The Purpose of Proverbs is to impart wisdom for godly living.
Solomon’s fathering advice to young people and all who seek wisdom will greatly benefit from these wise words. Discover the source of wisdom, the value of wisdom and the benefits of wisdom. Proverbs gives practical suggestions for effective living. They should call a person to action. The verses tell how you can live in close relationship to Him and offers positive advice that helps you to make good and righteous decisions. – notes of the Life Application Study Bible
PROVERBS 9 The title is The Way of Wisdom
The 1st verse says, Wisdom has built her house. Then goes on to describe the different preparations of the house with food, drink, furnishings, etc. Wisdom is responsible and takes care of those who are simple.
Wisdom and foolishness are compared in this chapter. Wisdom appeals to the mind while foolishness appeals to the senses, but the pleasures of foolishness are temporary. Wisdom brings a satisfaction that lasts forever.
Wisdom lacks nothing, is complete and perfect.
How you respond to criticism speaks volumes of who you are. Learn from your critics
Wisdom begins with knowing God, having a relationship with Him. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
The opposite of wisdom is foolishness…folly. She lures in the simple, those who lack understanding. She tells them that stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. Making all the wrong things sound like they are good. She will tell you that your wrong is right and deceive you. And you will follow her not knowing that she is leading you straight to destruction, to death, to hell.
But when you look for wisdom you then have the understanding and knowledge of where foolishness can lead you. You would choose that path if you choose wisdom.
The Purpose of Proverbs is to impart wisdom for godly living.
Solomon’s fathering advice to young people and all who seek wisdom will greatly benefit from these wise words. Discover the source of wisdom, the value of wisdom and the benefits of wisdom. Proverbs gives practical suggestions for effective living. They should call a person to action. The verses tell how you can live in close relationship to Him and offers positive advice that helps you to make good and righteous decisions. – notes of the Life Application Study Bible
PROVERBS 8 The Excellence of Wisdom
This chapter reads like a poem to me. Speaking of so many important values of Wisdom.
The study notes state that wisdom is portrayed as a woman who guides us, makes us succeed, was present at the time of creation and works with the Creator. That those who hate wisdom, love death. And wisdom should affect every aspect of one’s entire life.
Imagine if we could be a people where all the words of our mouths were with righteousness; nothing crooked or perverse be in them?
Wisdom says…I AM understanding, I have strength. Just as with the Lord, those who diligently seek wisdom will find her.
Wisdom was there from the beginning of time.
Pride and arrogance are the evil way. Love for God and love for sin cannot coexist. Throw evil ways away!
Re-read this chapter and pull out the words or sentences that stand out to you. Meditate on them. What is God saying to you? Journal what you feel God is saying to you and what your hearing in your heart.
The Purpose of Proverbs is to impart wisdom for godly living.
Solomon’s fathering advice to young people and all who seek wisdom will greatly benefit from these wise words. Discover the source of wisdom, the value of wisdom and the benefits of wisdom. Proverbs gives practical suggestions for effective living. They should call a person to action. The verses tell how you can live in close relationship to Him and offers positive advice that helps you to make good and righteous decisions. – notes of the Life Application Study Bible
PROVERBS 5 The title of this chapter is The Peril of Adultery
Adultery is voluntary sexual intercourse between a married man or woman and a partner other than the legal spouse.
Peril is exposure to loss, or destruction; grave risk or danger.
Which means nothing good comes from the act of adultery.
The Study Bible states:
Proverbs includes many warnings against illicit and immoral sex for several reasons.
Any temptation to do wrong or to leave the pursuit of wisdom is something to stay away from.
Sexual immorality of any kind destroys family life.
It eats away at ones ability to love.
It degrades human beings and turns them into objects.
It can lead to disease.
Can result in unwanted children.
Sexual immorality is against God’s law.
When desire is fully activated, people don’t want advice – they want satisfaction. Prepare for temptation by deciding now how you will act when you face it. Say NO to temptation.
Temptation will entice you to leave your wife or husband because you feel the marriage has become boring, looking for excitement and pleasures somewhere else.
Find pleasure with your spouse, not someone else. If God has ordained it, don’t waste your time or fantasies elsewhere. Find pleasure in the relationship God has given you. You should NOT be looking elsewhere.
Sex is a gift from God for married people; for their enjoyment. Commit to seeking pleasure from and with your spouse.
God would not give you someone who belonged to someone else. If you are involved in a relationship like this, you are indulging in sin and the Lord is not pleased. Remove yourself and repent. Not something you want to play with.
