Good Morning All,
Proverbs 14:4; “Where no oxen are,
the manger is clean, but much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.”
So, what does this mean? It does not, as it appears, have anything to
do with any type of farm animal but that is where it starts so we will also. If there are no oxen, there is nothing to
clean up. There is no rotten feed to
throw away. There is no manure to be
pitched out. There are no fences that
need to be tended to. So, it tells us
that if you have no oxen, you have no headaches associated with oxen. On the other hand, you don’t make any money
either. You don’t have any of the
headaches of an oxen, but you also do not get any of the rewards either.
Believe it or not, this verse is really
about interpersonal relationships. If you
never have a relationship, you never feel the pain that can be associated with
relationships. You can avoid any sort of
slight or affront. You miss the hurt of rejection,
but you also miss the companionship and the closeness of a relationship. You do miss the pain, but you forfeit so much
more by forfeiting the love and the fellowship that these relationships give to
us.
From the very start of the Bible, we see
that God is a God of relationships. Part
of the reason that God created man was so that God and man would have a loving
relationship. God created Eve so that
Adam would have companionship. Man and
woman were created to be in a loving relationship. We even see that Jesus came to the world to
reconcile man back to God; to fix our broken relationship.
The painful truth is that you and I are
messy. We all bring baggage,
insecurities, quirks, and some frailties to a relationship. The only way to avoid this is to never engage
in a relationship but this is not God’s plan.
God’s wants his people to be a family; joined together as a loving
unit. Yet God’s grace shows through in
the joy we experience when we are in relationships. The joy of the love we receive from a child,
or siblings or a spouse is far beyond any discomfort we may experience along
the way. This is part of God’s blessing
so that we do not have to go through life alone but rather we can go through
life, the good and the bad, with people who love us even if they made the
manger dirty; God uses them to bring us his love. Remember, God loved you and
still loves you even in your dirtiest moments. He does not give up or throw you
away. God’s love endures and from it, we have peace.
Dearest
Father, you give us the gift of companionship so that we may face this world
with the love and support of our brothers and sisters in Christ. We give you thanks for those around us who
love us as we are. In Jesus’ precious
name we pray, amen.
God’s
Peace,
Pastor
Bret
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