Review of Lessons 14 & 15

These are the last two lessons in our study guide, and in fact, Lesson 15 is a review that we each should do independently, so this will be the last post for the guide portion.  There will be one additional post for Proverbs, Chapters 28-31.

Lesson 14 - Life & Death

Well you can't get much more serious than that, can  you?  Life and death...it is what everything comes down to.  And what does wise King Solomon have to say?

Again, for me, many of the statements made I read in light of the resurrection and the promise we now have of eternal life through our Savior, Jesus Christ.  As the guide points out on p. 136, "Until after Jesus' resurrection, God didn't give His people a very clear idea of what 'no death' might look like."  So when we read of God suddenly destroying the wicked, I believe that now that quick destruction comes upon any death of someone who has rejected Christ and finds themselves condemned to separation from God for eternity.

But...do we find that foolishness leads to untimely death?  Sickness?  We can certainly look at people who behaved in ways that, in retrospect, were not smart and which led to either accidents or illness, can't we?  But we can also look to people who exhibited great godly wisdom and were taken early in life.  And then we come down to the argument between God's sovereignty and our free will...do we each have a determined day when, no matter what we're doing, God will take us off planet earth to our eternity?

It is the age old question of where God's sovereignty ends and our free will begins.  And, I believe, there is no line...they overlap, they intermingle, they work together.  God's eternal plan will prevail...no matter what our free will determines, we cannot undermine or thwart what God has set out to do.

The other age old question is does God's omniscience (His all knowing power) mean that He is also dictating our every move?  That notion does do away with free will and is one which I cannot accept.  Just because God knows that I'm going to make a choice does not mean that He is forcing that choice upon me...He just knows.  And because He knows which choice I will make, He can use His foreknowledge in whatever way He determines is best.

So, what I am left with is that I have come to know a good, good Father God, and I have placed my life in His hands.  Now I can trust Him to do whatever it is that He needs to do with my life and to leave me here on earth to live in a way that honors Him, or if He chooses, to take me home.  But along the way, I still have choices to make every day that are wise or foolish.  Wise choices (good diet, good exercise, watching what I'm doing, not partaking of anything that would harm my body such as tobacco, over indulgence in alcohol, or use of drugs) will make my days healthier and probably prevent an accident that could bring me harm.  Foolish choices could bring disease that is part of this broken world, and which God did not design for His children, but which He allows due to our choices.  Foolish choices could bring accidents that could put me in peril, and at which point I do believe my life is then in God's hands...does He leave me here with a damaged body for His purposes to be carried out in my altered life, or does He take me home for other purposes to be accomplished? And then, again, not all disease or accidents are caused by our foolish choices ---living in a broken world brings with it the chance of diseases produced through the ages, or we can catch the shrapnel of the whirlwinds produced by others' sins which may cause harm to us or our families. Then we must make a choice as to how we will handle the situation in which we find ourselves.  Do we still praise God and seek to honor Him in all things?

So the way of the wise or the way of the foolish?  It all comes down to this, doesn't it, in this book of Proverbs?  We are all the fool at times in our lives.  But God is calling us to live wisely, to hear His voice showing us the way of wisdom.  When we do, we will live lives here on earth that honor Him and that bring joy to our bones; when we don't, we make mistakes that can cost us dearly, both now, and ultimately eternally if we refuse to turn our hearts to Him.  For the ultimate fool is the one who says in his heart, "There is no God."  (Psalm 14:1)

   

Review of Chapter 26

Chapter 26 ~
The old saying goes, "There's  no fool like an old fool!"  Well, I'm afraid I've been an old fool more than once---and it's not a role I want to repeat!  Chapter 26 starts off with a lot of descriptions of a fool:

• Not deserving of honor
• Needing hard discipline
• No one you want to argue with - they'll bring you down to their level
• Not trustworthy to convey a message
• Doesn't apply wisdom (proverbs), they are like "lame legs that hang limp" in his life
• Misuses proverbs by applying them wrongly and recklessly
• Don't hire one!! You'll be hurting everyone else on your team!
• And lastly, and this is the one that is the most convicting, a fool is so foolish that he repeats his foolishness...he just doesn't learn, "like a dog that returns to its vomit"

But then, after all of those harsh descriptions of a fool, Solomon tells us that a "man who is wise in his own eyes", well there is more hope for a fool than for him.  Wow!  That tells us just how stupid it is to think that we ever have truly attained wisdom to any degree.  Humility keeps us from being worse off than a fool.  If you ever feel yourself start to believe that you've just about got life all figured out and have the answers for all around you, beware!  You've become wise in your own eyes and God will show you, in one way or another, that you're really not all that!

Then Solomon moves on to the "Slacker".  Slackers make excuses ("there's a lion in the road" - modern day translation, "traffic's too bad!"); they lazy around in comfort rather than getting up and doing something necessary.  Again Solomon uses the phrase, "In his own eyes" --- do you get the impression that Solomon is warning against how we view ourselves?  Most often, our inward eyes do not have 20/20 vision!  In his own eyes, a slacker is wise!  They've got all the answers and they've figured out how to get through this life without working very hard at all, which means they are taking advantage of someone!  But in reality, they are not sensible.  And more often than not, you will see a slacker do well for a while, and then his "wise" plans fall apart.  And maybe that's God's way of saying, "Now, get to work!"

Some of the other words of instruction in this chapter that I noted:

"Without wood, fire goes out; without a gossip, conflict dies down."  v.20

"A hateful person disguises himself with his speech and harbors deceit within.  When he speaks, don't believe him....though his hatred is concealed by deception, his evil will be revealed in the assembly."  v. 24-26

"The one who digs a pit will fall in it." v. 27

Where are you today?  Lord, let me not be wise in my own eyes!  Let me humble myself before You, acknowledging that You alone have all wisdom, and that others on this earth are wiser than I am.  Let me be discerning of those who claim wisdom to make sure that their wisdom aligns with Yours.  Let me see through deception and flattery, to the heart that may be full of hatred.  Lord, thank You for allowing Solomon to share these words of wisdom with us today, in this world of 2016, and let us apply them to our lives so that they reflect Your wisdom living through us!  You are so good, You are so wise...let us glorify You by obeying and trusting in You!

Review of Chapter 25

Chapter 25 ~
"It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, and the glory of kings to investigate a matter." Proverbs 25:2
I found this verse intriguing...do you?  Right after being told that these are proverbs of Solomon, King of Israel, he chooses to share with us this statement.  After reading a couple different commentaries, the verses make such good sense to me now.  God, in His omniscience and sovereignty, has all knowledge of all things, and He is not constrained to share with man everything He knows.  He is God - we are not - and He knows that we do not have the capability to understand His reasoning or His purpose with everything that happens, or will happen, to us.  He will conceal some things, to His glory. And we, as those who love and fear Him, will trust in His goodness even when we can't understand.

But as for earthly kings, their glory comes when they don't make decisions without good information. A good king, one to be honored, doesn't state a determination on a matter without fully investigating. A good king knows what he is talking about before he starts talking.  I think Solomon, in all his wisdom, knew that he was not all wise.  He could not know things, as God does, without delving into the matter at hand.  Let us remember that true wisdom does not bring with it instant knowledge.  We must study to come to true understanding of the matters that life brings to us.  How many times I've decided how I feel about something without ever giving it much, if any, investigation!  That's not a "glorious" attribute!

Going through the chapter, I note three "don'ts" in succession:

• Don't brag about yourself
• Don't stand in the place of the great
• Don't take a matter to court hastily

DO speak a word at the right time and it is like a golden apple on a silver tray.  A word spoken at the wrong time does not present itself in the same "gifted"way...pray for the Holy Spirit's guidance for the right word at the right time!

Verse 21 has always bothered me a bit, and as it is repeated by Paul in Romans 12.  It seems as though we're instructed to be nice to our enemies just to make them feel bad and for us to gain God's reward.  I know that can't be the true meaning, but isn't that what it sounds like?  Of course that' not what it means!  Think about the verse that tells us to overcome evil with good.  This is the parallel. When we show kindness to those who are our known enemies, it has to change their view of us.  As one commentator stated, "As metals are melted by heaping coals upon them, so is the heart softened by kindness."  With a softer heart, the Holy Spirit can continue His process of bringing this person to true repentance and acceptance of Christ.  There is our reward!  Working with God in bringing someone else to the knowledge of His saving grace!!

Every once in a while, Solomon has to throw in another verse about a nagging wife!  I just hate that, don't you?  :)  But what a wise admonition to married women---I can see the look on Robert's face when my "reminders" have turned into nagging!  There's no point in it---you're not going to gain any ground, in fact you're probably moving your husband in the opposite direction of where your "advice" meant for him to head!  In this chapter living on the corner of a roof is stated as better than sharing an entire house with a nagging wife!  I just kind of think that one of Solomon's many wives was a nagger!

We're going to be wrapping this book up by the end of the week (about time, huh?)...let me know if you have any questions/comments!

Review of Lessons 12 & 13

Lesson 12 ~ Emotions

How much do you allow emotions to rule over you?  Do you control your emotions, or do your emotions control you?  Think about the fruit of the Spirit as listed in Galatians 5:22: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control.  How many of these are emotional?

