Pickle Heaven Press-James R. Johnson

something to help you laugh and think about life with Christ

Tag: Solomon

bluebell and the blues — May 7, 2025

bluebell and the blues

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Solomon once wrote, “There is nothing better for people than to eat and drink…” – Ecclesiastes 2:24.  So what did he think was so great to eat?  Dates and figs?  I don’t know, but, if he were alive today, he might revise his words to say, “There is nothing better for people than to eat ice cream, especially Bluebell.”  Amen!

OK – maybe we need to back up and understand the context of Solomon’s words.  The brutally honest book of Ecclesiastes was written to help us live meaningful lives.

He argued that many of us strive our way through life, and this striving is folly.  Some labor to be rich, but are never able to enjoy their money (5:10-12); Some wrangle their way to fame, and yet the humble still seem to outshine them (10:6-7).

Others strive to have power and yet the very powerful king of Israel went on record saying, “Vanity of vanities; all is vanity.”  (1:2) Some strive for security, but Solomon reminds us that naked we came, and naked we will go. (5:15)

And then there are some that are obsessed with our health and long life, but Solomon said, “youth and the prime of life are fleeting.” (11:10)  He often emphasized the fact that we are all gonna die (5:16). 

He sums up all our striving with the word, “vanity,” which he repeated 38 times in the book.  All is vanity

When we strive for things that we never really obtain, it is a pointless, painful experience.  Even when we do obtain them, we are stunned by the pointlessness of it all.

I was voted senior class president in high school.  I was jubilant for a day or two until I found out that honor was outweighed by the onerous responsibility.

Now before you look for Xanax, you need to know that Solomon was not depressed.  He was quite upbeat and hopeful.  The one word Solomon used in his book more than the word vanity, is God (40 times).

He tells us to consider God’s works (7:13)  to listen to His words (5:1) to fear Him (5:7) to please Him (7:26) and to remember him (12:1)   He described life “under the sun” as vanity (4:7), but He knew that we are headed to that place above the sun, in the presence of God where hope abounds (12:6-8).

Which means that the person who is rightly related to the Lord can cease to strive and enjoy being alive.  In fact, we should strive less and savor more the blessings He gives.

He encourages us to enjoy our mate (9:9), food and drink (5:18) and every fruit of our labor (5:19) When God has the proper place in our lives, we are free to do that.  

He put it this way in his book, “What does a man acquire from all his labor and from the anxiety that accompanies his toil on earth?   For all day long his work produces pain and frustration, and even at night his mind cannot relax.  This also is futile!  “There is nothing better for people than to eat and drink, and to find enjoyment in their work.  I also perceived that this ability to find enjoyment comes from God. For no one can eat and drink or experience joy apart from him.”  (2:22-25)

I am embarrassed by the phrase, “and even at night his mind cannot relax.”   It has been my experience much too often. 

What took Solomon a whole book to say, the apostle Paul said in one sentence “Command those who are rich in this world’s goods not to be haughty or to set their hope on riches, which are uncertain, but on God who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment.” –  1 Timothy  6:17

So, strive less, serve the Lord more and savor the blessings He gives.  Seriously, it is impossible to wear a frown while enjoying a bowl of Bluebell.  

A PRAYER: Lord, I need your help in this area!  Help me to rest in You!

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you

Scripture passages are from the NETBible ® 

a hairy situation — July 12, 2023

a hairy situation

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I recently learned a disturbing secret about females.  I overheard 6 women comparing notes about the hair that was growing in their ears and on their noses and in all other kinds of crazy places.   I thought that was just a guy thing!  

Time fills in the empty spaces on our heads with hair.  If I didn’t keep mine trimmed, I would look like an albino chimpanzee.  Maybe this was God’s plan, a measure of mercy to hide my gnarly face.

But I wonder about Seth the third son of Adam and Eve.  He was 912 years old when he died.  Nose hair trimmers and such did not exist back in his day.   So, at almost 1,000 years old, poor Seth much have been a gigantic furball.

There is a silver lining, however, to the hair that comes with aging. Though some of us want to wash away the gray. The Scripture tells us it is a badge of honor.   

Proverbs 16:31 says, “Gray hair is like a crown of glory; it is attained in the path of righteousness.” 

Gray hair is a crown, a reward of sorts and according to Solomon it can be attained.  Really?  How does one obtain gray hair – I mean besides L’Oréal Paris?