This was a short discussion of this chapter…but it’s pretty much straight and to the point.
The Purpose of Proverbs is to impart wisdom for godly living.
Solomon’s fathering advice to young people and all who seek wisdom will greatly benefit from these wise words. Discover the source of wisdom, the value of wisdom and the benefits of wisdom. Proverbs gives practical suggestions for effective living. They should call a person to action. The verses tell how you can live in close relationship to Him and offers positive advice that helps you to make good and righteous decisions. – notes of the Life Application Study Bible
PROVERBS 4 The title of this chapter is Security in Wisdom
God is our Father. So a lot of what He does and how He responds to us is how a parent would to their child. We are His children. God is giving us, His children…wisdom and understanding.
Here wisdom is given a pronoun….her and she.
Do not forsake her, she will preserve you, love her, she will keep you, exalt her, she will bring you honor, embrace her, she will deliver you.
Get wisdom and get understanding. The Study Bible states that ‘one of the greatest responsibilities of parents is to encourage their children to become wise. Wisdom can be passed on from parents to children; from generation to generation. But if your parents never taught you in this way, God’s Word can function as a loving and compassionate mother or father for you.’ Create a legacy of God’s wisdom for your children.
If you want God’s wisdom, you must decide to go after it.
Verse 14 & 15 talk about the ‘path of the wicked and how we should not walk in the way of evil. Avoid it, do not travel on it, turn away from it and pass on.’ The Study notes give you teaching of how even friends can make you fall. How it is hard for young people to believe that their friends will lure them to do wrong, could lead them to trouble. But if they don’t know that it’s wrong or the effects of the wrong behavior, they don’t know what they are doing. Let us teach our children and young people to use wisdom, proceed with caution and don’t let friends cause you to fall into sin. Teach your young people to have a healthy skepticism about human behavior. And guess what…us adults could take heed as well; especially when it comes to friends, girlfriends and boyfriends.
Verse 23 to 26 states, Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. Put away from you deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you. Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established.
Our heart dictates to a great extent how we live says the study notes. Our feelings and desires have proven to take the lead and cause us to make decisions that don’t always keep us on the right path. This is when boundaries and wise counsel become helpers for you. Boundaries you put in place to keep you safe, to keep destructive people and behaviors out. Put boundaries on your desires. Learn to have self-control and be able to control the feelings and desires that may come to shift you from your place of focus and your place of discipline.
Wisdom says, just because you feel it; does not mean you have to go with it. Don’t get sidetracked on detours that lead to temptation. You can’t always say no to a temptation. The more you indulge in it, the stronger it gets.
Think smart and use the means we’ve been learning about in the previous chapters.
The Purpose of Proverbs is to impart wisdom for godly living.
Solomon’s fathering advice to young people and all who seek wisdom will greatly benefit from these wise words. Discover the source of wisdom, the value of wisdom and the benefits of wisdom. Proverbs gives practical suggestions for effective living. They should call a person to action. The verses tell how you can live in close relationship to Him and offers positive advice that helps you to make good and righteous decisions. – notes of the Life Application Study Bible
PROVERBS 3 The title to this chapter is Guidance for the Young
There is a reminder of obedience in the first two verses. Keeping Gods commands. Then we are introduced to two important words…mercy and truth. What more could we want, than for God to find favor with us because we are merciful and truthful. Your thoughts and words are not enough. Your life reveals if you are truly merciful and truthful. What are your definitions of a merciful person and a truthful person?
Verses 5 & 6 are very familiar verses to us. Many can recite them word for word, but I often wonder if we also apply these scriptures to our lives. We say we trust in the Lord, but often our actions don’t show that. Because we take matters into our own hands, especially if we feel God isn’t moving fast enough or the outcome is not turning out the way we wanted. We then step in front of God to take matters into our own hands; we then show God that we don’t trust Him. Be honest, have you done that before? Do you believe that God knows you and your situations better than you do? So you should trust Him in it, correct? Think carefully through your decisions, bringing them before God in prayer, seeking out wise counsel from others and using your bible as a guide. Then follow God’s leading. Take the time to put ALL things to God, verse 6 says in ALL your ways acknowledge Him.
I actually like verses 7 & 8…”Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.” This chapter is guidance for our young people. ‘Leave’ from evil…’go away’ from evil. Doing that will be health to your flesh, you will stay healthy…you will stay alive. How simply stated is that. How simple…yet true is that verse? This is one of many reasons I believe that our children should grow up with biblical principles…because it is truth that will not steer them wrong. It will steer them to LIFE!