Do you dwell more in happiness, or heartache?  While we will all experience happiness and heartache in this life, can we choose to handle both with an inward joy that reveals the hope that is within us? Isn't that what Proverbs 10:28 conveys? That the righteous (and we know that we only can claim to be righteous through the blood of Jesus) have a hope that brings joy!

Self-control.  No matter what our excuses (work issues, family issues, the ever-present alibi for women of all ages---hormones!), we are to be people in control of our emotions.  If we are allowing His Spirit to control us, then we shouldn't "lose it" without feeling remorse and repentance.

Do we live in contentment or envy?  When we find ourselves in a state of nagging malcontent, feeling envious of others and their successes, we need to remember Solomon's words to the wise in Proverbs 19:23...we are to rest in satisfaction knowing that God has promised those who fear Him life eternal and life complete.  And we certainly should never envy those who are living in opposition to God, even when it looks like they are succeeding.  When we are tempted to fall into this trap, reread Proverbs 24:19-20.  We have to put on our re-born eyes and look at things not as the world sees, but with eternal vision.  Live in Hebrews 13:5 mode, "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'”

What more do we need?  What more should we ever want?

Patience or Anger? Jealousy?  I believe when we feel any of our emotions swinging out of control it's time for a heart examination.  Where have we gotten out of balance and where are we not allowing God's Spirit to direct our hearts?  We know what God asks of us and Solomon reminds us of all the benefits of living in a godly emotional state.

Lesson 13 ~ Wealth & Poverty

This was a strong lesson for me...I think I needed to hear God's exhortations to hear the cries of the poor right now.  It is easy in our society to grow callous to all the needs that we hear of, to feel that "someone" is taking care of everyone, or that there is a "program" out there to help those who find themselves in need.  But God asks us to not grow callous...to hear...to respond.  As I mentioned in our review of Chapter 21, Proverbs 21:13 really caught my attention, "Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor will also cry out and not be answered."  Well, that should catch our attention, shouldn't it?

I think this lesson did a very good job of pointing out, to the chagrin of prosperity theologians everywhere, that God does not promise prosperity to all, and that prosperity does not necessarily reflect God's favor just as poverty does not necessarily reflect God's disfavor.  There are definitely things we can do to enhance our financial status, and Solomon tells us what they are: hard work, diligence, not going into debt, planning ahead...but none of those guaranty prosperity.  The same attributes should help us avoid poverty, but don't guaranty us that poverty will not come.  Bottom line, I believe, is that God doesn't want us focused on our financial state.  Do our best, work hard and honor God, no matter what our state.  We are sure warned not to fall into the trap of wanting more and more and never achieving satisfaction with what we have.

The verses in 30:7-9 remind us that if we are rich, we should guard ourselves against pridefulness, attributing our success to ourselves and forgetting our dependence on God; and if we are poor, then we should guard ourselves against taking what is not ours and bringing disgrace to the name of our God.  Paraphrasing Paul, "in whatever state we find ourselves, we should live a life of contentment", knowing that all good gifts come from God, that everything we have/see/touch is temporary and useful only in this earthly life, and that if others have more than we do, so be it.  Greed should have no room in our life, stinginess no part.  If we have enough to help someone in need, then we should hear their cry and help.  The cries that we hear may be entirely different than someone else hears...we are responsible only to respond to the cries that God directs to our ears.  And let us not ignore those cries!

Review of Chapters 23 & 24

Chapter 23 ~
This chapter seems to have a lot more "don'ts" than "do's"!  The very first "don't" is, "don't desire his [ruler's] choice food, for that food is deceptive."  That is immediately followed by, "Don't wear yourself out to get rich; stop giving your attention to it."  How do these two "don'ts" tie together?  I think the ruler's food is indicative of a wealthy lifestyle.  It seems rich and tasty and so much better than what we have at home, but it is deceptive.  In fact, Solomon precedes that "don't" with "stick a knife in your throat if you have a big appetite"...he sees the temptation to fall into the pattern of desiring more than what we have been given as that dangerous.  It is so easy for us, especially in our day and age, to expect to have more and more as we go through life.  To acquire and achieve.  In fact, if we don't, there must be something wrong with us!  Solomon says to stop giving our attention to getting rich.  Wow!  Tell 2016 America that!  Everyone seems to feel entitled, or driven, to have more than they currently have.  Fact of the matter is, some of us were never meant to be rich.  It's true, and it's not a bad thing.  Let's get past the idea that money solves all the world's problems.  We are to use what we have to glorify God in whatever way He shows us.  Let's do that.

Solomon continues with:

• Don't take from stingy people - if they aren't giving generously, don't take their gift
• Don't speak to a fool - he's not going to listen and will resent your advice
• Don't take advantage of those in vulnerable circumstances - God is on their side
• Don't neglect disciplining children - they need it
• Don't be jealous of sinners - you are the one who has a never fading hope!
• Don't associate with drunks or gluttons

Verses 29-35 really spell out in detail the future of those who drink too much (or abuse other substances).  It's a sad story, and it is one that is lived out far too often in our society.  I didn't do this, but seeing these verses now I would have my children read these verses when they were about 12 or 13 to see what God's wisdom has to say about the danger of falling into the grip of any substance.  The chapter closes with the drunkard's voice saying, "When will I wake up? I'll look for another drink."  How sad is that?  That is the life of an addict.

Chapter 24 ~

I love the verses in 24:3-4, "A house is built by wisdom, and it is established by understanding; by knowledge the rooms are filled with every precious and beautiful treasure."  I wish I could truly say that that is how I built my home from the beginning.  It is not.  But what a beautiful home it would be if it had always been established and filled with wisdom and understanding rather than selfish goals and desires.  I thank God that the past misjudgments are covered by His grace and that my current seeking is bringing precious and beautiful treasures into our home for our children and grandchildren to discover.

Another verse that jumps out at me is v. 11, "Rescue those being taken off to death, and save those stumbling toward slaughter."  As with everything in Proverbs that may be read as literal instruction, I believe Solomon's nuggets are also filled with spiritual application.  We are called to rescue those we see being led by Satan's deception to a way that leads to death, or those we see starting to stumble toward the path to slaughter.  That is part of what true Christian love looks like...caring so much for others that we can't stand to see them going in a way that we know has a fatal end, and not just earthly death, but for eternity.

And then I love v. 16, because I am a "faller"!  (Both literally and spiritually!)  I am not graceful in life, and I have taken my share of spiritual falls as well.  But Solomon reminds us that when we have righteousness (and as Christians we are declared righteous through our acceptance of the blood of Christ over our lives), even if we fall seven times, we will get up!  You know why I think we can get up?  Because I have felt the hand of Jesus reaching down to help me up.  And I thank Him for that daily!  He lifted me back up after my knees were bruised and my hands were scraped and set my feet back on solid ground.  Praise His name...He is a loving Savior!

Review of Proverbs 22

Chapter 22
"A good name is to be chosen over great wealth; favor is better than silver and gold."  First verse of Chapter 22.  How important are our reputations!  And especially so for us, as Christians, for we bear the name of Christ.  To live in a way that brings no reproach is to be aspired to.  So that even non-believers can look to us and say, "She is a good woman."  That may be the first seed that the Holy Spirit is using to make them start considering a life of belief.  We must guard our reputations. We must strive to live lives worthy of the calling that God has placed on us, lives that please Him and show His love to a waiting world.

What characteristics/ways of living do we see in this chapter that pleases God:

• Alert - sensible - aware of danger
• Humility, bringing with it a fear of God, realizing how powerful and high He is as compared to our weakness and lowliness
• One who guards his life from the thorns and snares of this world
• Generosity - looking out for the poor
• Loving the pure of heart
• Applying our minds to God's knowledge - speaking His truth
• Having confidence in God

One of the most quoted verses of Proverbs is in this chapter?  Can you recite it?  I bet you can..."Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."  This verse has been quoted as a promise to many parent of a wayward child, "Don't worry - you've taught him right - he'll come back."  I've heard many lessons taught on this verse with various applications.  I remember James Dobson speaking on it, and putting the emphasis on the word, he.  Dobson preached that the point was to know your child so well and individually, that you should train him up in the way that he should go...career path, choices that are right for him, etc., and then he would stay on that path because it was right for him.  

I'm not sure...I've seen too many young people who have come from good, Christian homes, depart and never come back.  I don't think this verse is a blanket promise to say that all will return to their grounding.  I'm not sure I fully agree with Dobson either, although I do think we need to know our children intimately and individually and not point them all in the same direction, other than in their spiritual lives...they all must be pointed to Christ!  

Matthew Henry states this, "Train children, not in the way they would go, that of their corrupt hearts, but in the way they should go; in which, if you love them, you would have them go. As soon as possible every child should be led to the knowledge of the Saviour."

And John Gill writes this in regard to the outcome of good training, "and when he is old he will not depart from it; not easily, nor ordinarily; there are exceptions to this observation; but generally, where there is a good education, the impressions of it do not easily wear off, nor do men ordinarily forsake a good way they have been brought up in; and, however, when, being come to years of maturity and understanding, their hearts are seasoned with the grace of God, they are then enabled to put that in practice which before they had only in theory, and so continue in the paths of truth and holiness."

