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!!