The Study Bible states that giving God the first part of your income demonstrates that God, not possessions, has first place in your life and that our resources belong to Him. What you have is not because of you, its because of the goodness of our Lord. Everything you have, God has granted access for you. Please remember that. Honor God with His firsts and the rest is your resource to manage properly. Don’t be greedy, be open to give so you can be blessed. Like people always say…you can’t take the money with you when you die. There are some people that God has blessed them to be givers. Are you that person?
Why do so many people dislike correction? And correction from God your Creator? God is our Father. He’s a parent. Don’t we expect correction from a parent? Without correction, how would you know what to do? Correction and discipline are very important parts of our development for both young people and adults. Because adults can still develop in areas of their lives. Correction comes into play when learning the difference between right and wrong. Discipline is very much a part of our everyday life, not just your spiritual walk. You become successful from hard work and consistent discipline. And when you choose to live a life dedicated and disciplined for God, nothing compares to the joy of knowing God.
There is so much in this chapter, but I pray that you are reading through with me…word for word. There is so much to learn. See you, next chapter.
The Purpose of Proverbs is to impart wisdom for godly living.
Solomon’s fathering advice to young people and all who seek wisdom will greatly benefit from these wise words. Discover the source of wisdom, the value of wisdom and the benefits of wisdom. Proverbs gives practical suggestions for effective living. They should call a person to action. The verses tell how you can live in close relationship to Him and offers positive advice that helps you to make good and righteous decisions. – notes of the Study Bible
PROVERBS 2
The title of this chapter is The Value of Wisdom. True wisdom is centered in respect and reverence for God. If you don’t respect God, you can not truly walk in His godly wisdom. And His wisdom is a gift to us. It’s not something you just automatically have. To know the mind of God and to understand His words and His heart, you must be in relationship with Him. You must know Him. The Study Bible notes state, ‘true wisdom is Gods and that we cannot create it by our own efforts.’ If you choose to be rebellious and foolish, you will not find Gods wisdom, it will be hidden from you. But if you earnestly seek it…make an effort to find it. God will reveal it to you. The Study Bible notes also state, ‘the pathway to wisdom is strenuous.’ This is true to me, because I believe in order to find wisdom; you have to change your ways and say no to your human desires. That can be strenuous because we are so used to doing things our own way, it’s not always so easy to stop, not always so easy to turn from that, not always so easy to change your mind. But I love that the genuine truth is being told, we aren’t being fooled into thinking it just happens. We are being prepared to know that there will be an effort that we have to make in order to find Gods wisdom.
We gain wisdom through a constant process of growing. First, we must trust and honor God. Second, we must realize that the Bible reveals God’s wisdom to us. Third, we must make a lifelong series of right choices. Fourth, when we make sinful or mistaken choices, we must learn from our errors and recover. – Life Application Study Bible
Let me ask you a question, have you ever asked God for discernment? Discernment is having the ability to judge, have discretion, know the difference between right and wrong. Asking God to give you the ability to discern is showing Him that you want to know and use His wisdom in your life decisions. Thinking back, you probably have made some choices that would have turned out much better had you took the time to discern the outcome first. Use God’s truth to make wise choices day by day. Discretion will preserve you and understanding will keep you.
Because you will come across situations and people who will want to pull you away from your walk with God and from making good and right choices. Having discretion and discernment will help you to see that it’s not for you and keep you focused. Are you someone who has a pattern of getting caught up in situations again and again, wondering why does this keep happening to me? Were you using your discernment to think the matter through before you indulged? This can happen especially when it comes to sexual and prideful matters. The Study Bible states, two of the most difficult sins to resist are pride and sexual immorality. Both are seductive. ‘Pride says, I DESERVE IT and sexual desire says, I NEED IT.’ Pride appeals to the empty head, sexual enticement to the empty heart. When you have godly wisdom, you can make good decisions in those times.
Don’t be fooled into thinking you can fight the temptations. You will need Gods strength to resist. We always think we have control of the situation and then it becomes bigger than us. That is because you’ve used your human wisdom, become foolish and prideful and forgot that you need God.
I love what we are learning…stayed tuned for Chapter 3!
The Purpose of Proverbs is to impart wisdom for godly living.