I believe that this verse is, as is the rest of Proverbs, Solomon's best advice...train that child in all the ways that you want for him at the very earliest of ages, implant in them the morals and virtues that are most important to you, teach them of their Savior and of the blood that was shed for their sins, the grace that reaches out to them in love, and the forever after life that is waiting for them.  These things, when taught early and often, will stay with them.  And when they are old, they will reflect and understand more clearly what they were being taught at that very early age.  Not all will return, but the words of truth will never depart from them.  

Review of Lessons 10 & 11

Lesson 10  - Hard Work versus Laziness

Do you feel like you're a hard worker?  I think most Americans do.  We feel that we've got a "strong work ethic" and we "stand on our own two feet."  And yet, we lead such soft, comfortable lives.  So many of the chores that our parents and grandparents had to do on a daily basis are now handled for us by other means.  There's certainly not many of us getting up to milk the cows or gather the eggs; wash our clothes using a scrub board or fixing fried chicken from a chicken that we've just wrung the neck and plucked the feathers from!

So what does it mean in America in 2016 not to be lazy?  How did you answer the question on p.102 regarding a modern parallel of the man who does not plow in the mud and the cold?  Farmers have to plow when the time is right, no matter if the external circumstances are pleasant or not.  You look at your skill, you analyze the need, and you do what needs to be done. You don't quit just because you don't "feel like" staying at it. I remember my Daddy telling me that an important part of growing up is doing what you don't necessarily want to do.  To me, that is what it means not to be lazy.  You get up and do what needs to be done when it needs to be done. And so many of us have become undisciplined and do only what we like to do...so I guess you can be busy and still be lazy.  Busy doing things that you are choosing to do over the lesser enticing things that need to be done.  Ouch!

Did you read the Scriptures shown on the right margin on page 103?  They were examples of excuses given for not doing what God was asking..."I'm not able", "I'm not the best one", "I'm too weak...too young...", "I'm not a good speaker", "I don't have the confidence", "There's something else going on that I need to do instead"...on and on and on the list can go.  But what the boil down to is..."I don't want to!"  For one reason or the other, we allow our desire, or lack thereof, to keep us in our seats rather than pushing ourselves up and out into the lives that God is calling us to.  That is spiritual laziness.  When the opportunity is there and God prompts us, we must get up and do whatever it is that He is asking us to do when He asks us.  Over and above what we might opt for.   Lord, don't let me be a sluggard in physical life, but even more than that, don't let me be lazy when You ask me to work for Your kingdom!

Lesson Eleven ~ Proper Speech

Oh man!  This is the lesson that gets me every time.  I've always been a talker, and I guess I always will be.  But more and more I am aware that so many things that come out of my mouth are either needless, or worse, not words of virtue.  Anything that is not kind, not constructive, not helpful, not moral...I need to stop before saying.  I need "words aptly spoken" to become my speech pattern!

Solomon tells us that a "word aptly spoken" is like apples of gold in settings of silver....pleasing to the hearer and presented as a gift!  Destructive words or healing words...which do we choose to present to those around us?  Destructive words pierce, stir up wrath and break the spirit while healing words bring with them wisdom, turn away anger and bring life.  We can encourage others and ease their anxiety, bring cheer in dark times.

Lying, gossip and flattery...all destructive words.  Whoa --- flattery?  Yes, when you realize that the true definition of flattery is "smooth talk that deceives".  When someone is overly complimentary to us, our red flags should go up.  There is nothing wrong with a well-deserved compliment, but we should be able to tell when we're being "schmoozed"!  Flattery can puff us up and let us fall into pridefulness quickly.  This can make us less mindful of what the other person is really up to.  And, of course, we should never be guilty of using flattery to manipulate others.

Going through the self-checklist on Page 115, I had to admit that there are areas that I need to ask God's help in eliminating in my speech.  This is an area that we should routinely self-examine...it is so easy to fall back into bad habits.  Lord, let my mouth truly reflect my heart...and let my heart be pure and turned to You.  Guard each word that comes out of my mouth.  Let me truly take every thought captive to Christ, and let every word spoken have gone through that filter so that I promote nothing other than the fruits of Your Spirit living within me...love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control!  Discipline my mouth, oh Lord!

Review of Proverbs 20 & 21

Chapter 20
This chapter starts out with a verse that, I think, needs to be preached in our day and time.  20:1 "Wine is a mocker, beer is a brawler, and whoever staggers because of them is not wise."  It seems to me that it has become totally acceptable, almost expected, for young people to "party until they drop."  Overdrinking has become a pattern for many, and one that no one seems to think is a problem. I really can't remember the last time I heard a preacher mention overdrinking as a sin.  When we read 1 Corinthians 5:11, 1 Timothy 3:3 and Titus 1:7 we see God's opinion of those who consistently overindulge.  And it's not a positive one.  Here in Proverbs we're warned that when you overdrink (stagger) who are certainly not counted among the wise.  How many stupid decisions are made under the influence of alcohol and how many lives have been changed by those who have made serious errors of judgment when overdrinking?  Am I a teetotaler? No, I'm not.  But as I get older, the words of my mother ring truer and truer, "You never have to worry about overdrinking if you don't drink at all."  If we're seeking God's wisdom, then we need to look at drinking through His eyes, and He tells us that we're not acting wisely when we drink too much.

OK - that verse behind us, what does this Chapter tell us that God honors?

• Resolving disputes
• Thinking deeply over God's counsel in our hearts
• Living with integrity
• Rising in the morning with a heart to work
• Knowledgeable speech 
• Utilizing counsel and sound guidance when making plans & facing battles
• Waiting on God for vengeance and rescue

Which verse in this chapter speaks to you the strongest?  For me it is v. 9, "Who can say, 'I have kept my heart pure; I am cleansed from my sin'?"  No one...not any one other than Jesus.  We cannot hope to cleanse ourselves from our sin by keeping a pure heart.  We need a Savior.  

Chapter 21

In August 2016 with a pivotal election in front of us, how do you interpret the first verse in this chapter? "A king's heart is a water channel in the Lord's hand: He directs it wherever He chooses."  Does this make you wonder what we're getting all excited about?  Will God direct whoever is in power to whatever end He designs?  In one commentary that I read I seemed to understand this thought:  That whatever any man sends out as something that is going to be a force of change (as is a water channel), God is the One who puts dams in the way to redirect, allows the flow to go forward when/where He sees fit, to the ultimate end that He alone sees as fitting into His ultimate design.  No one overrides God or His sovereign plans.  Just as is stated in the last verses of the chapter, vs.30-31, "No wisdom, no understanding, and no counsel will prevail against the Lord.  A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory comes from the Lord."  So while we should be diligent in our study of current events and candidates, let's not let a spirit of fear override our knowledge that we know who rules.  I think right now the world needs Christians who exhibit a spirit of confidence, not in our world's leaders, but in our Leader, our King.

Positive attributes in this chapter?

• Doing what is righteous and just
• Diligence
• Being open to teaching and gaining new knowledge
• Executing justice
• Pursuing righteousness
• Pursuing faithful love
• Guarding your tongue
• Working hard and being generous

Verse that stands out to me? Verse 13, "The one who shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will himself also call out and not be answered."  Let's ask God for hearts that never grow hard to the call of those in need...just as God hears our neediness and responds in grace and mercy, let us respond to those to whom we can show Christian generosity.

Review of Proverbs Chapter 19

We ARE making headway, aren't we?  By the end of the month we'll have covered Proverbs in a fairly comprehensive manner.  I'm learning a lot, about God's wisdom...and about me.  I hope you are doing the same.  I'm learning that I'm not nearly as wise as I once thought I was when I hold myself, and my behavior, up against God's instruction.  The two things that have been impressed upon me (personally) so far is that I need to watch my words, be completely honest and completely trustworthy.  No white lies, and no talking about people in any way that could be construed as gossip. I hope God is opening your eyes to areas that you need to pay attention to as well.

Reviewing the next four chapters we find that the list continues as to what God doesn't like and what pleases Him...so much to absorb.  Making those detailed lists helps---I'm just giving some highlights.

Chapter 19 

What does God honor?  Integrity, good sense, understanding, a sensible wife...have to pause on that one.  In verse 14, Solomon says that a "sensible wife is from the Lord."  My version says "sensible", King James says "prudent".  The original Hebrew word was sakal which translates to "prudent, circumspect, wisely understand, have insight, ponder, to cause to prosper."  This is the kind of wife that is a gift from God.  So what is this woman not?  She is not one who goes through life not considering things in a serious manner.  She has some insight into life and she can be the "woman behind the man" in bringing success to the family. She is a woman who seeks God...because Proverbs has already told us that true wisdom and insight all come from God.  I want to be a "sensible wife."  (And if you're not married, the same attributes apply to any godly woman.)  I think we can all look back on our lives and recognize times when we were not very "sensible"...chasing after things that our friends have gotten that we feel we just have to have; so obsessed with our looks, our figures...is this being "sensible" in a godly way?  I don't think so.  I think, at 60, I have mastered many of these diversions, but they can easily raise their heads to pull us back in and we need to be aware, and we need to be sensible.