Well, we need to understand the nature of the book of Proverbs to understand this specific one. “A proverb, is a simple and concrete saying popularly known and repeated, which expresses a truth, based on common sense or the practical experience of humanity.” (Wikipedia on Proverbs) 

Cervantes defined a proverb as “a short sentence based on long experience.”  Proverbs are generally true, although there certainly are occasional exceptions.

But what does this have to do with gray hair? 

Solomon frequently argued that wise choices generally result in a long life with gray hair as the proof, whereas foolish, sinful choices typically shave years from a person’s life expectancy.  They may not see their gray day.   

For instance, “The beginning of wisdom is to fear the Lord and acknowledging the Holy One is understanding.  For because of me your days will be many, and years will be added to your life.” – Proverbs 9:10-11

He tells us that those who observe and follow biblical truth will most often live longer, more healthy lives.  But is this true? 

Well, I think of my own experience.  I spent the first 19 years of my life ignoring the truth of God and making dumb choices. 

I drank to excess, possibly setting myself up for severe health consequences for later in life.  While under the influence I did all kinds of stupid things including frequently drinking and driving.  That could certainly have reduced my life expectancy.

Then there was that time I broke into a house and could have been rightfully gunned down once I crossed the threshold. 

I could have been arrested for any number of other offenses.  Jail time would probably have affected my health and life span.

Pursuing my selfish agenda was very unfulfilling and depressing.  I seriously planned on taking my own life at one point.

But then Jesus stepped in and saved me from hell and myself at age 19.  From that day to the present, I have set my heart on serving Jesus and trying to wisely govern my life by the truth in His Word. 

The choices I have made since, have contributed to a long, healthy satisfying life. 

And guess what?  Today my gray hair, even the ones in my ears, they make up my crown of glory; attained by God’s grace and by pursuing the path of righteousness. 

There are so many rewards when we live a life of obedience to the Lord.  A mop of gray hair is just one of them.

A PRAYER: Lord, thank you for the practical, life-giving wisdom in your Word.  Help us to put it to work each day.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Scripture refences are from the NETBible®

weighing in — September 7, 2022

weighing in

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The couple were both receiving home health care.  The visiting nurse insisted they be weighed.   They lined up and he stepped on – one foot and then the other.  The nurse dutifully recorded his weight. 

His wife stepped on – one foot and then the other and another number went into the chart.  Then Bambi, their Chihuahua followed – one foot and then the other.    

______

Jehoshaphat like Bambi was looking for an example to follow.

He became King of Judah about 873 BC.  At 35 years of age, he needed a few pointers on being a king.  So, he looked for an example from the past.

He grew up watching his father Asa rule the nation.  Asa chased immorality and idolatry out of the land.  But in his older years he was afflicted with a diseased body that also diseased his faith.  He sought the help of doctors while ignoring the Lord.   

Jehoshaphat’s granddaddy was Abijah. He was mighty in battle but mediocre in his faith.   His epitaph is written in 1 Kings 15:3, “He followed all the sinful practices of his father before him. He was not wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord his God, as his ancestor David had been.”  Abijah followed the poor example of his daddy Rehoboam and paid dearly for it.   

As for Rehoboam, he was famous for carelessly splitting his Kingdom.  He fought off an Egyptian invasion but ignored the insurgence of paganism.  His epitaph was written in 2 Chronicles 12:14, “He did evil because he was not determined to follow the Lord.” 

His daddy was Solomon who was revered for his wisdom and yet was foolish enough to marry a stadium full of wives and serve their gods.  “Solomon did evil in the Lord’s sight; he did not remain loyal to the Lord, as his father David had.”  – 1 Kings 11:6

This brings us to the head of the dynasty – King David.  David followed the Lord with the deepest devotion and ruled the Kingdom by the truth of the Scripture. 

His reign was summed up in this way, “David had done what he (God) approved and had not disregarded any of his commandments his entire lifetime, except for the incident involving Uriah the Hittite.” – 1 King 15:5.