Solomon’s fathering advice to young people – but all who seek wisdom will greatly benefit from these wise words. Discover the source of wisdom, the value of wisdom and the benefits of wisdom. Proverbs gives practical suggestions for effective living. They should call a person to action. The verses tell how you can live in close relationship to Him and offers positive advice that helps you to make good and righteous decisions. – notes of the Study Bible
PROVERBS 1 The 3 titles of this chapter are…The Beginning of Knowledge, Shun Evil Counsel & The Call of Wisdom.
We are given a clear statement of the purpose of this book in the first verse…to impart wisdom for godly living.
Encouraging us “to know wisdom and instruction. To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment and equity. To be cautious, have knowledge and discretion. These are all simple yet, very important statements. All characteristics that we can carry throughout our lives. How many times can you think back to moments, and decisions that you could have made better, had you used wisdom and been cautious? Oh how this same advice can be given and used with our young people even now. In the Study notes, it states that wisdom means far more than simply knowing a lot. It is a basic attitude that affects every aspect of life.
The first step to wisdom is “fear of the Lord.” This is the beginning of knowledge. All knowledge comes from our Creator, God. We can never know all that He knows.
Scripture calls a fool, the type of person who is a know-it-all. A person who is closed to anything new and pushes their opinion in an arrogant manner and as right. Instead, be the person who is open to learn; especially from those who can give you solid-sound advice/counsel. A fool in this book is also someone with a character deficiency. Not someone who is dumb. but someone who is lazy, rebellious, led by anger. Someone who is unable to tell right from wrong or good or bad. Be teachable. You will be learning for the rest of your days. God sends people to helps us walk through this life, learn to glean from them and take from them.
Be a positive and godly role model to your children. They learn from parents and caregivers first. We are their first teachers. They learn their morals and values from us. Don’t confuse them with an unstable Christian life. Show them how to depend on God and teach them right living.
Chapter 1 also talks about sin and sinners. We are all sinners saved by grace. Yet, when we chose to live for Christ, we have made the decision to walk away from sin. We have to learn to NOT be enticed by it. To not let it pull us in and make decisions that are not pleasing to God. The study notes state, “we can’t be friendly with sin and expect our lives to remain unaffected.” When you chose to follow Christ, there was something in you that wanted change in your life. It’s a desire that we all have when God speaks to our heart. Change will happen when you encounter God, but it does require you making choices and changes in your life to create order and a stable Christian walk,
God’s wisdom is something you should want to become comfortable in.
God wants us to seek out His wisdom, and is willing to pour out all that we need; but we must be willing to receive it, willing to listen, willing to humble ourselves and not be prideful in our own human wisdom. Foolish pride is thinking we know better than God and refusing to heed His direction.
Lastly, the 1st chapter speaks of the “fruit of their own way” which is the consequences of your own decisions. It’s simple you can either choose God’s wisdom or continue to walk in your own rebellious independence, doing things on your own. The consequences of your own choices will be your fruit. And it will destroy you. Verse 31 says, therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled to full with their own fancies. Verse 33, but whoever listens to me will dwell safely and will be secure, without fear of evil.
God will show you the truth and will always be with you and cover you when you chose Him! I find comfort in knowing I have Him by my side.
I would love to hear what verses stood out to you in this 1st chapter, Comment and let’s talk more. Feel free to also ask questions as well.
I’m feeling led to share what the Lord gave me for yesterday’s Christmas service. This not all of it…but here is something to feed your spirit.
God is doing a NEW THING, which means it won’t look like the old, it won’t look like it’s always looked. Scripture tells us that He will, so it is NOT abnormal. The religious spirit will dismiss it and say it’s not God; because it won’t look like the regular. But that is how you will miss the move of God. There is NEW WINE for this NEW thing. The new wine is the Holy Spirit. The way the Lord is moving thru the earth; you will need the Holy Spirit to guide you. Because He is coming to encounter you in a way that He never has before. This is NEW territory…NEW terrain…NEW valleys…NEW mountain that you will have to trod thru so you will need a tour guide so to speak.Some are in preparation/process now, some have stifled theirpreparation, some completely walked away from their process, some are scared and some are not ready. And some are ready!Dont miss what God is doing…it will spring forth, don’t you see it?!I’m praying tree hat you won’t miss God, that you will encounter Him in a way that moves your heart towards Him and that you connect with people who will help you grow spiritually in the NEW!
Let me 1st say that I’m talking to Christians when I say this. If you don’t identify yourself as a Christian then I am not talking to you. And let me also clarify that I believe God is our FINAL judge. He is the one who will make the final decision on where you and I will spend eternity.