There are a couple of verses in Chapter 19 that I just love:

Proverbs 19:17 "Kindness to the poor is a loan to the Lord, and He will give a reward to the lender."  Isn't that a beautiful picture...that we can loan money/goods to God!  Putting them in His hands to use as He needs, and then He promises to repay with reward!  Puts a new perspective on being kind to the needy, doesn't it?

Proverbs 19:21 "Many plans are in a man's heart, but the Lord's decree will prevail."  We can make our plans, and I think God wants us to plan ahead in a sensible manner, but we do so with the overriding knowledge that nothing that we plan can or will take precedence over God's ultimate sovereignty.  That should be comforting to us, knowing that God is a good, good Father and that His plans for us are the BEST plans, much better than we could ever plot out!

I've decided to do more posts, covering less material, so for today, that's it!  Another post will be up in a couple of days covering the next chapter or two.

Much love to you, my sisters!  Thank you for studying with me!

In His Amazing Love,

Janice

Review of Lesson 9

Lesson 9 - Humility versus Pride

Do you consider yourself a humble person?  If you are a Christian, that is the characteristic that should come to mind when people think of you.  To be honest, I struggle with this.  How often do we argue until we're declared "the winner".  What is that?  Pride!  Do we sometimes feel that others could do better if they just "worked as hard as we have"...PRIDE!  Do we want others to view us as intelligent, productive, funny, likeable...the list can go on and on....PRIDE.  Pride is just what our guidebook states on page 95, "an obsession with one's own value", either by too high or too low self-esteem.

But then it goes on to define humility: "Humility, by contrast, is finding one's worth so securely in God's unearned favor that one is not very concerned about self-esteem at all...His [a humble person's] status compared to others doesn't matter much to him because his value in God's eyes is a settle issue."

I would say starting somewhere in the late 70s to early 80s, "self-esteem" became a focal point in our child raising and education systems.  Nothing should be done to harm a child's "self-esteem".  Well, we taught that well.  What has resulted is a generation overdosed on self-esteem to the point of narcissism.  Everyone deserves everything because their very existence makes them deserving of it.  All the while we should have been teaching them that their value in God's eyes is what makes them worthy, and not of everything their eyes can see and their hands can touch, but worthy of God's favor, so much so that He sent His Son for their life, to redeem it unto Himself, so that they can live not in an anxiety-filled existence of comparing their assets, their fun, their looks, etc., to others, but living a peaceful, humble life pleasing to their Father who will bring them into His Kingdom for eternity.

This doesn't apply just to younger people...we've all fallen into the trap of striving to prove our worth, rather than accepting that maybe, just maybe, God has callen us to a simple life with no striving.  Am I say we should all quit our jobs and live in hovels?  No - God has asked us to work and be productive.  But the difference is in our goals---are they goals that bring us glory, or God?

Proverbs 16:18 reminds us that pride comes before a fall...no matter what you take pride in, at some point someone else will outdo you.  Then what?  You are no longer king of the hill...your value has been diminished.  But humility allows you to live knowing that there are others who very well may do better than you, and it doesn't matter.  Because God loves them just as much as He loves you...and when we come to that recognition, humility has become a part of our lives.  "Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves." Philippians 2:3

When times of honor come to us, we need to reflect David's humble acknowledgement of where honor comes, "Then King David went in, sat in the Lord's presence, and said, "Who am I, Lord God , and what is my house that You have brought me this far?"  2 Samuel 7:18.  Or that of Paul, when reflecting on his salvation,  "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners"-and I am the worst of them. But I received mercy because of this, so that in me, the worst [of them], Christ Jesus might demonstrate the utmost patience as an example to those who would believe in Him for eternal life."  1 Timothy 1:15-16

The verses given us to review on pages 97-98 give us some examples of pride: pretense/hypocrisy about our status; trying to impress others with what we know; putting our faith in our own achievements/wealth and attributing those to our own doing; being easily offended, holding a grudge, not willing to reconcile; bragging about our abilities; and bragging about abilities/gifts that we don't even really possess.

Solomon warns his son, "Do not be wise in your own eyes" Proverbs 3:7, and then in Proverbs 26:12 he declares such a person to in all actuality be a fool.  How often do we perceive ourselves wise?  When we have those feelings, let a warning be sounded in our soul!!  Our wisdom, whatever we have, comes from God.  He is the giver...nothing of ourselves.

Pride, in essence, is considering ourselves quite fine, thank you very much.  And giving no one else, most importantly God, any credit for just how fine we've turned out.  Apart from God, we are not fine, and never can be.  I believe that's why pride tops God's list as to things He hates.  He knows that pride turns our hearts to ourselves rather than to seeking Him.  A prideful heart becomes a hard heart.

Please, Lord God, remove any pride that remains in my heart today.  Remove it and do not let it re-enter.  Let me have a heart that seeks Your blessing, and only Yours.  Let me not be concerned with the gains of others, or compare myself to them.  Let me view everyone that I meet as every bit as worthy as I am of Your love and salvation.  Get the plank out of my eye, Oh Lord!  Let it be removed so that I can see You clearly!  Let Your Holy Spirit set my eyes on You and let me live humbly in Your presence.  Thank You, Lord Jesus, for coming to save sinners, of whom I am the worst.  

Review of Proverbs 15-18 and Lessons 8-9

OK girls - ready for some "catch up"?  Being out of town for 10 days to go to Seattle and then an Alaskan cruise did not help me in staying caught up on posts.  I hope you've moved forward without me.  Anything you want to share???  In order to get through by end of the month we need to stay steady from here on out.  I'll sure try to do my part, I know I've had some interruptions that haven't helped

Proverbs 15 through 18 continues the comparisons between wisdom/foolishness; righteousness/unrighteousness; good/evil.  Again, making lists of what God considers pleasing vs. what He looks upon with disdain can pull out of these verses the virtues that we want to aspire to, and those we don't!

Those that stood out to me from Chapter 15 that I want to see more of in my life were gentle, healing, wise words coming out of my mouth; joyfulness and cheerfulness exhibited regularly; listening to correction and being ready to accept it.  The verse from this chapter that I especially noted was 15:3, "The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, observing the wicked and the good."  We never have to worry that the wicked are getting away with their evil...God knows.  AND we always need to be aware the God is observing us, both when we are honoring Him and when we are not.

Virtues in Chapter 16 that I noted were committing my ways to God and allowing Him to lead; honesty; wisdom and understanding; patience and controlling one's temper.  And the verse from this chapter that is again repeated from 14:12 is 16:25, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it is the way of death."  Why do we so often insist on our way?  Even when it "seems" right, if it doesn't align with God's way, it is leading us away from Him, our source of light and life.

Chapter 17 dwells more on the negative attributes - the ones we want to eliminate from our lives:  strife; malicious talk; mocking the poor; seeking rebellion; returning evil for good; starting conflicts; injustice; offensive; deceitful.  I pray not to be this kind of person in any of these ways.  Rather I'd like to be known as one who covers an offense of a friend, who loves at all times, a person with a joyful heart, and one who uses words with restraint and keeps a cool head.  Verse that sticks with me out of Chapter 17?  17:3, "A crucible is for silver and a smelter for gold, but the Lord is a tester of hearts."  And then who of us who have grandchildren cannot help but smile when we read 17:6, "Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly."  Yes, they certainly are!

Chapter 18 continues with the ways of those who are not living to please God: those pursuing selfish desires; rebels against sound judgment; spouts off his opinions; foolish talk of all kind; lazy; trusting in wealth---that last one, trusting in wealth, comes right after my favorite verse of this chapter, 18:10, "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are protected."  God-pleasers have learned that the only place of refuge is in Him, never in man-made wealth.  I love the way verse 11 states it, "A rich man's wealth is his fortified city; in his imagination it is like a high wall."  Wealth may make some think they are protected, but they truly are not.

What were your favorite verses out of these chapters?  Things of note??

Lesson 8 ~The Blessings of Righteousness

The first paragraph of this lesson makes a statement that I think we all need to remember: "...ethical, God-centered living is ultimately wiser than self-centered living."  Our world screams another message, that we're the center of our universe, but we're not! This lesson on righteousness did a good job of explaining righteous living while we're living here on earth.  Are we going to get it right 100% of the time?  Nope.  The text points out that in the OT, "To be righteous, a person did not need to be morally perfect.  Rather, he simply needed to be doing his best to live God's way."  And through the covenant that Jesus established, we have righteousness by putting our faith in Him, accepting His death as our atonement for sin and His resurrection as our promise of eternal life.

The blessings of righteousness are many, but did you pick up on the fact that they are not always earthly blessings and that if they were, people would use acts of righteousness for their own gain, rather than for God's glory?

The question posed at the end of the lesson is especially pertinent to present news events, isn't it?  "Why is righteousness essential for good government?"  When we read the referenced verses we see that righteousness brings blessing, keeps out evil, allows for justice, rejects tyranny and brings discernment to those in power.  Where are we?  God help us! Please, Lord Jesus, bring rulers into place that seek You.  Turn hearts to You, Lord God, and let them see that their ways, without seeking Your guidance, may lead to destruction.

I must end now --- I'll cover Lesson 9 tomorrow.  Let's keep going, and please let me hear how you are doing and what you are learning!!

