Posts Tagged ‘god’

Proverbs 17:17 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: January 17, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 17, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

 Proverbs 17:17 – A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.     

What kind of friend are you? There is a vast difference between knowing someone well and being a true friend.  The greatest evidence of genuine friendship is loyalty, being available to help in times of distress or personal struggles. Too many people are fair-weather friends.  They stick around when the friendship helps them and leave when they’re not getting anything out of the relationship. Think of your friends and assess your loyalty to them.  Be the kind of true friend the Bible encourages.

Proverbs 15:10 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: January 15, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 15, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

Proverbs 15:10 Stern discipline awaits him who leaves the path; he who hates correction will die.    

Prove the character of your soul! Can you take correction? Can you take it gladly? Do you appreciate reproof (Criticism)? Do you appreciate the reprover? Your attitude toward correction and reproof says more about your heart than any other measure. Fools and scorners hate correction and reproof, but both are going to die in their folly.

You arrived in this world ignorant and depraved. Your heart was dead to God and righteousness, and it was alive to rebellion and sin. You were given parents, who corrected your childish antics and prepared you to survive life. They reproved your youthful folly. If you rebelled against them, then they and a harsh world punished you.

If God has graciously changed your heart, the only way you can learn the way of righteousness is by correction and reproof. You need teachers to rebuke your folly and direct you to wisdom. God has chosen to do this primarily by parents and preachers. It is by warnings and instruction from the Word of God that you are prepared for success.

Your evil heart does not like to be corrected. You resent being reproved. You do not like to be told you are wrong and need to change. You want to keep your sins. You hate those who examine and condemn your conduct. But these are the very means by which you acquire wisdom and are saved from life’s pitfalls! Why do you resent what was ordained for your blessing and salvation? Because your depraved heart loves its own folly!

Two rules are taught in this proverb. First, if you dislike correction, it proves you have forsaken the way of righteousness and wisdom. A man seeking knowledge and truth does not have such a rebellious spirit. Second, if you hate reproof, you will die. Ignorance will trap you, and rebellion will condemn you. Folly and sin will certainly destroy you.

How do ignorant men obtain truth and wisdom? Obviously, they need warnings and rebuke. If you resent these means for obtaining wisdom, then you are going to die in your stupidity and stubbornness. The snares of wicked men will deceive you; the various authorities in life will condemn you; and the blessed God of heaven will destroy you.

Examine your heart! Do you love correction and reproof? Do you love the parents and pastors who correct and reprove you? This is the measure of your character and wisdom. If you have a problem with being told you are wrong or resenting those who rebuke you, humble yourself before God and beg for His mercy before it is too late. Death is coming!

Proverbs 10:12 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: January 10, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 10, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

Proverbs 10:12 – Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs,    

1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Carrying around hatred will just make you hate more, and add to issues.  The next time someone close to you does something to angry you.  Starts focusing on the love you have for that person, and let the Holy Sprit do the rest.  After a while, you should start forgetting about the sin that was done, and on the love you have for that person.

Proverbs 08:05 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: January 8, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 08, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

Proverbs 8:05 – You who are simple, gain prudence; you who are foolish, gain understanding. 

Are people willing to take the position to admit that they are not adequate, to say I am a sinner and that I really don’t have intellectual problems?  Sometimes I think it is a joke to listen to folk with “intellectual” problems. How many times do we hear people say, “I have intellectual problems about the Bible?”  What they really have is a sin problem, and he didn’t want to give up his sin.  I have discovered that if a person has a sin problem and will turn to Christ with that problem, it is amazing how often the intellectual problems will be solved.

 

Proverbs 4:5-7 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: January 4, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 04, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

Proverbs 4:5-7  Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them.  Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; lover her, and she will watch over you.  Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.  Though it cost all you have, get understanding.  

If you want wisdom, you must decide to go after it.  This will take resolve-a determination not to abandon the search once you begin no matter how difficult the road may become. This is not a once-in-a-lifetime step, but a daily process of choosing between two paths-the wicked (Proverbs 4:14-17, 19) and the righteous (Proverbs 4:18).  Nothing else is more important or more valuable.

Proverbs 19:26 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: December 19, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 19, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

Proverbs 19:26  He who robs his father and drives out his mother is a son who brings shame and disgrace. 

Child! The great God will make you pay for the pain and shame your folly has cost your parents. Your ungrateful treatment of them will come down on your own head. Get ready for it. Your return of evil for their kindness and love has the God of parents sending His hungry ravens and young eagles in your direction (Pr 20:20; 30:17). They see you now!

Child! Your parents gave you life. They fed, clothed, and protected you. Your father delighted in you and saved for your future; your mother doted on you and pampered you. And now you despise them by word and deed. You waste their time and assets. You have no time for the woman who loves you most. Your wickedness has come up to heaven!

This proverb is only an observation, unless you find its hidden lesson. Proverbs are dark sayings, not sound bites (Pr 1:6). If we weigh the pain this wicked child caused his parents, we should see the fire of divine justice burning against him. If God’s words, “Be sure your sin will find you out,” are true in general, they are certainly true in this case!

