’s another thing. The Bible is, as one theologian notes, the Bible is not a boo, it’s a library!
To use that library well, we need wisdom and grace. Wisdom to know what the Bible says. Grace to understand why it says it.
Pastor Dan Kimball puts it this way: The Bible was not written directly to us, but it was written for us. And when we read, study, pray, and listen, the Holy Spirit empowers us and transforms us into a functioning, loving part of the Body of Christ.
Proverbs calls us to loyalty and faithfulness — not to our sports teams, but to God. It warns us against being “wise in our own eyes.” The best way to test that is simple: ask yourself, “Am I the smartest person in the room?” If your answer is yes, then either you should be winning on Jeopardy… or you’re fooling yourself.
Being wise in our own eyes isn’t wisdom. It’s self‑importance. And Proverbs says plainly: Don’t let human pride tell you how to run your life. Humble yourself before God and let Him direct your path. Turn away from evil (sin), and you will be refreshed and healed.
And Proverbs even says it’s okay to start small.
It says “A generous person will be enriched, and one who gives water will get water.”
Sound familiar? Jesus echoes this in Matthew 10:42: “Whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones… will not lose their reward.”
A cup of cold water. A small act. A simple kindness.
Jesus was saying that even the smallest step in discipleship matters. Proverbs was saying the same thing — where our heart is, God meets us with His peace and joy.
Most of us believe we trust in God… until something shakes us. A diagnosis. A financial worry. A family conflict. A disappointment we didn’t see coming.
Then we get shaky. We double‑think everything. We close up shop and go into survival mode.
But the Word of God says: Honor the Lord. Honor Him with your substance. Honor Him with your first fruits. Honor Him with your trust.
Maybe we start small — a cup of water, a small act of generosity, a quiet prayer whispered in fear. But the more we honor God, the more real and meaningful His presence becomes in our lives.
Proverbs says, “Honor the Lord with your substance and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty.”
Three thousand years ago, that meant olive harvests and grain. Today, I believe it also speaks to the harvest of our discipleship and our humanity.
That’s why Global Methodists say we Worship Passionately, Love Extravagantly, and Witness Boldly. And for some of us, witnessing boldly is the hard one.
But if we tell others about the love of Jesus Christ — if we stand on Scripture and do not succumb to cultural pressure — then God will bless the church, and He will bless you
But if we pass judgment on others… If we assume we know everything… If we let pride guide our decisions… Then we are not honoring the Lord.
Proverbs brings us back to three simple words: Honor the Lord.