Review of Proverbs 11-14 and Lessons 6 & 7

I ran into Trish Bailey the other day and she said, "Don 't give up on us!"  Well, don 't give up on me either!  Trish reminded me of how many things are going on in the summer and I'm right in the middle of all of that as well.  We travelled to Dallas for the 4th, just four days after getting back from our trip to Kansas City and Tulsa.  Now we're getting ready for our major trip of the summer, flying to Seattle for three days prior to departure on an Alaskan cruise.  We've never done this trip before, so we're very excited about it.  I've always heard it's absolutely beautiful.  So, I fully understand the ins/outs and busyness of summertime.  Just promise me that you're keeping at it, and if we go through August with the study, that will be fine too! Let's just commit to gleaning all of the wisdom we can from the Book of Proverbs!

Chapters 11-14 are verse after verse of the comparisons between godly, wise, living and the opposite---ungodly, foolish, living.  What I started doing, and I think it's a good exercise, is for each chapter list all of the characteristics praised and those denounced.  When we do this we get a fairly comprehensive picture of the type of person that pleases God, as opposed to the type of person who is living for self, with no regard to godliness.

Here's what I mean (I'm going to give you some examples for each chapter...then you can go back and complete the exercise if you wish):

Chapter 11 ~ Qualities Praised:
Honesty in business (v.1); trustworthiness (v. 13); genuine righteousness (v. 19)
Qualities Denounced:
Cheating in business (v. 1); revealing confidences (v. 13); pursuing evil (v. 19)

Chapter 12 ~ Qualities Praised:
Justice (v. 5); insightful (v. 8); not overly sensitive (v. 16)
Qualities Denounced:
Deceitful (v 5); twisted mind (v. 8); quick to show offense (v. 16)

Chapter 13 ~ Qualities Praised:
Careful in speech (v. 3); ready to take advice (v. 10); walks with the wise (v. 20)
Qualities Denounced:
Talks freely and carelessly (v.3); arrogant, think they know everything (v. 10); keeps fools as companions (v. 20)

Chapter 14 ~ Qualities Praised:
Lives with integrity (v. 2); sensible (v. 18); shows kindness to the poor (v. 21)
Qualities Denounced:
Devious (v. 2); gullible (v. 18); despises his neighbors, doesn't want to be bothered (v. 21)

So you get the idea...for Chapter 13 I listed 18 praiseworthy qualities and 19 qualities that were spoken against.  Make your own list...then the interesting part (convicting) is reviewing the lists and see how the adjectives fit in with your life.  I'm sorry to say that there are some of the qualities that are not admired that I can identify in my life at times.  This is where we start praying for a turning away of any of the dishonorable qualities that still remain and a turning to all of the qualities that God sees as admirable.  If we just make our list and don't examine ourselves, we have not accomplished a thing. The Holy Spirit calls us to allow Him to shine His light into our lives and correct where needed, so we can gain His wisdom and His sensibility to govern our lives going forward.

The verse out of these chapters that I hear screaming to me, and to our society, so many times is Chapter 14:12 ~ "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death."

True wisdom starts coming by admitting that we are not wise at all...that things that "seem" right to us may very well lead us down a path of destruction.  We must weigh everything against the wisdom of God as revealed to us through His Word, through His Son and through His Spirit.

What did you gain through these chapters of Proverbs (11-14)?

Lesson 6 ~ Friendship

How important are friendships to you?  I have some very good friends that I feel are true gifts from God.  They encourage me and they love me.  I have gained some friends over the past few years that I feel God specifically brought to me because I needed them in my life right now.  That's an amazing thing to experience....knowing that someone is in your life because God put them there.  And I have absolutely no doubt about that, for these people have been extraordinarily important to me in a very unusual time in my life.

I have found that Proverbs 18:24 is very true..."A man with many friends may be harmed, but there is a friend that stays closer than a brother."  The quantity of friends is not nearly so important as the quality of the friendship.  Superficial friendships do not prove nearly as valuable when you need the comfort and protection of true friendship.  As much as I enjoy social media, Facebook friends will most likely not be the ones who come to our aid when we are down and out!  That's when you need friends that are as close as family.

We have to realize how important our friendships are.  I can look back in my life and easily see how I was influenced by the friends I had at the time.  Friends that were materialistic made me want more of what they were wanting and getting; friends that loved to party and have fun made me want more of that same lifestyle; and friends that were seeking a closer walk with God (thank You God for gifting me with good friends like this), made me realize the importance of my Christian walk and the desire for knowing more of God and of His Word.  "So follow the way of good people, and keep to the paths of the righteous"  2:20 ~~~ "Don't be deceived, bad company corrupts good morals." 1 Corinthians 15:33.

We need to choose good friends and we need to be a good friend...trustworthy, patient, loving, not quick to quarrel, bringing comfort and good counsel. (p. 73 of book).

How are your friendships?  Have you chosen wisely?  Are you being a good friend to those who are needing you?

Lesson 7 ~ Sexual Purity

Oh what a lesson for our world today.  As the author of our workbook states on p, 79, "The problem <sexual purity> is catastrophic in modern Western society."  We have rampant promiscuity, fornication, adultery, homosexualtiy, pornography...the list expands on a regular basis, and each category becomes more widespread and more acceptable.  Men and women are both susceptible.  And, unfortunately, people in the church fall into this area of grievous sin probably more than any other.

Why is that?  Why are Christians not more successful against Satan when he comes with the temptation of sexual immorality?  

What did you learn about the young man in Proverbs 7?  Here's what I saw:

He went where he shouldn't be, at a time when he shouldn't be there.  (Put himself in a situation where he knew he could run into trouble...have you ever done that?)

He fell victim to the persistent, flattering words of the tempter.  He kept hearing her tell him how wonderful he was, how special he was, how important he was, how undervalued he was...you can probably add more to the empty praises that she was feeding him.  Was he innocent because he was naive and gullible.  8:1 answers that ---- Wisdom is always calling out; Understanding makes her voice heard.  He had the opportunity to turn toward the voices of Wisdom and Understanding, to find the way of escape, but instead he went the way of the foolish and kept moving toward deception (v. 27:12).

Adultery is costly and damaging.  Solomon wanted his son to understand this.  Interestingly, Solomon had not lived a monogomous life...he had many wives.  But this wise man could see the definite advantage of being faithful to one woman (5:15-23) and I wonder if he was speaking from the voice of regret that he describes in 5:7-14?

The verses in 6:27-28 make it very clear - you can't play with fire and not get burned!  Satan would love for us to think that we can have a "little fun" and no one will get hurt.  But that is a lie...someone is always hurt, and both parties come away damaged.  Can God forgive?  Absolutely.  But it is a pit that no Christian should ever want to crawl out of.  Reputations are damaged, witnesses are impaired, and the lives will always include regret.

We, as Christian women, need to be aware of our Christian friends and what they are dealing with.  We need to become astute in recognizing when someone is showing signs of being drawn into an affair or a relationship that is out of bounds.  And then we need to be true friends, who shine the light of God's wisdom into their life.  To lovingly remind them that Satan is the master of lies, that everything that sounds "right" isn't if it goes against God's Word.   That the way of God is always the best for us.

Let us be good Christian friends..let us be pure Christian women...let us help each other!

Love you all ~ let me know what you're thinking!  

Review of Lessons 4 & 5 from LifeChange Workbook

These two chapters of the book dealt with relationships - the relationship between us and God, and relationships between us and other people.  Really, life boils down to those two areas, doesn't it?  First and foremost, our relationship with God.  If we don't get it right, nothing else will fall into place, no matter how hard we try.  It might appear ok for a while, but like a house built on sand, it will come down.  Then our relationships with others --- our families, and other people all around us.  God did not put us on this earth to be isolated, living in a one-on-one relationship solely with Him.  He purposefully put us in a world of people....lots of people!  Of all types!  Some so easy to love, and then ...well, we all have others in our lives that just aren't that easy, don't we?

Lesson Four is titled "God and Man" and points out that in Proverbs three questions are posed:
1) Who is God? 2) How does God deal with man? 3) How should man respond to God?

So, who is God?  How do you answer that?  

We are led to verses that show us that God is our Maker.  Contrary to atheism, or even agnosticism, the Christian acknowledges and fully believes in the fact that God created us, individually and purposefully.  Rich and poor, all races, all nations...God is the Creator of all.  And when we acknowledge that, we honor God by treating all of His creation with kindness and goodness.

God is holy and He is righteous.  How do those qualities affect our view of God and how we react to Him?  I think this is an area when a lot of current theologies have fallen short.  We have lost our high view of God and the vast chasm that separates Him from humanity.  God is not like us.  We will never attain His incredible holiness and awesomeness.  We will never attain His wisdom.  And yet, we are told to aspire to those qualities.  We are told to "be holy as I am holy."  We are told to ask for His wisdom.  He is our lofty and unattainable goal...we long to be like Him, even though we will not.  But the Holy Spirit empowers us with that desire and with the capability to pattern our life along with that desire, and Christ imparts to us all of the righteousness that we cannot attain.  God is God - we are not.  But He has made every provision for us to be in His presence.  What a God we serve!

We are told that God is all knowing (omniscient), ever present every where (omnipresent), all powerful (omnipotent).  How do these qualities affect your view of God?