A son wastes his father by spending his money in riotous living (Pr 28:7,24; 29:3; Luke 15:13). He also wastes his spirit, burdens his heart, harms his health, and sends him to the grave with sorrow (Gen 44:29). This grief is a calamity to a father (Pr 17:21,25; 19:13). What should have been for his glory and success becomes the source of his latter pain.

He chases away his mother by ignoring her warnings, fighting in her home, chasing whores, living a life she cannot abide, and alienating her affection (Pr 10:1; 17:25). In the end, when he has spent all, or whether he has much, he denies her desires and needs. How can a mother’s tenderness be repaid by such cold and crushing cruelty?

Such a son brings shame and reproach on his father, his mother, his siblings, the family name, and upon himself. But he is so in love with himself that he does not care. He tramples all under foot without regard for the feelings of his own flesh and blood or the opinions of God and men. These rebels deserve all that God shall bring upon them.

Child! Tremble before this proverb and its words. God is not mocked! Whatever you sow, you shall reap (Gal 6:7). If God ordained death for disrespectful speech or looks (Pr 20:20; 30:17; Deut 27:16), how great is His fury for these actions? If He required capital punishment for cursing or hitting, what will He do to this brute (Ex 21:15)? If honoring parents brings long life, what will the base violence of this wretch deserve (Eph 6:2-3)?

Child! Mistreating those who have loved and cared for you the most is an aggravated and perverse sin and exceedingly wicked in God’s sight. Your pride and selfishness are so great that you are without natural affection (Rom 1:30-31). You have altogether denied the Christian religion, and you are worse than an infidel (I Tim 5:8).

Child! Humble yourself now. Repent for your rebellion and self-will. Beg God and your parents for mercy. It is never too late, if you can still feel even a little conviction in your conscience about your folly. Break off your sins by righteousness and show some mercy to your parents, for it may be a lengthening of your tranquility (Dan 4:27).

Parent of a fool! Take comfort. There are no perfect parents, and the great God never justifies a child’s wickedness by parental faults or failures. He is the God of parents, and as a heavenly Father, He will remember every bit of your investment and pain for comfort here and hereafter. Beg Him for wisdom in light of your troubles (Jas 1:2-5).

Reader, how well do you honor your heavenly Father? Have you wasted any of the precious grace He has bestowed on you (II Cor 6:1; Heb 12:15)? Have you brought any shame or reproach on His glorious name (Ezek 20:39; I Tim 6:1)? Are you living like a child of God, bringing delight to your Father (Matt 5:43-48; II Cor 6:14-18; Eph 5:1)?


Proverbs 29:11 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: November 29, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

Proverbs 29:11- A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.

You do not have to say everything right now. Slow down! There is a time to hold back speech to yourself – there is a time to talk and tell all. Wise men know what to do before speaking and when to speak, but fools spill everything without preparation or thought.

Fools talk a lot. They cannot keep their mouths shut. Any little thought, no matter how frivolous, no matter how unstudied, no matter how inappropriate, has to come rushing out. But a wise man speaks carefully. He does not speak hastily, or without study, or offer opinions as truth. He rules his mouth to choose wise words and wait for the right timing.

A talker is a fool. If he talks arrogantly, hastily, or loudly, he has confirmed his folly even more. A fool loves the sound of his own voice, and he thinks others should love it also. He thinks he has wisdom to share, and he thinks others are blessed to hear him. So he gets angry when he is eventually isolated due to his ignorant and obnoxious speech.

Solomon said there is a time for everything: “A time to keep silence, and a time to speak” (Eccl 3:7). But knowing the right time requires discretion and prudence, two branches of wisdom the fool has never considered. As long as he has air to breathe (and a full belly helps), he will vent his pea-sized brain through his lips (Pr 30:22; Eccl 10:12-14).

If a fool could keep his mouth shut, he might be thought wise (Pr 17:27-28). But he cannot do it, for he has never held back words in his life: he has no will nor power to do so. He must pour out foolish ideas in the hope of satisfying his agitated conceit, but it will never happen; when he runs out of things to say, he keeps talking anyway (Pr 15:2).

There is nothing virtuous about being “outspoken.” It is merely another word for a fool! It would be much better to keep those words in and let them dissolve in the bile of your liver and go into the draught. It would be much better to ask the Lord to set a watch before your mouth and to keep the door of your lips (Ps 141:3). Do not speak out!

Many things – idle words, filthiness, foolish talking, jesting, backbiting, talebearing, and slander – should not be spoken (Pr 10:18; 11:13; 25:23; Matt 12:36; Eph 5:3-5). And many words raise the probability of sin (Pr 10:19; Eccl 5:3). How much damage and pain could have been avoided by restraining your words (Pr 12:18)? Therefore, the fewer, and more carefully chosen, and more slowly spoken, are your words, the better (Jas 1:19)!