That statement, “only God can judge me” has been on my mind for a minute now. I see it everywhere…on Facebook, tattooed on someone, in meme’s. So I know I needed to write about it because God kept making me see it. Then one day while I was listening to the bible in my car, the story of Jethro visiting Moses came on. Exodus the 18th chapter. Can I tell you, I had to play it back 3 times! I left like God was saying, “Yes this is for your understanding.” I love how God will confirm what He is teaching and showing you. But before I go into that, I did a little research trying to find out where this phrase came from. There is no scripture in the bible that says, “only God can judge me.” That is NOT biblical.
In my research, many made mention that those who are believing and living their lives to this statement are those who do not want to be held accountable to their actions. This is a way out of being corrected, a way out of having discipline and being obedient to God’s will for your life. Humans are very good at changing the things that God established and making them fit their wants. Laws and standards have been put in place in the this world because, if we are left to ourselves…we would destroy everything and each other. It’s the sinful nature that we were born into. Now I’m not saying that you can’t be mature and make right decisions. What I’m saying is that many of us won’t govern ourselves, so the ones who choose to live right would have to contend with those who don’t.
And then I often wonder, why wouldn’t you want to be warned or re-directed here on earth? Why would want to continue in your wrong behavior and wait for God to discipline or judge you? I tell people all the time, don’t make God have to turn your life upside down to get to you because you continue to want to do life your way. He’s a loving God, yes but His wrath is no joke. When scripture tells me that He is longsuffering and wishing that none should perish, that tells me He takes time with us, He sends help, He sends people to get us back on the right path. But some are pushing their help away because they don’t to be told that their right is wrong.
Anyway…let’s get back to the Exodus story of Jethro and Moses. Jethro was Moses father-in-law and he saw Moses handling people’s disputes and teaching people the laws of God. But Moses was the only one doing it. It was becoming overwhelming because ALL the people were coming to him. Jethro tells him that he wasn’t doing it right. You will wear yourself out and these people as well. This is too much for you to do alone. Now let me give you some good advice, and God will be with you. It is right for you to represent the people before God and bring their disputes to him. You should teach them God’s commands and explain to them how they should live and what they should do. But in addition, you should choose some capable men and appoint them as leaders of the people: leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. They must be God-fearing men who can be trusted and who cannot be bribed.Let them serve as judges for the people on a permanent basis.
Ahhhhh….others where brought forth to judge. Capable men and women. God set forth people in the earth to help to judge. This is why I believe and scriptures tells me that God is the FINAL judge, but He has placed people in the earth to help give guidance and direction…because we need it!
There are many other scriptures that talk about how to judge people. So the Lord, set certain people aside to help judge and then wrote how to judge. How to be fair, how to carry yourself as a judge, He gave them standards and rules on judging. When you read them, look at the context of the them, where in was happening in scripture and in what time it was happening. Because rules and laws were different during different times of the world. Just like some rules and laws many not be for this time in the 20th century, so are the rules and times of the bible.
Read the bible for understanding. Not to point what is wrong in it. If you go with that mindset, you will miss so much understanding because you’ve already made up your mind.
God will judge you when you die. And then it will be too late to change your ways do things differently. Don’t put yourself in that predicament. Choose Christ today so you know where you will spend eternity.
Some of us don’t want to be judged because we are all over the place and need to make the decision to choose Christ and stick with it. You have gone back and forth with Him for a long time, but you haven’t been consistent. That is not how the Lord wants you to live. He wants your foundation to be strong and stable. God wants you to be like a tree planted by the water where the roots are deep and you can not be moved, because your source of life is right there next to you. God is your source of life.
One thing I am learning in my Christian walk is that God is re-teaching me. There were some things that I believed that were not really Him. My thinking was wrong. I also learned that the word hits us all differently. It is the same Word of God but it will speak to us differently according to our spiritual maturity and where we are in our walk. Be open to learn from the Holy Spirit, be open to grow and mature in Christ. And if you disagree, don’t throw it away. Bring it back to God and ask if it is for you. He will let you know and He will deal with you in that area. Be ok with God correcting you and showing you a new and different way of understanding Him. His way will ALWAYS be the better way! Trust!
If you were one of those people who people who believed that no one could judge you…make a comment and lets pray that you will see and receive the people and the help that God is sending you to make your crooked paths straight.
Do a word search and look up every scripture that talks about “judge or judging.”
JUST WANNA LIVE RIGHT 