And God is sovereign --- He is the One over all, controlling our world and our universe.  I am so thankful He is!  This allows me to trust that He is holding all things together and that I don't have to worry about things spinning out of control.  Nothing is out of His sight, nothing is taking Him by surprise.  I can rest in knowing that even when things don't make sense to me and appear to be very frightening, God has this!  He IS working all things together for my good because I trust in Him!

God -> Man and Man -> God:
God has given us great treasures in order that we can know Him and relate to Him --- He has given us His Word, He has given us His Son (Immanuel, God with us), and He has given us His Holy Spirit.  All of these gifts are given in order that we can know Him.  Are we accepting these gifts with pleasure and utilizing them to God's glory?

We don't have to worry about God knowing us --- He does.  What did the verses given to us on pages 52-53 convey?  

How does man relate to God?  We are told to fear and to trust...how do those two directives come together?

Did you read the prayer referenced in Proverbs 30:7-9?  I just have to share it!
"Two things I ask of You; don't deny them to me before I die:  Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me.  Give me neither poverty nor wealth; feed me with the food I need.  Otherwise, I might have too much and deny You, saying, 'Who is the Lord?' or I might have nothing and steal, profaning the name of God."

Are we ready to ask God to give us just enough to keep us dependent on Him?  That is pretty contrary to our current culture of seeking more and more so we can prove how smart and independent we truly are, isn't it?

So what is your view of God?  Is it a Biblical view or have you fashioned God into something that suits you and your needs?   We need to be very mindful to keep our view of God in line with what His Word, His Son and His Spirit show us of Him!

Lesson Five is titled "The Family".  I thought this lesson was really good in explaining what families are really supposed to look like.

Husbands are to be focused on their homes and the welfare of their family.  They are not to be arrogant "lords of the manor" imposing fear as they walk in the door.

Wives - well this is where most of us fall - what a pattern we are given!  The Proverbs 31 woman is quite a model, isn't she?  But at the bottom of it all, the 30th verse sums up why this woman is so successful...she fears the Lord!  Lord, let that be our primary goal, and let the other attributes come as we seek You!

Parents and children - what a challenge in this day and time!  I pose the question to you all that is on page 62 - What do you think is the greatest threat to the family in our society?  How does wisdom respond to that?

We see many modern-day families in dysfunction, but sometimes we get to see young families who are striving to direct their children in a godly manner and it is such a joy to see!  We went to church with my son and his family this past Sunday in Lenexa and visited their Sunday School class.  There were probably 25 young couples in this class studying on how to be effective parents in this very defective world we live in.  The verses that we covered in Proverbs and the principles they teach were being taught in this class and I have no doubt that God will work through these parents to bring up Christian children who will be an influence in our future world.  I pray for them, the parents and the children, to be faithful and true to His Word.

OK - once again - I've "blogged" myself out!  Please let me hear from you!  Where you are in the study and what you are seeing.  Respond to any of the questions I've posed, or throw out some questions of your own!

Love you all and praying for God's wisdom to become more and more ingrained in us!

We're ready for Chapters 11-14 in Proverbs, and Lessons 6 & 7 in workbook...onward!

June 28 - pardon the delay! Review of Proverbs 7-10

As I said in the comment I left on the last post, we travelled this past week to Tulsa and Kansas City to see my daughter and her husband (Tulsa) and my son and his family (Kansas City).  I thought I might have the opportunity to sit down at a computer and post the week's lesson, but I just didn't!  We were on the go and having lots of fun, and on top of the busyness, I had a sinus infection which kept me from early morning "alone times" as I was taking medication making early risings almost impossible.  Anyway, I hope you have either used this time to catch up as I heard many were saying they were a little behind, or to just keep going ahead!  You certainly don't have to wait on me!

We have four chapters of Proverbs to cover, and then two chapters in our workbook covering our view of God, and then wisdom concerning the family unit.  LOTS of material...so we better get going!

Chapter 7 ~
We are told to protect these teachings as we would protect the pupil of our eye.  How far would you go to protect your physical vision?  Well more important than that is spiritual vision, Godly wisdom.  Each time that we contemplate these verses of wisdom, we should stop and think about how critical it is to see...really see what God is showing us.

In v. 6, Solomon starts telling a story of seduction.  Again, the story talks about seduction in the form of a married woman seducing an inexperienced young man.  But again, we are to read the story and take in it's deeper meaning, and I think we can get some of that picture by looking at how the seductive woman is described: dressed like a prostitute (worldly, not modest), has a hidden agenda (manipulative), loud and defiant (demands attention and goes against moral guidelines), doesn't stay at home (not content, looking for trouble), brazen (she describes in detail how she has prepared her bed for an all-night lovemaking session, that her husband has left for a long journey), she is persistent (as is all temptation) and flattering (as with all seduction).  And then we are told that the young man "follows her impulsively...he doesn't know it will cost him his life."

Solomon is warning his son not only about seductive women, but about all forms of temptation that can seem appealing to the young and inexperienced (or the "old and should know better"!)  Temptation of all forms is worldly, looks flashy and more exciting than what we are currently experiencing.  It manipulates us into thinking that if we follow it's path, we will find fun and pleasure.  It becomes loud and defiant, yelling at us to break the rules, do our own thing, go our own way.  It pulls us away from our place of contentment and lures us into it's "bedroom", letting us believe that we are the select and sole object of it's preparation, when, in truth, temptation will take any willing participant. And many times we find ourselves following temptation impulsively, ignoring the wisdom that is whispering in our ear and putting ourselves in spiritual danger.  We are urged...
"Don't let your heart turn aside to her ways. Don't stray onto her paths."

Chapter 8 ~
The rhetorical questions are asked, "Doesn't Wisdom call out?  Doesn't Understanding make her voice heard?"  YES - they do!  PAY ATTENTION!  Whereas deception comes out in the dark and lurks in the corners, (Ch 7, vs. 9-12), Wisdom is speaking from the gates of the city, at the main entrance.  Learn to be shrewd, learn common sense (v. 5).  NOTHING desirable (any other thing that we take delight in) can compare with Wisdom.

Wisdom speaks in this chapter.  Who is this "Wisdom"?  Matthew Henry explains this chapter this way: "The Redeemer is the eternal Word and wisdom, the Logos. He is the Wisdom that speaks to the children of men in the former part of the chapter. All divine revelation passes through his hand, and centres in him; but of him as the personal Wisdom, the second person in the Godhead, in the judgment of many of the ancients, Solomon here speaks (v. 22-31). He concludes with a repeated charge to the children of men diligently to attend to the voice of God in his word (v. 32-36)."

So this seems to make sense.  But then it can get tricky.  If we claim that Wisdom in Chapter 8 is actually Jesus, verse 22 would then indicate that Jesus was a created being, and this is a proof text used by Jehovah's Witnesses in just such a claim.

So is Wisdom in Chapter 8 referring to Jesus Christ, or is it a form of literature personifying Wisdom, just as Chapter 8 personified Seduction?  While I agree with Matthew Henry that Christ is the divine revelation of godly wisdom, I do not believe Chapter 8 describes Christ.  I believe it is a personification of Wisdom following the personification of Seduction in Chapter 7.  Both being portrayed as women with a purpose..Wisdom to bring people to life and the favor of the Lord (v. 35) and Seduction to bring people to the chambers of death (Ch 7, v.27)

Agree - disagree?

Chapter 9 ~
Here we find the argument between Wisdom and Foolishness...again Wisdom is portrayed as a woman calling out to the inexperienced and naive to pursue the way of understanding.

How do we reconcile v. 11?  I have known many wise, godly people who did not live long lives, and yet this verse tells us that Wisdom brings with her added year to our lives.  Again, I think we have to read these verses with spiritual eyes and hear their words with reborn ears...how long will our lives be in eternity?  How many year will be added?  Endless.  Wisdom, godly wisdom that allows us to understand God and His ways, brings us to the life that He alone can give...eternal life.

And then there is the Woman Folly!  Rowdy and gullible, calling as well to the inexperienced and naive, but not to a pursuit of understanding, rather to "stolen water" and "bread eaten in secret" claiming them as sweet and tasty.  Whatever is presented to us to be done in secret can almost always be attributed to that rowdy Woman Folly!  If we must do it in secret, it is most likely something we don't need to be doing.

Chapter 10 ~
This chapter is just packed with verse after verse of Solomon's proverbs.  It is a chapter full of wisdom to be gleaned.  Which is your favorite?  It is hard to pick.

I would love to hear from you stating your favorite proverb out of this chapter.  Mine is v. 17 because I think it is such a good reminder to pay attention:  "The one who follows instruction is on the path to life, but the one who rejects correction goes astray."


Lord, let me follow Your instruction and let me heed Your correction.  I ask for Your correction over my life, wherever I am off Your path, correct me and guide me back.  Don't ever let me get comfortable in the way of foolishness or seduction.  Forgive my failures, and set my path straight.  Thank You for Your Word and for Your grace, mercy and forgiveness through Jesus, my Savior!

This is enough for tonight!  Please let me hear back from you...I'll do a review of the workbook Chapters 4 & 5 tomorrow!

