Archive for the ‘protection’ Category

Proverbs 02:08 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: April 2, 2015 in faithful ones, protection, Proverbs 02
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Under Gods Command 

Proverbs 2:8 For he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.

Heaven rewards wise men. God blesses and favors those who diligently seek knowledge and understanding. Such men are known for their good judgment and sanctified living, because these are two benefits of wisdom, and then the Lord of wisdom further rewards them. There is pleasure and prosperity for you for doing things right (Ps 19:10-11).

The LORD Jehovah is the source of all wisdom, protection, and blessing. When a man chooses equity and justice as his paths in life, the Creator God will prosper and protect him. When a man chooses holy living as his way of life, the same God will preserve and provide for him. There are certain rewards for seeking wisdom. Thank you, blessed God.

Solomon exhorted his son to the passionate pursuit of wisdom and understanding, and he promised that he would obtain the goal (Pr 2:1-5). He then explained the LORD gives wisdom, knowledge, and understanding (Pr 2:6), the LORD protects those that walk uprightly (Pr 2:7), and the LORD keeps and preserves the lives of believers (Pr 2:8). By pursuing wisdom with all his might, his son would realize every related blessing (Pr 2:9).

Context is important to understand words and phrases, especially in Scripture. Most of Solomon’s proverbs are individual observations about life and rules for success, so context is less important in Proverbs than other books of the Bible. But in this connected section, you have the pursuit of wisdom (Pr 2:1-4) and the obtaining of it (Pr 2:5-9).

Not only is the true God the source of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding (Pr 2:6), He is the benefactor and defender of those who seek Him and His wisdom (Pr 2:7-8). It is this glorious combination of blessings and rewards that completely supplies the righteous with all they need and desire (Pr 2:9). He will keep them and preserve them (Pr 2:8).

Consider the first clause, “He keepeth the paths of judgment.” A man pursuing wisdom walks in the paths of judgment, for he is fair, just, right, and equitable. He does not make decisions by appearance, but carefully assesses situations to draw righteous and wise conclusions (Pr 17:15; 24:23; Deut 1:16-17; 16:18-29; Is 11:1-5; John 7:24; Eph 5:15).

God promises to keep the man that walks in righteous paths, and He will keep him in the righteous paths. God will bless and protect him in life, for He is the God of righteous judgment, and He loves those who love His wisdom and righteousness. He will bless him with divine power to partake of divine traits and avoid worldly corruption (II Pet 1:1-4).

This first clause has an ellipsis, which is a figure of speech leaving out obvious words. God Himself keeps to paths of judgment, and He endorses and honors the paths of judgment themselves (Deut 32:4; I Sam 2:3; Ps 99:4; Is 42:1-4). But the context emphasizes that God keeps persons who walk in judgment, for it is the righteous (Pr 2:7), upright (Pr 2:7), and saints (Pr 2:8) under consideration that He keeps by this proverb.

The clause is elliptical, in that it could easily read that He keeps the paths of judgment for the righteous, for them that walk uprightly, or of his saints. The point is that He keeps righteous men more than that He keeps righteousness. God blesses and protects those who walk in paths of good and godly judgment, and He helps keep them in those paths.

Consider the second clause, “And preserveth the way of his saints.” A saint is a sanctified person, a holy person consecrated to God. The men in context are those pursuing God’s wisdom and knowledge (Pr 2:1-5). This includes the fear of the Lord, which is reverence for His purity and hatred of all sin (Pr 2:5; 8:13; 16:6; Ps 97:10; 119:104; Amos 5:15).

The great God promises to preserve the way of such men, for they are the delight of His soul (Deut 33:3,26-29; Ps 34:11-22; 37:23-24). He will prosper and protect them in their godly lifestyle, and He will assist them to persevere in it as well. These men are greatly blessed in many different ways by living careful lives to please God (Ps 112:1-10).

What is the lesson for you? The dedicated and diligent pursuit of God’s wisdom will be successful. But it will also bring His blessing and protection on your life, which will not be given to those neglecting God’s wisdom. Does your life match the descriptive statements of what the person does that is committed to obtaining wisdom (Pr 2:1-5)?

Have you committed yourself to seeking the knowledge and wisdom that only comes from God and His word? If you have, you may confidently claim the promised blessings here, for they were written for you by God’s inspiration through Solomon’s pen.

