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Proverbs Reading – Chapter 6

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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

Read along with me…

PROVERBS 6

The titles of this chapter is Dangerous Promises, The Folly of Indolence and Beware of Adultery

Verse 1 says, My son (my daughter), if you become surety for your friend, if you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger; you are snared by the words of your mouth, you are taken by the words of your mouth.

Surety is payment of debt or making yourself responsible for another.  And snare means to trap or entangle.  This is starting to make me think about gambling or being conned by someone.  The bible is giving you guidance and warning you about people who may try to take advantage of your kind heart, of your naivete, of your ignorance.  Be mindful.  Be smart.  Although we’d like to believe that everyone is good, everyone is not.  As People of God…we are to love everyone, but we are learning here that we are also to use wisdom.

Overextending your resources is irresponsible.  Most times, we see our resources as money.  Yes it is, but there is more.  Your resources are the things you need, your basic needs as well… your job, clothes, your car, your ideas, your time, your intellectual property, your family, your home.  The study notes state, it is important to maintain a balance between generosity and good stewardship.   Stewardship is the responsible overseeing and protection of something considered worth caring for and preserving.

The foolishness of laziness.  That is what is being talked about next.  And it bible uses an ant as the example.  The busiest and hardest working insect on the planet!  Research how ants work, and what they do.  Proverbs warns against laziness, of sleeping instead of working.  I know I’ve been guilty of doing this.  It doesn’t mean you can’t get your rest, but I know for me; there were times when I knew I should have been up taking care of things, but I stayed in bed, over slept or even slept the day away.  Laziness should not cause you to not be able to take care of your responsibilities.

A wicked man is described in Proverbs as someone who walks in these six things that the Lord hates, Yes seven are an abomination to Him.  If something is abominable it is vile, detestable, greatly disliked.

  • a proud look
  • a lying tongue
  • hands that shed innocent blood
  • a heart that devises wicked plans
  • feet that are swift in running to evil
  • a false witness who speaks lies
  • and one who sows discord among brethren

In this chapter, ‘keeping your father’s commands’ means to listen to wisdom.  It will help you to make good decisions and good choices.  We also see God bring up the subject of adultery AGAIN.  I’ve learned in my spiritual walk, that when God is repeating Himself to you….PAY ATTENTION!  He really wants you to hear and listen.  Its a warning in some instances.  Take heed.  Read verses 20 to 35 again and keep it all in mind.  The Lord is very serious about the sin of adultery.

Proverbs Reading – Chapter 4

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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.