June 16 - Review of Proverbs 4-6 and Intro to Week 4

Starting this week we take a two-fold approach - review of the Scripture in the order presented and covering topics raised in our workbook on Proverbs by LifeChange.

Proverbs 4-6 
Solomon continues his discourse to his "sons", which could be literal children or could be students of Solomon's royal court.  Either way, these are instructions to young people designed to allow them to live the best life and to avoid the pitfalls of foolishness.  These were lessons that would be taught to Jewish children for centuries.  And now, we have access to the wisdom of the world's wisest man, given to him by God.  Are we wise enough to take this wisdom?  Or will we repeat the same foolish mistakes of people through the ages who resist wisdom and choose their own way?

Chapter 4 ~
As I look at verse 3, I can't help but picture Solomon sitting on David's lap, hearing his words of instruction and seeing Bathsheba nearby, with Solomon feeling her adoration, feeling "tender and precious" to his mother.  Solomon remembers the words of his father, and maybe that is why when God asked him what he wanted above all else he responded by saying, "Wisdom."  For in vs. 5-9, David had explained to Solomon the value of wisdom over everything else...wisdom is supreme.

Solomon then advises that there are two roads in life and everyone gets to choose which one they will travel down.  One is the "Way of Wisdom", the other is the "Path of the Wicked".  The first is a walkway of light that gets brighter and brighter, while the second is a path of the darkest gloom, full of pitfalls and stumbling blocks that you can't even see.  To stay on the Way of Wisdom we are told we must guard our hearts and keep our eyes looking straight ahead.  Don't even consider getting off course.

Chapter 5~
Solomon spends this chapter talking about seduction and marriage.  The first half of the chapter is about avoiding seduction, and the ruin that can come from falling into this trap.  The world is full of all kinds of seduction, not only sexual.  We can be pulled off of the Way of Wisdom by any of Satan's guiles.  So whatever your weakness is, you can read 5:1-14 and apply them.

Starting in v. 15, we are told of the blessings of a faithful marriage.  And I can't help but stop and think of what a blessing this truly is.  I look at couples who have been married 60 years and the history they have built together, the cohesiveness of their family, and the example they are to their children and grandchildren.  As my husband and I are a second marriage couple, we envy that.  It is something we cannot have due to times that we did not follow the Way of Wisdom, God's way.  We listened to the "wisdom" of the 1980s that told us divorce is OK, children recover, and you deserve to be happy.  While God has brought us through the error of our ways and through repentance and forgiveness we enjoy His blessings today, the result is still the same. We miss the blessing of a complete, intact family unit.  If you have that, understand that it is important and God wants you to value it.

Again, I think these verses can also be applied "spiritually" in that God is calling us to be faithful to HIM.  Don't wander off, don't embrace any other.

Chapter 6~
Oh my what a chapter!  SO much wisdom! We are told not to get into financial traps with a neighbor or a stranger.  When we realize we're in something where someone else has control over us, we need to get out of it. We are also told not to be lazy - to look at our little example, the ant, who prepares or winter.  We are told not to be a sneak, making dishonest plans and stirring up trouble.

Then we have the list of things God hates, and this reminds me of a discussion that my son and I had just the other night.  We are constantly being bombarded with the idea that "hate" is a very bad virtue, that there is nothing we should hate.  Well, God hates.

God hates: arrogant eyes (prideful eyes that look down on anyone), a lying tongue (any falsehood), hands that shed innocent blood (what can be more innocent than a baby in the womb?), a heart that plots wicked schemes (those that work against God and His ways, bringing about destruction), feet eager to run to evil (just can't wait to get there!), a lying witness that gives false testimony (and thereby incriminates an innocent person), and finally the one who stirs up trouble among brothers (those that cause division among families and among God's family, the church).

What do you think about God's hate and does that allow us also to hate?

The remainder of Chapter 6 is a warning against adultery.  When you read through these verses, again, apply spiritual meaning.  In the Old Testament, God warns Israel about committing adultery against Him.  This meant being unfaithful.  While we certainly want to be faithful in our marriages, and all the warnings in these verses apply in that context, we supremely want to be faithful to God and not commit adultery with the world, who can be a very seductive lover.

Please Lord, keep our hearts guarded, and keep our love for You burning hot so that we will not be tempted away from You!

OK - not for a quick review of workbook material!  I'm just going to list some things that I thought especially noteworthy.  PLEASE add your comments as well!!

Page 32 gives us a "bullet list" of wisdom contained in Proverbs 3-4:

• Importance of Scripture memory
• Trusting God
• Turning from sin
• Proper attitude toward money
• God's discipline
• Living fearlessly
• Love for neighbors
• Humility
• Avoiding bad company
• Disciplining the body

Go back through those two chapters and see if you can identify where these subjects are covered.  If we would style our lives to incorporate this list of wisdom, we would all be better off.  What do you need to add to your lifestyle?  Ask God to help you with that.

Lesson Three (p. 37-45) covers the three kinds of people that follow the path of folly:
1.  The Mocker
2.  The Simple
3.  The Foolish

Of all three, I would least like to be known as a mocker.  This is the person that Proverbs 21:24 tells us has the primary trait of pride --- they are the person who always takes someone else down in order to push themselves ahead.  The Hebrew word (luwts) brings with it the picture of someone who scorns, talks arrogantly, boasts, derides others.  They are the braggart, the showboat, the one who never needs to listen, because they already have all the answers and, besides that, they are smarter than anyone else anyway.  They certainly do not need to, or intend to, humble themselves before God. Forgive me, Lord, for ever behaving in this manner...and please, please, keep me from ever being like this again!

The simple are those who are gullible, believing anything anyone tells them.  They walk right into danger, not even realizing where they are headed.  At first we are prone to feel sorry for this type of person, after all, they can't really help it.  But then we have to remember, God has promised us wisdom if we will ask.  He has told us that He will guide our steps if we will seek Him.  So, the simple may be sweet and gullible and pulled into places by others who have more evil intent, but they are still not seeking the Way of Wisdom.  They have been lackadaisical in their focus and they end up on the way of folly.

The last category is the fool.  The fool is pictured as one who is undisciplined and unrestrained.  They are constantly looking for the easy way out, they are chasing fantasies, waiting for the next best thing, the "pie in the sky".  They lose their cool quickly, give full vent to their anger and are hard-headed and resistant to correction.  Again, I feel pride is in the heart of the fool --- they feel they are going to figure out a better way to make big money quick because they are smarter than the average bear!

And where do all three of these types of people end up?  On the path of folly...it leads to no good end, and then who do they blame?  God.  The One that they resisted the whole time.

Solomon tells us to be wary of fools...hanging around with foolish people can make you behave foolishly!  You put yourself in danger because of their tendencies to overreact.  And you are wasting your breath when you argue with a fool...they have no interest in hearing your wisdom.

It makes me consider how I react when people correct me or disagree with me.  Am I open to hearing what they have to say, knowing that maybe, just maybe, they may be bringing wisdom into my life?  I don't want to be a fool without realizing it.

OK - I've gone on way too long!  IT IS YOUR TURN...let me know what you've seen in your study so far!  

Thank You Lord for Your wisdom that you are so ready to share with us.  Thank You for giving us this day to walk in Your way.  Help us to be ready to share You and Your Word with those that come in our path today, knowing that it is the way of light and life.  Clear our paths, Lord, so that we can be unhindered in growing more and more into the likeness of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Thank You, Jesus, for dying for us and providing salvation for us so that we will live in Your presence forever...in an atmosphere of absolute wisdom.  Oh, what a glorious place that will be!

June 8 - Review of Proverbs 1-3 and Intro to Week 2!

Proverbs 1-3 ~
As I started out saying earlier in the week - Wow!  Solomon does not hesitate in his admonitions to us, does he?  He dives right in, packing these first three chapters with a multitude of advice for good living --- Godly living.

I think the first question we really have to ask ourselves as we enter this book is, "Do we really want to be wise?"  If we do, then we have God's inspired Word in front of us to start us on that journey.  But if we don't, then let's dig deeper and see what is it that is keeping us from seeking?  Is it a lack of confidence?  We shouldn't have that because James tells us that if any lack wisdom all we have to do is ask God for it, He will not deny us.  (James 1:3)  I think more often, it's complacency and laziness.  We feel like we've reached a level of being "OK" with God, and we're just not ready to spend the time and effort to go further.  That's not where God wants us, and that's not where Proverbs is ready to leave us.  Hopefully, we're all ready to dig into this book and mine its treasures for us.

So, Chapter 1 -
Starting out, Solomon gives us five purposes for these Proverbs in which he is about to instruct his student:
1. To gain wisdom
2. To be instructed
3. To be able to understand wise/insightful sayings
4. To learn righteousness, justice & integrity
5. To become shrewd, not naive, and to gain knowledge & discretion

Then in v. 7, Solomon shares the well known words of, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, fools despise wisdom and instruction."  This led to Debbie's comment in the week of what the "fear of the LORD" actually is and my reply back to her.  (See comment on earlier post.)  How do YOU view the "fear of the LORD?"  Please share your thoughts.  One other thing that I had noted was that fearing the Lord, brings with it humility.  When we view God as our ultimate authority, then we view ourselves as His creation, never His equal.  Fools despise God's wisdom because they have asserted themselves as equally wise.

