Wisdom’s Blessings!

Proverbs 3 lists several blessings Christians will receive when we trust and obey our Father in heaven. The first of these blessings is the true wealth the believer will receive when following Wisdom (vs.13-18). The true wealth of the believer cannot be bought because it isn’t materialistic items. True wealth is having happiness, hope, pleasantness and peace. These things can be guaranteed to the person that follows after wisdom.

Another blessing is being in harmony with God’s creation (vs.19-20). No, this isn’t the “New Age” doctrine of being “one” with “Mother Earth”. This blessing comes to those that are good stewards of His creation and will use His gifts for His glory. “The person who walks according to God’s wisdom can sing, “This is My Father’s World”, and really mean it” Wiersbe, Be Skillful!

A third blessing is the Father’s providential care (vs.21-26). When God directs our path, He will also protect our path. When you surrender wholly and completely to God you will be protected by Him. He will help you keep your eyes from wandering (vs.21), your neck from turning (vs. 22), your feet on the right path (vs. 23, 26), and your sleep sweet (vs. 24). I have heard many people say that the sweetness of your sleep depends in how much you trust in the Lord!

A final blessing will be having a positive relationship with others (vs. 27-35). When Christians walk with the wisdom God offers us, we will have the tools necessary to walk in harmony with our neighbors. We will be able to be generous to them (vs. 27) and show hospitality to them (vs. 28). Our lights will shine upon our neighbors so that they can see God and His love for them. God will bless the “home of the righteous” (vs.33). We will be salt and light and make a world of difference within the lives of the unsaved and be a powerful witness to the lost.

Memorize:“Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding” Proverbs 3:13.

Lord, bless those who search for You out of the abundance of Your riches. Bless those for faithfully gain prudence and understanding. Lord, bless us as we search for Your holy and perfect ways. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Wisdom’s Wonderful Assurances

Within chapters two, three and four of Proverbs you will be able to spot three assurances that wisdom gives to those that search for her. Chapter two assures us that wisdom will protect our path, in chapter three, wisdom will direct our path, and in chapter four, wisdom perfects our path.

Chapter two through four all begin with a warning to listen to God’s Word and take them to heart. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3: 5-6). The first nine verses of chapter two list eight commands for us to follow:

1. Receive (accept) God’s Word

2. Hide God’s Word in our hearts and mind (store them up)

3. Incline our ears so we can hear godly instruction

4. Apply our heart to understanding

5. Cry after knowledge

6. Lift up our voices for understanding

7. Seek for wisdom

8. Search for wisdom

To truly gain wisdom, you must listen to God attentively, obey His commands with a servant’s heart, ask Him sincerely and seek Him with all your being. You cannot obtain spiritual wisdom be haphazardly seeking it. Wisdom increases over a lifetime of diligently seeking it by digging deep into the Scriptures and prayer. By following God’s commands found in chapter 2 verses one through nine, the believer will be able to stay protected from the schemes of evil men. “He holds victory in store for the upright; he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones” Proverbs 2: 7-8).

Wisdom will also direct our path. The first condition that must be met in order to receive God’s guidance is that we learn God’s truth (vs. 1-4). The will of God for our lives is revealed within the Word of God and we must diligently study it and obey it. “In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverb 3:6). The word “trust” in verse before it means “to lie helpless, facedown”. If we don’t put our trust fully in Christ we will start to lean on our own understanding (the little we have) and will miss God’s perfect will for our lives. Yes, God gives us our brains and He intends for us to use it. However, God doesn’t want us to depend on our own wisdom and experiences of ourselves or others. He wants us to depend on Him. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD” (Isaiah 55:8-9). Another condition that must be met is we must share the first fruits of our labor (vs.9-10). If we do not live faithfully nor give faithfully unto the Lord then we do not fully trust the Lord. Our tithes and offering show evidence of our faith and obedience not a payment to receive blessings from God. The Christian is also to submit to God’s chastisements. “Because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son” (Hebrews 12:6). God will only chastise us in love and never to hurt or harm us.