Book of Ruth (Introduction)

Posted: March 10, 2015 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Faithfulness, Inspiration, integrity, kindness, Personal Growth, protection, Ruth, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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RUTH

WHEN someone says, “Let me tell you about my mother-in-law,” we expect some kind of negative statement or funny anecdote. That’s because the mother-in-law caricature has often been used in humor and comedy. The book of Ruth, however, tells a different story. Ruth loved her mother-in-law, Naomi. Recently widowed, Ruth begged to stay with Naomi wherever she went, even though it would mean leaving her homeland. She ended her plea with, “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God” (1:16). Naomi agreed, and Ruth traveled with her to Bethlehem.     Not much is said about Naomi except that she loved and cared for Ruth. Obviously, Naomi’s life was a

powerful witness to the reality of God. Ruth was drawn to her—and to the God she worshiped. In the succeeding months, God led this young Moabite widow to a man named Boaz, whom she eventually married. As a result, she became the great-grandmother of David and an ancestor in the line of the Messiah. What a profound impact Naomi’s life made!     The book of Ruth is also the story of God’s grace in the midst of difficult circumstances. Ruth’s story occurred during the time of the judges—a period of disobedience, idolatry, and violence. Even in times of crisis and deepest despair, there are those who follow God and through whom God works. No matter how discouraging or antagonistic the world may seem, there are always people who follow God. He will use anyone who is open to him to achieve his purposes. Ruth was a Moabite, and Boaz was a descendant of Rahab, a former prostitute from Jericho. Nevertheless, their offspring continued the family line through which the Messiah came into our world.     Read this book and be encouraged. God is at work in the world, and he wants to use you. God could use you, as he used Naomi, to bring family and friends to him.
KEY VERSE: “But Ruth replied, ‘Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God’” (1:16).
KEY PLACES: Moab, Bethlehem
When we first meet Ruth, she is a destitute widow. We follow her as she joins God’s people, gleans in the grain fields, and risks her honor at the threshing floor of Boaz. In the end, we see Ruth becoming the wife of Boaz. What a picture of how we come to faith in Christ. We begin with no hope and are rebellious foreigners with no part in the kingdom of God. Then as we risk everything by putting our faith in Christ, God saves us, forgives us, rebuilds our lives, and gives us blessings that will last through eternity. Boaz’s redeeming of Ruth is a picture of Christ redeeming us.

EXPLANATION: Ruth’s faithfulness to Naomi as a daughter-in-law and friend is a great example of love and loyalty. Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz are also faithful to God and his laws. Throughout the story we see God’s faithfulness to his people.

IMPORTANCE: Ruth’s life was guided by faithfulness toward God and showed itself in loyalty toward the people she knew. To be loyal and loving in relationships, we must imitate God’s faithfulness in our relationships with others.

Kindness

EXPLANATION: Ruth showed great kindness to Naomi. In turn, Boaz showed kindness to Ruth—a despised Moabite woman with no money. God showed his kindness to Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz by bringing them together for his purposes.

IMPORTANCE: Just as Boaz showed his kindness by buying back land to guarantee Ruth and Naomi’s inheritance, so Christ showed his kindness by dying for us to guarantee our eternal life. God’s kindness should motivate us to love and honor him.

Integrity

EXPLANATION: Ruth showed high moral character by being loyal to Naomi, by her clean break from her former land and customs, and by her hard work in the fields

IMPORTANCE: When we have experienced God’s faithfulness and kindness, we should respond by showing integrity. Just as the values by which Ruth and Boaz lived were in sharp contrast to those of the culture portrayed in the book of Judges, so our lives should stand out from the world around us.

Protection

EXPLANATION: We see God’s care and protection over the lives of Naomi and Ruth. His supreme control over circumstances brings them safety and security. He guides the minds and activities of people to fulfill his purposes.

IMPORTANCE: No matter how devastating our present situation may be, our hope is in God. His resources are infinite. We must believe that he can work in the life of any person—whether that person is a king or a stranger in a foreign land. Trust his protection.

Prosperity/Blessing

EXPLANATION: Ruth and Naomi came to Bethlehem as poor widows, but they soon became prosperous through Ruth’s marriage to Boaz. Ruth became the great-grandmother of King David. Yet the greatest blessing was not the money, the marriage, or the child; it was the quality of love and respect between Ruth, Boaz, and Naomi.

IMPORTANCE: We tend to think of blessings in terms of prosperity rather than the high-quality relationships God makes possible for us. No matter what our economic situation, we can love and respect the people God has brought into our lives. In so doing, we give and receive blessings. Love is the greatest blessing.