Chapter One goes on to warn against joining up with sinners/those bent toward violence and dishonesty.  And that Wisdom is crying out to us...calling to all to turn toward her!  We have a choice!

Now, I have a challenge for you...how do you view v. 28?  "Then they will call to me, but I won't answer; they will search for me, but won't find me."  I'm opening this up for discussion!  

I also note that v. 33 says that those who listen to Wisdom, will live free from the "fear of danger."  I note that because there are many in the world today severely suffering for their faith, so they are not free of danger...but I hear multiple stories of how they are not fearful.  They live securely because they know where their true security lies, and fear has been removed because of their confidence in God.

Chapter 2 ~
This is the Chapter that has the multiple "IF / THEN" comparisons.  I really liked the question posed on page 21 of the workbook (Question 11) - "Many people ask, 'How can I know God's will?' According to 2:1-9, what are some concrete steps to take?"  How did you answer that?

Here's what I saw: Store up His commands within me - Listen to God's wisdom - Direct my heart toward Him - Call out to Him for insight - Pray for understanding - Seek His knowledge & wisdom above all earthly gain - Live with integrity - Be loyal to God and His ways!

In Proverbs 2:20 it says, "So follow the way of good people and keep to the paths of the righteous." This was a reminder to me to surround myself with people who are leading lives that I admire - lives that I want to emulate.  These people will not be perfect, but they can serve as a great encouragement to me!  This doesn't mean that we don't also allow areas of our lives to be with people who are not living godly, in order to bring them to God's wisdom.  But we need to be mindful to be balanced in our companionships.

Chapter 3 ~
Who doesn't want to find favor with God & man?  It reminds me of the verse in Luke 2:52 that says that as Jesus grew up, He "increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people."  There's our perfect example!  In Proverbs 3:3 it tells us that 1) loyalty and 2) faithfulness bring this high regard.  Other translations say 1) kindness and 2) truth - the core meaning of the two words is:
1) unswerving fidelity, constancy
2) and rock-solid integrity and trustworthiness.

One of the most quoted Proverbs is found in 3:5-6 - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths."  I loved the note on p. 27 of the workbook, "This means more than guidance; it means God removes the obstacles, making a smooth path or way of life, or perhaps better, bringing one to the appointed goal."  The question was raised of how this related to Abraham's life...well Abraham certainly trusted God when he didn't understand, and God certainly brought hi to the appointed goal, didn't He?  It also reminds me of Philippians 1:6 that says, "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion."

Chapter 3 also starts many verses with either "Do not" or "Don't"...I count seven.
"Don't consider yourself to be wise" v. 7
"Do not despise the Lord's instruction...and do not loathe His discipline" v. 11
"Don't fear sudden danger or the ruin of the wicked when it comes, for the LORD will be your confidence." v. 25-26
"Don't say to your neighbor, "Go away! Come back later. I'll give it tomorrow---" v. 28
"Don't plan any harm against your neighbor" v. 29
"Don't accuse anyone without cause" v. 30
"Don't envy a violent man or choose any of his ways" v. 31,

Those are pretty good "Don'ts" aren't they?  If we will remember the don'ts we will avoid a lot of "getting off the path" times.  In the middle of all of these don'ts, though, are verses 13-18, which give us the blessings of finding Godly wisdom.  That is where we want to live, because those who "hold on to her are blessed."

Pray with me the words of Chapter 2:1-5
LORD, let us accept Your words and store them up within our hearts.  Let us listen closely to Your wisdom and direct our hearts to Your understanding.  Let us call out for Your insight, and lift our voices to understand You.  Let us seek Your wisdom as the greatest treasure ever given, and let us come to understand the true fear of the LORD and discover Your knowledge so that we can live lives that are pleasing to You, our sovereign and gracious King!

Our first week is accomplished!   What have you garnered in the way of Godly wisdom this week?  Please share what God is showing you and any other questions or comments that you may have!

On to week 2 ~ read Proverbs 4-6.  Make notes as you go along as to questions or comments you may have.

For those of you using the book, which I think most are, we will be reading through Proverbs in order, but we will also cover material in the book, which after Chapter 4 goes more by topic than by chapter order.  So while we will read Proverbs 4-6, we will also cover in our books, pages 31-45.

Loving God's Word and loving studying it with you!

Janice

Checking in....

OK - I hope you are all well into the first three chapters of Proverbs!

The study guide asks a question on Page 22 that I would be interested in hearing some of your responses.  "What is the main way you would like to see your life change as a result of studying Proverbs?"

What's your answer to that?  No right or wrongs on this one....just what change do you hope to see?

For me, I would like to gain more of God's wisdom and then be more confident that I am living in His wisdom, every day, avoiding the errors of my ways.  So far, I've learned that I must humble myself and admit that God's ways are always better than mine, surrender to Him, and let Him direct my paths.  But also, I have to be a determined seeker...I need to make gaining God's wisdom my passion, just as if I were told, "there's gold in those hills!" and would set off with my pick or my pan determined to find the mother lode!  We have been told there IS treasure within God's Word...we should be excited about the prospect of finding such valuable treasure that money can never buy.

So what's your reason for being in Proverbs today?  PLEASE, come on and comment!!  If you're trying and can't get it done, e-mail me and I'll post for you! ( janicehodges1356@gmail.com ) --- I really want this study to be interactive, it's just as important for you to share your ideas as it is for me to share mine!

Loving God's Word and hoping this Saturday morning finds you in love with Him and enjoying this beautiful day!

In His Amazing Love,

Janice

June 1 --- Day One of our study of Proverbs - God's Book of Wisdom!

It's exciting, isn't it?  Starting something new?  Well, this is really new for all of us.  We may hit some bumps in the road, but we're doing something different...and, hopefully, worthwhile!  Summer, sometimes, can be when we vacation---from both work and, regrettably, from Bible study.  I hope this will keep us in the discipline of staying in God's Word through this summertime...it's such a beautiful time of year, let's not ignore the Creator of the beauty around us!  It's often a time we get to spend a little more time with friends and family, let's put God's Word in us regularly so we can have the most Christian influence possible around those we love the most.  I'm reminded of the verse in 2nd Corinthians, speaking of the aroma that we are to have as Christians.  In the summertime we have the beautiful fragrance of flowers around us, but WE are to be a beautiful fragrance as well.
But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.  2 Corinthians 2:14

If we are to spread the aroma of the knowledge of Jesus wherever we go, then we must possess that knowledge.  We are to be the ones going before Christ's triumphal return, much like John the Baptist preceded His first coming, spreading the wonderful fragrance of His good news for all men.  Let's be inspired today to seek His knowledge.

We might ask, "So what does the study of the Book of Proverbs have to do with the knowledge of Jesus?"  Everything.  I believe every word written in all of the Bible points us to Jesus in one way or another.  That may be part of our quest...to see Jesus written in these words.  I think what we will come to find is that Jesus is our human picture of the wisdom that Proverbs describes.  Jesus is the One that portrays how a life looks when lived under the guiding principles of Proverbs.

So, with all of that said (see, I can type about as fast as I can talk...and just as much!), let's look at The Book of Proverbs.  As I stated earlier, I'm going to be using the LifeChange Bible Study Series on Proverbs alongside my Bible.  I like these study books because they are very much a tool to accompany your Bible, offering historical background, word definitions, and explanatory notes, without taking precedence over the Bible itself.  One of their objectives that I like is "to teach you by example how to study a book of the Bible without structured guides." The guide is 15 lessons---I won't be going through them lesson by lesson because we only have 9 weeks.  But I will reference things that are pointed out that I feel worthwhile to look at.

Today, I'm quoting from the book's introduction:
"As Psalms is the hymnbook of the Old Testament, so Proverbs is its teacher's manual.  The moral maxims found there were used in ancient Israel to help the young acquire mental skills that promote wise living.  Both the content of the proverbs and their structure contributed to the student's development.
"The word proverb comes from a verb meaning 'to be like, to be compared with, to be parallel, to be similar.'  Hence, a proverb is simply a form of communicating truth by using comparisons or figures of speech.  As brief maxims, the proverbs crystallize and condense the writers' experiences and observations.  The concentrated saying cause the reader to chew on them until the truth is extracted and digested.  The reward for this effort is wisdom."

I love those last two sentences.  Let's chew, extract, digest and gain all the wisdom possible out of these proverbs, written by wise King Solomon, who had the innate wisdom to ask for God's wisdom. (1 Kings 3:5-15)

Let us make that same, humble request as we enter into this study.

Our Father in heaven, please hear our hearts' requests as we come into this book that You have given us.  Let us hear these words and apply them to our lives.  Let us honor You by lives well-lived.  Let us spread the aroma of the knowledge of the perfect life of Jesus, our Savior, wherever we go.  It is YOU we seek to please.  Let us do that.  Fill us with Your Spirit and let us allow Your power to show itself in our lives each day.  We ask these things in Jesus' holy name and through His blood that saves us from our sins.  Amen.

Starting off -- this week read Proverbs Chapters 1 through 3.  As you read, please post comments, questions or just thoughts that you note as you go through these chapters.  That way, we will feel connected as a group.

We're doing this!  Let's start!