Tag Archives: wisdom

Proverbs Reading – Chapter 12

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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 12  

This chapter doesn’t have a titles but has some really great nuggets of wisdom for you.

Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.  Loving instruction is loving to learn and be taught.  Part of wanting to be taught is being willing to accept correction and to learn from the wisdom of others.  If you can’t take constructive criticism then you are dealing with pride.  Pride is NOT a character trait of Christ or God.

A good man obtains favor from the Lord, But a man of wicked intentions He will condemn.  Sometimes you will see wickedness bring success to some people and wonder how is God allowing that to happen.  Remember, we are given free will to choose good or bad.  The decision is ours.  But the successes we see are temporary. Dishonest people grow more and more dishonest. Evil behavior just turns to ore evil.  The Study Bible says, if you are not a success by God’s standards, you have not achieved true success.  A success that God will be pleased with.

The wicked are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous will stand.  There is  stability with God and with a righteous person.  The wicked will eventually have nothing.  That’s why we continue to hear that the righteous will last and the wicked work is temporary.

The world tells us that we should retaliate when someone talks about you, insults you, or embarrasses you; but that retaliation doesn’t solve anything.  It just encourages trouble.  Instead answer slowly and quietly.  Your positive response will bring about positive results.  We’ll read in the 15th chapter more about that.

Verse 19 says, the truthful lip shall be established forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.  You can’t go wrong with the truth.  The truth is God and He is not man, He doesn’t lie.  You can count on everything God says.  He will do what He says.  Truth will last forever.  Lying is a temporary fix.  It is but for a moment.

May sound crazy, but a modest person is noticed more than a person who shows off.  Again another scenario where the modest person is more lasting than a show off person.

Waste has become a way of life for those who have plenty. But waste is a sign of laziness and it is poor stewardship.  Make good use of everything God has given you.

Death is the end of life and for those who do not know God, they may be afraid of death.  Maybe because that is an unknown place and fear of leaving people behind or the pain we are expecting.  When you know the Lord, death is just another step, it is not final; it is the first step into eternity.

Proverbs Reading – Chapter 11

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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 11

I hope your reading the chapters with me.

“The day of wrath” refers to when we die or to the time when God settles accounts with all people.  On judgment day, each person will stand alone, accountable for all of his or her deeds.  At that time, no amount of riches will buy reconciliation with God.  Only our love for God and obedience to him will count. (Life Application Study Bible)

This chapter continues to speak about the consequences of the righteous and the wicked.  Whether you make a good choice or a bad choice…they both yield consequences.  There will be a reaction to your action.  Which team are you choosing to be on?

We were all given free will to make whatever decision we want.  But the Word of God tells us that those who choose to make God decisions will be rescued, reconciled, redeemed, restored, and covered by God.  God’s covering doesn’t stop life from happening to you, but you are not alone in it, you have someone and something to lean on, gain strength from and guidance.

Verse 14 is something I live by…”Where there is no counsel the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.”  I use the people God has put in my life.  I go to them, talk with them, get advice from them and direction.  I don’t pride myself in making decisions all by myself.  I know for me that is not helpful and my way of thinking is not always right.  I would rather have good solid advice to follow me than to have human wisdom that may only be a temporary fix.  One person’s perspective and understanding is severely limited. (not all the facts, blinded by bias, emotions or wrong impressions)  Develop the ability to make right decisions.

God neither sleeps nor slumbers.  He sees EVERYTHING!  What you miss seeing, God sees.  You will not go unpunished if you do wrong.  God will either deal with you here on earth or on judgment day.

Your words can hurt like weapons or they can build up like tools.  Sadly, most times people will use their words to destroy.  Most people have received more destructive comments than those that build up.  Let your words make a difference in someone’s life.  Uplift, comfort and encourage.

Proverbs Reading – Chapter 9

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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 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.

Proverbs Reading – Chapter 8

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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 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.

And please share in the comments.

Proverbs Reading – Chapter 7

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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 7    The title is The Crafty Harlot

Although the bible uses the female pronoun her and she and uses the word seductress to define the harlot.  I’d like to change it up a bit and say the harlot is a male.  Starting by repeating….

My daughter, keep my words, and treasure my commands within you…that they may keep you from the immoral man, from the seductor who flatters with his words.  He takes advantage of her, enticing her and seducing her.

In the actual chapter, the advice is directed toward young men to stay away and take heed, but the advice also goes for young women too.    The study notes state, ‘without aim or direction, an empty life is unstable, vulnerable with too many temptations.  I’ve often said in the parenting class I teach that we should not be ‘freestyling life’ which means going through life with no direction.   The best way to combat temptation is to make sure your life is full of God’s Word and wisdom.  Be able to identify the strategies of temptation and run away from it.  Don’t be full of yourself thinking you can over-power temptation.  You can’t.  God would not be giving us warning about it, if we could beat it with our own human wisdom.  We cannot.  At some point…temptation will win. And you’ll find yourself in situations and circumstance God did not call you too and that you now need help getting out of.  Don’t even put yourself in that position.

Avoid sexual sins.  As we read earlier…sexual sin is destructive.

1. Guard your mind – meaning what you watch or read…fantasies that stimulate the wrong desires.

2. Keep away from environments and friends that tempt you to sin.

3. Don’t think only for the moment – focus on the future.  What you do in this moment could affect your future.

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 5

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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 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.

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.

Proverbs Reading – Chapter 3

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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 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.

 

 

Proverbs Reading – Chapter 2

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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 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!