So, Jehoshaphat climbed up 5 generations of his family tree to find an example worthy of emulation   Of him it was said, “The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed in his ancestor David’s footsteps at the beginning of his reign. He did not seek the Baals, but instead sought the God of his ancestors and obeyed his commands, unlike the Israelites.  The Lord made his kingdom secure; all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he became very wealthy and greatly respected. He was committed to following the Lord.” (2 Chronicles 17:3-6)

Like David, Jehoshaphat tore down the idols and elevated the Lord.   As a result, “The Lord was with him.”  “The Lord made his kingdom secure” and “He became very wealthy and greatly respected.” 

Ironically, Jehoshaphat’s predecessors were indicted for ignoring David’s example?  Neither did they prosper as Jehoshaphat did. 

Jehoshaphat imitated David but he was smart enough to also learn from and avoid his mistakes.  There was no Bathsheba scandal to mar his reign.

Now to bring this home:  The apostle Paul was referring to the OT stories of Jehoshaphat and others when he wrote, “These things happened to them as examples and were written for our instruction…” – 1 Corinthians 10:11.

So…. basically, Jehoshaphat is an example of a man who followed the example of a man to teach us to find a man to be our example. (could be a woman though)

Think of life as Youtube and look for the how-to video that God posted.  Find an older person who did life God’s way.  What did they think and do, and what kind of results did they experience?   You might even ask him/her to mentor you. 

Watch and learn.  Make Bambi proud!

A PRAYER: Lord I am grateful for the folks that have taught me how to live.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

All Scripture references are from the NET Bible ®

rekindle (reconciliation part 1) — October 20, 2021

rekindle (reconciliation part 1)

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Who seems to be bent on making you miserable?  Your neighbor?  Your brother-in-law?  Your boss?  Your ex?  And why are they so unjustifiably hateful toward you?  When did they decide that you were the enemy?  Is there anything you can do about it! 

Solomon the wise says “Yes” in Proverbs 25:21-22.  He wrote, “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the Lord will reward you.”   NET Bible ®

He pictures a raging battle with two adversaries – launching arrows and throwing spears at each other.  They won’t rest until the other falls on the field of battle. 

The way to prevail in this battle is to throw a picnic for your enemy.  War is exhausting.  No doubt they are famished, so feed them.  They must be thirsty, so give them to drink. 

One would wonder at this point if Solomon was truly wise.  If we nourish our enemies, would this not strengthen them and give them the advantage in the battle?

Ah yes, but then Solomon adds that gory part.  If we should nourish the enemy, it will crown them with a fiery fedora! – burning coals heaped upon their head.  Ah!  So that is how the battle is won.  But it doesn’t make a lot of sense. 

May I explain?  In those days fire was essential.  It cooked your food and warmed your body.  But where did it come from?  A spark from striking flint with iron would do it.  But listen, I was a junior pyromaniac as a kid, and try as I might, I never succeeded in creating a fire this way. 

It’s hard to do.  So, once you had a fire, you maintained it.  At night you would take coals from the pit, put it in a ventilated clay pot that allowed just enough air to sustain the coals without letting them burn up.

The next day, you would sprinkle kindling on your coals and create an instant fire. 

But – what if your coals should happen to burn out over night? 

Then you would take your clay pot to your neighbor’s house and ask for a few of his coals.  You would then take your pot and load it on to your head (which is how they still carry things in the third world) take it home and restart your fire. 

And this is how we understand the Proverb.  People who are hateful, have had their home fire go cold.  The embers have burned out and the fire pit is desolate. 

Treat them with kindness – unexpected kindness – kindness that they do not deserve.  Do that and it helps to rekindle their home fire.

If Jesus would have written this blog He simply would have said, “Love your enemies.”  (Matthew 5:44)

So how do we get that fire rekindled in our foe?  Give them food and drink – maybe a cup of coffee and a scone and leave it on their desk.

Compliment her on her outfit, or him on the quality of his work.  Tell them you appreciate their perspective and ask their advice.  

You might also say, “Hey I am concerned that I may have offended you. Is that the case?”   Honor them with a humble apology.

This is the way to go.  I have done this a lot and have seen it as the beginning of many relational turnarounds.  I plan to share one story in my next blog. 

Solomon passed on a Proverb, a principle on how life typically works – but it is not a guarantee.  A rare adversary will fail to warm.  And yet we are told that the Lord will nevertheless reward us for being so exceptionally kind.   Nothing to lose, and everything to gain. 

A PRAYER: Ooh this is tough Lord, we need your empowerment to make it happen. Help us!

This has been Jim Johnson with pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.