A Proverb a Day Keeps the Foolishness Away #7

Proverbs 7: 

My son, keep my words
    and treasure up my commandments with you;
2 keep my commandments and live;
    keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;
3 bind them on your fingers;
    write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
    and call insight your intimate friend.

These opening verses set the stage for what our perspective needs to be on the Wisdom found in the Word of God. We should treat it is treasure, the apple of our eye, something we want to remember, written in our heart, a close family member and friend.  Solomon goes on throughout the rest of the chapter warning us what will happen if we do not: we will slowly get off the path and be sucked into temptation.

Questions: How do you feel about Scripture? Do you highly value its place in your life? Do you want to live by it? Have you been ignoring it, neglecting it, forgetting it? Are you falling for and into temptation?

A Proverb a Day Keeps the Foolishness Away #6

Proverbs 6: 

12 A worthless person, a wicked man,
    goes about with crooked speech,
13 winks with his eyes, signals with his feet,
    points with his finger,
14 with perverted heart devises evil,
    continually sowing discord; 

15 therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly;

    in a moment he will be broken beyond healing.

This chapter is home to that classic passage "Seven Things God Hates", but right before that is this paragraph.  The fool destroys relationships by twisting the truth, telling one person one thing, while winking to another person that he is really lying, using all sorts of gestures to make false accusations against others, coming up with plans to make others look bad and himself look good. He does everything in his ability to control the situation by turning people on one another.  Sometimes it seems like these people get away with it, but ultimately, suddenly, it will catch up to them. Let's be wise enough to value relationships and not destroy them.

Questions: Have I in some way caused strife between others, sowing the seeds of discord? Have I told half-truths to get my way?  Have I made accusations that are not try, destroying someone's trust in me?

A Proverb a Day... #5

Proverbs 5

 My son, be attentive to my wisdom;
    incline your ear to my understanding,
2 that you may keep discretion,
    and your lips may guard knowledge.
3 For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey,
    and her speech is smoother than oil,
4 but in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
    sharp as a two-edged sword.

Throughout this chapter Solomon goes on to repeat this call to marital fidelity: to watch his lips and who they kiss.  The key word is discretion, prudence, the ability to look around and see the big picture and the consequences of one's actions.  Unfaithfulness to one's spouse often flows over into other areas on one's life, where he or she is not dependable or does not hold to high moral standards. It will come back to stab you in the back, or the heart, but also have devastating effects on those around you.

Questions: Does treatment of your spouse show discretion. Have you been faithful to God and others with your thoughts, eyes and actions. Has your lack of faithfulness in this area flowed over into other areas of your life? 

A Proverb a Day Keeps the Foolishness Away #4

Proverbs 4:

 Hear, O sons, a father's instruction,
    and be attentive, that you may gain insight,
2 for I give you good precepts;
    do not forsake my teaching.
3 When I was a son with my father,
    tender, the only one in the sight of my mother,
4 he taught me and said to me,
“Let your heart hold fast my words;
    keep my commandments, and live.

Wisdom cannot be inherited, but it must be passed on.  Solomon's father David had sought to pour into his son wisdom and understanding, but it was not automatic that it would sink in.  We all have a choice as to whether we will receive it or not.  The rest of the chapter implores us to fully embrace wisdom and not let her go, because if we don't we can really mess up our lives.  And if we fail to pass wisdom on, we can mess up the lives of those whom we influence.  

A Proverb a Day... #3

 

Today we want to take a fresh look at that well-known proverb in chapter 3:

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

    and do not lean on your own understanding.

As we said yesterday, life is a path, and there are so many distractions, directions and decisions that can take us off that path, that can lead our hearts astray. Later on in the chapter Solomon talks about going after silver, gold, and jewels. (v.14,15) A wise person develops trust in God to avoid such disasters. We really do easily fall into that trap that we believe we always know best. It began with Eve and Adam.  

Questions: Do I have a heart that really trusts God's heart? Do I believe He knows what is best for me? Then, can others trust in my heart? Can they look to me to help them see God's path like Solomon did his son? 

A Proverb a Day (keeps the foolishness away).

 

Proverbs 2:6 For the Lord gives wisdom;

    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;

7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;

    he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,

8 guarding the paths of justice

    and watching over the way of his saints.

Often in life we get ourselves into trouble not because we have gotten off the path. This chapter is especially full of words about the path, the way, the course.(watch for these throughout the Proverbs.)   This path has been laid out before us, so it is more about staying on course than it is changes in direction.  When we know and stay on the path, we will know what direction to turn when we must.

Questions: Do I ask God for wisdom and direction only when I have a major decision, or do I ask Him to show me the path? Do I find myself taking sudden changes when the path gets rough, getting myself way off course? Do I see God developing within me deeper discernment for when I must decide?

A Proverb a Day... Keeps the Foolishness Away #1

 

Today, we begin a new month and a new series of studies in Proverbs. Each day I will focus in on one verse from that day's chapter of Proverbs - 31 chapters in 31 days.  I would encourage you not only to think about that one verse, but read the whole chapter to see what one God point's out to you.
Today's verse is Proverbs 1:7: The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

This verse, of course, sets the tone not only for the chapter, but the whole book. I once heard that the fear of the Lord is "worshipful submission to God from a believing heart." Eighteen times in Proverbs we are told how necessary the fear of the Lord is to life. It means holding Him higher than anyone or anything, respecting His Word enough to actually listen and live by it, and being responsive, not scoffing at Him.

Questions: Does my worship demonstrate that I know God is in charge? Do I seek His Word for direction in my decisions and relationships? Do I find myself drawn to His wisdom, or going through life ignoring it?