Sellers of goods know more about the state of their merchandise than do consumers.  This knowledge encompasses intrinsic value, production and potential deficits.  Because of this, caution will pay dividends to the purchasers of properties and commodities.  While laws protect consumers in some degree, there is no way to indemnify every transaction.  Be on your guard.

Caveat emptor is the Latin term for the contract law principle which controls the sale of real property after the date of closing.  Warranties are safeguards providing certain guarantees of satisfaction, but, without such provisions, ancient principle applies. The buyer should beware.

Each of us will be involved in lopsided transactions as there are always power imbalances in enterprise.  These inequities may not appear as veiled threats, but the ground is seldom level in negotiations.  We have all looked back on dealings and wished we had done things in other ways.  I’m not impugning wheeler-dealers.  There is a good bit of admiration all around for gamesmanship and those who drive hard bargains.  But caution is in order.

As products and properties have hidden flaws and limitations, care in acquisition is a transactional necessity.  Perhaps, I’m the only one who never read the fine print, but it is dangerous to function on assumptions.  The Bible testifies to the varying perspectives of buyers and sellers.

In our dangerous world, it is wise to measure our steps.  We ought to remember that, for the most part, others are not looking out for our interests.  They are too busy thinking about themselves.  This truth runs contrary to biblical admonitions to seek the welfare of others, but it is a general truth in the cruel world.  Come to think of it, it’s a general truth in the church world.

I encourage people to live cautionary lives lest they become cautionary tales.  We cannot overstate the role of wisdom in the personal life.  Many decisions are not clear-cut requiring thought, research and prayer.  You will mostly be doing the thinking, researching and praying alone.  It is hoped you will not live your life in mists though you may, occasionally, be lost on blind nights.     

Amid peril, we long to find a place of certainty and calm.  As evil is present in our goodness, this may take some doing.  It is not easy to forgive others and yourself and come to terms on healthy ground.  How can we be at peace while we are waiting for the other shoe to drop?

Scripture promises peace to those who trust in the Lord and stay their minds on Him.  This is a simple matter achieved with difficulty.  Our minds work on the principle of dominant image, and it may not come naturally for busy people to rest their minds on spiritual things.  However, practiced acts become habits and habitual acts hang on.

Peace follows the presence of God in our lives.  The peace Jesus gives is unlike restful diversions and unexplainable in human terms.  As with all spiritual gifts, its effects are seen while the essence remains undetected to the observer.

The natural mind does not perceive spiritual things.  This being true, the unregenerate person is unable to achieve lasting rest.  It defies believers to adequately communicate the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life.

The peace of God is experiential.  You know it when you have it.

Sterl