Finally, Wisdom will perfect our path. “But the path of the just is like the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day” (4:18). God has a purpose for each of His children. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). Our path may not always be an easy one. There will be various trials and tribulations that we must face along the path but choosing to follow the path God has set before us will always be fulfilling. God perfects our path by “knowing God’s Word” (4:1-9), “trusting in God’s providence” (4: 10-19), and “obeying God’s will (4:20-27).

Memorize:
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” Proverbs 3: 5-6.

Dear Father I put my trust in You Lord. I put my hope in You. You alone can direct my paths, perfect my paths and keep me from evil. I devote myself today to learning Your ways and I pray You bless me with Your wisdom. Lord I will trust in You with all of my heart and lean not on my own understanding. In all my ways Lord I want to acknowledge You and only You.

Two roads; Which One Are You On?

I have been thinking recently about the movie “The Wizard of Oz”. Dorothy needs to go to Emerald City and meet with the wizard to find her way home. The munchkins break out in a chorus of “follow the yellow brick road.” The words “follow the yellow brick road” keep popping in my head. I can picture so perfectly Dorothy coming to the crossroads and both paths are paved with yellow bricks but the way she must travel isn’t marked and she must decide which path to follow. Many religions can be likened to these crossroads. They each claim to get you to heaven and they each mark out a different road to travel on. So which of these paths are right? Can they all do what they claim to do and give you your ticket into heaven?

“The only way to end up at the right destination is to choose the right road” Wiersbe, Be Skillful!

The Bible frequently pleads with us to choose the right path but our society says there are many paths. Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6). Jesus made it clear that there are only two paths: the pathway of destruction or the pathway of life. “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in there at: 14Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (Matthew 7:13-14).

Wisdom invites us to search for her and when we seek her we will find her. (Proverbs 2:3-5). We must seek the path of wisdom only for to do anything else would be foolish. In the KJV version “path” and “way” and their plurals are found over one hundred times. Wisdom is a path that leads to an everlasting life while Folly leads to destruction. While taking the narrow path that leads to life Wisdom will bless us with three wonderful assurances: 1) Wisdom will protect your path, 2) Wisdom will direct your path, and 3) Wisdom will perfect your path.

Every person in this world is on one of the two roads mentioned. Either he/she is on the narrow road that leads to life or he/she is on the wide road that leads to destruction. Other religions only offer a false hope. They cannot do what they claim to do. These other paths to ‘enlightenment” only steer people further and further into darkness. The people on these paths are headed to their destruction.

So I must ask now which road are you on? Examine your life; examine your heart. God said “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).

Memorize: “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13.

Dear Father in heaven I am eagerly searching for You. Open my eyes, my mind and my heart so I may truly see You for who You are and for who I am. I want to know You more. In your holy name I pray.

True Wealth!

Prosperity preaching is the trend nowadays. All over the television prosperity theology is being broadcast to viewers all over the world. The belief is poverty signifies some type of sin you have committed against God while wealth is an example of God’s blessing upon your life. Preachers beg for money and promise to ask God’s blessing on your life if you send in a certain amount of money. They also teach “"believers have a right to the blessings of health and wealth and that they can obtain these blessings through positive confessions of faith and the 'sowing of seeds' through the faithful payments of tithes and offerings." "A Statement on Prosperity Teaching". Christianity Today. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/article_print.html?id=86009.

True wealth, however, is not found in perishable riches. True wealth offered by God is blessings like prudence, knowledge and discretion. True wealth comes from fearing the Lord. It manifests itself as humility, godly speech, wise counsel, and understanding. True wealth guides the believer on life’s path with the strength to endure the journey. It is “running the race” in a pleasing way to God that honors and glorifies Him.

