Archive for the ‘Proverbs’ Category


Under Gods Command
Proverbs 3:21  My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight. 
 
What is the difference between sound judgment and discernment? Discernment (or discretion) is the ability God gives to many people to think and make correct choices.  Sound judgment, however, he gives only to those who follow him.  Sound judgment includes discernment, but goes beyond it.  It also includes the knowledge that comes from instruction, training, and discipline, and the insight that results from knowing and applying God’s truths.


Under Gods Command

 Proverbs 2:11  Discretion will protect you and understanding will guard you. 

 Discretion is the ability to tell right from wrong.  It enables the believer to detect evil motives in men and women.  With practice it helps us evaluate courses of action and consequences.  For some it is a gift; for most it is developed by using God’s truth to make wise choices day by day.  Hebrews 5:14 emphasizes that we must train ourselves in order to have discretion.


Under Gods Command
 (Warning Against Enticement)
 
Sin is enticing because it offers a quick route to property and makes us feel like one of the crowd.  But when we go along with others and refuse to listen to the truth, our own appetites become our masters, and we’ll do anything to satisfy them.  Sin, even when attractive, is deadly.  We must learn to make choices, not on the basis of flashy appeal or short-range pleasure, but in view of the long-range effects.  Sometimes this means steering clear of people who want to entice us into activities that we know is wrong.  We can’t be friendly with sin and expect our lives to remain unaffected.

Proverbs 1:10-19 (10):  My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them.  (11): If they say, “Come along with us; lets lie in wait for someone’s blood, let’s waylay some harmless soul;  (12): Lets swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit; (13): we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder; (14): throw in your lot with us, and we will share a common purse  (15): my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths; (16): for their feet rush into sin, they are swift to shed blood.  (17): How useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds! (18): These men lie in wait for their own blood; they waylay only themselves!  (19) Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it. 


Under Gods Command
Samson
Judges 13:1 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, so the LORD delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.  

God was fed up with his people.  He was so disgusted with their disobedience that he decided to hand them over to the Philistines.  The idea was that the crack of a whip across their backs might help them see the error of their ways.  But it didn’t work.  Not only did they accept slavery as a way of life, their lack of repentance suggests that they actually grew content with it.  This suffering was not caused by God, but resulted from the fact that the people ignored God, their Judge and Ruler.  That they didn’t cry out to God is amazing, but not half as amazing as the fact that God decided to deliver them anyway.  In what could only be described as phenomenal act of grace, God decided to rise up a strong man to lead His unrepentant people out of bondage.  That man was Samson.

Lets bring it home: What will it take for us to follow God?  The warnings in God’s World are clear: if we continue to harden our hearts against God, we can expect the same fate as Israel.


Under Gods Command

Proverbs 31:4-7 It is not for Kings, O Lemuel-not for Kings to drink win, not for rulers to crave beer, lest they drink and forget what the law decrees, and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.  Give beer to those who are perishing, wine to those who are in anguish; let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.

Drunkenness might be understandable among dying people in great pain, but it is inexcusable for national leaders.  Alcohol clouds the mind and can lead to injustice and poor decisions.  Leaders have better things to do than destroy themselves with alcohol.

We are told that every day in Washington there are many cocktail parties for our government officials.  Republicans and Democrats both have this in common-the party membership doesn’t make any difference.  It is tragic to have drinking men in high potions of government!


Under Gods Command

Proverbs 26:7 – Like a lame man’s legs that hang limp is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. 

Some people are so dulled that they won’t sense the wisdom even if they memorize these proverbs.  A mindlessly quoted proverb proves as useless as a paralyzed body part.  Only those who want to be wise have the receptive attitude needed to make the most of these wise words.  If we want to learn from God, he will respond and pour out this heart to us.


Under Gods Command

Proverbs 25:6-7 Do not exalt yourself in the King’s presence and do not claim a place among great men, (7) it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,” than for him to humiliate you before a nobleman. 

Jesus made this proverb into a parable (Read Luke 14:7-11).  We should not seek honor for ourselves.  It is better to quietly and faithfully accomplish the work God has given us to do.  As others notice the quality of our lives, then they will draw attention to us.


Under Gods Command

Proverbs 24:10 If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength. 

Times of trouble can be useful.  They can show you who you really are, what kind of character you have developed.  In addition, they can help you grow stronger.  When Jeremiah questioned God because of the trouble he faced, God asked how he ever expected to face big challenges if the little ones tired him out (Jeremiah 12:5).  Don’t complain about your problems.   The trouble you face today is training you to be strong for the more difficult situations you will face in the future.


Under Gods Command

Proverbs 23:13,14 – Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die.  Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death. 

The stern tone of discipline here is offset by the affection expressed in verse 15.  However, many parents are reluctant to discipline their children at all.  Some fear they will forfeit their relationship, that their children will resent them, or that they will stifle their children’s development.  But correction won’t kill children, and it may prevent them from foolish moves that will.


Under Gods Command

Proverbs 19:20 Listen to advice and accept instruction and in the end you will be wise. 

Are you wiser today than last year? Than ten years ago? These are important questions to answer. How wise will you be later in life? A godly person will greatly desire to grow in wisdom. And the way to increase wisdom is easy – you need to hear the counsel of wise people and accept their teaching. You need to appreciate and apply instruction from others.

Today is your opportunity to change your latter end. Will you be an older wise man or women, sought by family and others for wise advice? Or will you be an old fool, more a burden than a blessing? What you do today determines what you are tomorrow! You are not too young, and you are not too old. Consider your latter end, and receive instruction today!