A fool’s wrath is quickly known, for he cannot keep his angry words in (Pr 12:16). A fool pours out unstudied nonsense, and worse yet, his personal opinions; but a righteous man studies before answering anything (Pr 12:23; 13:16; 15:28). A fool shows his folly and shame by answering a matter even before hearing it fully presented (Pr 18:13). He cannot rule his spirit, and thus proves himself a failure and loser among men (Pr 16:32; 25:28).

Wise men restrain their speech (Pr 17:27-28). They study before answering (Pr 15:28). They are slow to speak (Jas 1:19). They choose their words carefully and wait for the right time to say them (Pr 15:23; 24:26; 25:11). Discretion and prudence are the guardians of wisdom – they restrain words and actions until you grasp a situation clearly and can wisely choose a godly response (Pr 12:23; 13:16; 14:8; 16:21; 19:11; 22:3).

Wise men keep words in “till afterwards”! After what? After they let passion dissipate and can speak prudently (Pr 19:11; Jas 1:19). After they apply Scripture to the situation and find the godly, charitable response (Ps 119:11; I Cor 13:4-7). After they have studied for an answer with the certain words of truth (Pr 15:28; 22:17-21). After they have sanctified the Lord God in their hearts (I Pet 3:15). After they have heard a matter in its entirety, and someone has sincerely asked for their response (Pr 18:13; 25:6-7).

Samson uttered all his heart, and it cost him greatly; he could not resist the provocation of Delilah to open up and spill the beans (Judges 16:17). Yet Abigail, a beautiful woman of good understanding, waited for the right time to give her husband some bad news (I Sam 25:36). The Lord told Samuel to answer Saul only part of his mind (I Sam 16:1-3); and when in court, Paul declared only part of his relationship to the Pharisees (Acts 23:6).

Christians, to be wise and avoid folly, are to be circumspect in their conduct – inspecting all the circumstances in every direction (Eph 5:15). Their words are to be predominantly gracious, with only a seasoning of salt; and the purpose is always to be edifying (Eph 4:29; Col 4:6). Can you keep from uttering all your mind today? Can you wait until you have the right words and the right opportunity to say them? Help, O Lord.

 

Proverbs 26:4-5 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: November 29, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Proverbs 26:4-5

Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself.  Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.

It is wrong to debate with fools. They do not deserve knowledge or truth. Wisdom is too precious to waste on them. Wise men have better uses of their time. And arguing is a fleshly lust. For these reasons, it is a sin to debate with men who do not clearly display godly wisdom and righteousness. By doing so, you descend to their profane level.

You should say enough to shut their mouths, but anything more is folly and sin (Proverbs 26:5)). They deserve no honor (26:1) and only a beating will truly help them (26:3). To keep them from thinking they are right, it is proper to briefly refute their idiotic notions. Truth does not back down from any, but it has no obligation to waste its time on any, either!

Jesus plainly confirmed Solomon by teaching, “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you” (Matt 7:6). Jesus often rebuked the Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, lawyers, and scribes of His day, but He avoided any foolish wrangling with them.

If you debate truth with a fool, he will first despise the wisdom of your words and ridicule the precious things you tell him (23:9)). You will degrade the truth by letting him mock and reproach it. He will then twist your words and use them against you, because his heart is black with hate and violence (Ish 29 20:21) Leave him alone, and let him rot!

Too harsh, you say? Jesus called them dogs and pigs – vile animals and perpetual examples of beastly cruelty and selfish greed, among other despicable traits. When told He had offended the Pharisees, He said to His apostles, “Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch” (Mat 15:14).

How do you spot a fool? Easy. Listen to him talk (14:7) and measure his walk (20:11). A fool talks a lot, likes his own ideas, gets angry easily, always excuses his conduct, belittles others, prefers teaching to being taught, wants to debate most everything, resents authority, disdains convention, or talks profanely. A fool also does not live according to the Bible and has no spiritual fruit, which are the absolute and final measures of wisdom.

Your flesh wants to get in the last word, or believes you can persuade him by reasoning, or thinks love will win the day, and sees no risk to your own soul (11 Tim 2:24-26); (1Cor 15:33). There is danger here, so Paul warned against the foolish questions or vain babblings of foolish men

 

Proverbs 12:21 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: September 12, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

Proverbs 12:21 No harm befalls the righteous, but the wicked have their fill of trouble. 

This is a general, but not universal, truth.  Although harm does happen to the righteous, they are able to see opportunities in their problems and move ahead.  The wicked, without God’s wisdom are ill-equipped to handle their problems.

Proverbs 15:22 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: August 15, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

Proverbs 15:22 Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. 

People with tunnel vision, those who are locked into one way of thinking, are likely to miss the right road because they have closed their minds to any new options. We need the help of those who can enlarge our vision and broaden our perspective.  Seek out the advice of those who know you and have a wealth of experience.  Build a network of advisers.  Then be open to new ideas and be willing to weigh their suggestions carefully.  Your plans will be stronger and more likely to succeed.

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