In Proverbs eight, Wisdom calls out to sinners offering them this true wealth. “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 4:7-8).  That is my plea for anyone who is reading this.  Verses six through nine teach us that we can rely on Wisdom because her words are “trustworthy”, “right”, “true”, “just”, and “upright”.  “Wisdom’s word are plain, spoken clearly and openly so that there can be no confusion” Wiersbe, Be Skillful!

Wisdom doesn’t promise to put money in the bank but instead urges us to seek eternal wealth rather than gold and silver. What true wealth has to offer us, worldly riches cannot compare to.  True wealth stems from being wise in the things of the Lord. Wisdom’s riches cannot be bought, no matter how rich you are.

How can we obtain these riches from the Lord? First of all, there must be repentance. We must turn from our wicked ways and turn towards Christ. We must put our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Without faith one cannot have this life-changing experience and cannot obtain the riches from the Lord’s blessings upon our lives. We can then secure this godly wealth by hearing the Word of God (attending a Bible believing church grounded in sound doctrine), receiving instruction from Wisdom (vs.10) by opening our Bibles and letting the words penetrate our hearts, souls and mind, seeking God’s wisdom daily. We must love truth and wisdom and once we have discovered it we must do our best to be obedient to it. We obtain these riches by mediating on the Word of God, worshiping Him, praying always seeking His will for our lives. Doing these things will give us the true wealth that we so desperately need and desire.

Once you have heard the truth you must make a decision. Will you bow your will to God’s will? Will you make Him Lord over your life? How people respond to God’s message is a matter of life or death. (vs. 35- 36).  Those who repent will find life. They may die a physical death but their souls will live forever with God. Those who refuse God’s call to repentance will die twice. They will not only die a physical death but will also experience a spiritual death where they will forever be separated from the Lord. You have heard the truth. What is your decision?

Memory verse:

 “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” Hebrews 4:7-8.

Dear Jesus, My prayer is that those reading this will not harden their hearts to the message but be obedient to the call of repentance. Lord I want everyone to experience true wealth. I want everyone to know what true wealth can offer them and the peace that comes from obtaining it. It is my desire today Lord that this message would touch just one lost soul…

Are You Hearing Voices?

The problem many Christians have today is that they cannot discern the voice of God. There is so much noise in the mind of the believer that they cannot hear the things they need to hear. This noise includes distractions, world views, vain desires, false doctrine, and our confidence within us. We fail to discern when God speaks, how God speaks, and if he is truly speaking. When seeking God’s will for our lives we should talk less and listen more.

Proverbs 1: 8-33 records three “voices” that we should pay close attention to. The first one is the voice of a godly father. He is encouraging his son to heed Wisdom and obey what he hears (vs.8). Godly parents desire to teach their children in the ways of the Lord. When parents are actively seeking to teach godly doctrine and teach their children about God, they will be blessed. Wisdom will become an “ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about the neck” (vs.9). Teaching the Bible to your children will help them discern God’s will for their lives. They will have the wisdom they need to hear from God and know that it is He that is speaking and not be led astray which leads us to the next “voice” found in this passage; the voice of temptation.

The voice of temptation can be found in verses eleven through fourteen. The temptations that the world offers people today will lead them away from the One True God. Temptations will lead people to lust after the ways of the world and seek the lusts of the flesh. These temptations sound exciting but only lead to disaster and the inability to hear the Master’s voice.

The third voice is the voice of salvation found in verses twenty through twenty-three. How does Wisdom speak here? She cries out (vs.20). Where does Wisdom speak? Wisdom speaks in the streets and public places (vs.20, 21). Wisdom doesn’t speak in secret places but cries out for all to hear and come to repentance. To whom does Wisdom speak? Wisdom speaks to sinners: the simple ones, the scorners, and the fools (vs.22). What does Wisdom say? In verse 22 Wisdom asks how long will they stay in their dangerous spiritual condition. Wisdom then invites them to turn from their wicked ways (vs.23). This is a call to repentance and faith in God. He actively seeks sinners to return to Him.

It is important for the believer to learn discernment. Are we hearing from the tempter Satan or are we hearing the very voice of God? We must weigh what we hear with the Word of God. Does it align itself with God’s Word? Will it bring us closer to Him or cause God’s judgment to fall upon us? Does it cause us to hate knowledge or embrace it (vs.29). Does it petition us to “fear the Lord” or to mock the Lord?

“Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near” Isaiah 55:6. Christians should seek truth and knowledge always. We should “Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good." Rom 12:9. We do this by listening to the voice of Wisdom, the voice of God. We must mute out the voices of temptations and finely tune in to God’s voice so we may seek and do His perfect will for our lives.

Memory Verse:
“Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call ye upon him while he is near” Isaiah 55:6.

Dear Father, I seek you today with all of my heart, all of my mind, all of my soul and all of my strength. I pray that I will search out Your will and Your ways for my life always. I pray that I will not listen to the evil voices of this world but be able to hear only Your sweet voice speaking to me. I pray that others will seek out Your voice as well and listen to the voice of Truth.

Making a Life!

Christians need to make a life that will glorify Christ. It isn’t about how long we live but how we live. As God’s children, we need His loving counsel and He provides that loving counsel all throughout the book of Proverbs. In order to effectually live life, you must first, have life. Profound statement isn’t it? One must be a born-again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. You must honestly be able to claim God as your Father. He must be your “Abba”. Unless you are spiritually prepared, diligent, disciplined and obedient to what God says, you will not see much of a change in your life. Once you have been born again you are now ready to hear from the Lord and heed His words of wisdom.

“The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction” Proverbs 1:1-7.

The key verse in this passage is verse seven: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Fear.

When I think of the word fear I think of someone who is afraid and scared. I think of things that I fear like snakes, spiders and insects. But the word fear here does not mean to be afraid. It means to reverence or have high regard for. There are at least eighteen references throughout the book of Proverbs to “fear the Lord”. When we acknowledge from our heart that He is Lord, He is Creator, He is the Father, and He is the Master, we are showing respect for God and who He is! The six verses preceding verse seven explains in detail why Proverbs were written: to give us wisdom, instructions, understanding, subtlety, knowledge, discretion, learning and counsel.

Wisdom and folly want to control our lives. We must choose which path to take. To take the correct path, we must be committed to God because no one can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). Christians cannot straddle the fence. We must choose: faith or unbelief, obedience or disobedience, wisdom or folly.

We will find throughout this study that the proverbs listed are brief and pictorial so that they can be quickly memorized. Once these proverbs are committed to memory we will have at our disposal the wisdom we need in making the right decision. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says it best: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” We will find no less in the book of Proverbs.

My prayer is that you and I will grow spiritually and the Lord is glorified through the choices we make from day to day. I pray that we will grow in wisdom together and seek godly counsel always.

Memorize: Proverbs 1:7
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction” Proverbs 1:7.

Dear Father, Help me to meditate and apply each principle in this wonderful magnificent book that You inspired King Solomon to write. Help me to hide Your words in my heart so I may not sin against you but glorify Your holy and precious name. Amen.

April’s Abundance!

Throughout the month of April we will be studying the book of Proverbs. I have titled this month: Abundance of Alleluias in April. I want to tap into God’s guidebook for personal fulfillment and have a thankful heart while doing so! I believe we as Christians do not always show our appreciation to the Creator for everything he has given us and I want that to stop because a grateful heart is a thankful heart!  I hope you too will join me in my quest for a fulfilled life as we study and apply what the book of Proverbs has in store for us!

The book of Proverbs is about godly wisdom; how to get it and how to use it. It’s about priorities and principles, practical skills and making a life for yourself so you can live an abundant, fulfilled life. I don’t know about you, but I want my life to be a success! Come and join me in this quest and keep your Bibles handy!