Proverbs 31

Proverbs 31

We talk so much about the "Proverbs 31 woman" that we forget there is an earlier part of the chapter with 4 verses warning against alcohol and a couple advising against "giving your strength to women."

31:11 "The heart of her husband trusts in her, And he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil All the days of her life." The Proverbs 31 Woman is definitely a high standard, but start at the beginning and let God mold you and shape you into the person you are to be. Start with your relationship with your husband. Too many marriages suffer because the wife is too busy trying to do later verses in chapter 31 (verse 16 about being an entrepreneur) before simply being his helpmate, friend, wife, etc.

Pro 31:25 "Strength and dignity are her clothing, And she smiles at the future." - I love that poetry. Oh, that we all could wear "strength and dignity" about us wherever we go and that we could "smile at the future." Great questions for us all.

Now that you have finished Proverbs, would you do it again? Did you find this "challenge" helpful? stimulating? challenging? Too difficult, too easy? Would you like to see us do it again? Are you up for a bigger challenge :) ?

May you dive into the Word each day and may God bless you with an incredible meal!

Proverbs 30

Proverbs 30

As we near the end of Proverbs, there are 4 things I have learned, 5 or more that I should have listened to: 30:8-9 "Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion, that I not be full and deny {You} and say, "Who is the LORD?" Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God." Staying balanced is crucial. The Lord has given me what He has given me. I'd like to think that I would not dishonor the Lord if either thing happened, but He knows what is best for me. In that I will trust.

Have a blessed day!

Proverbs 29

Proverbs 29

This chapter is full of wisdom for those who are stubborn or easily angered.
Pro 29:1 "A man who hardens {his} neck after much reproof Will suddenly be broken beyond remedy." The only difference between a "stubborn" person and one "with conviction" is what they hold on to. We call a person stubborn when they are holding on to something either selfishly or foolishly. We praise a person "with conviction" because they are holding on to what they believe to be true and right. Lord, help me to be tenacious, but not stubborn.

Pro 29:11, 22 "A fool always loses his temper, But a wise man holds it back... An angry man stirs up strife, And a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression." It is so important that we are not ruled by our emotions but ruled by the Spirit. Easier said than done, but all things are possible through God's strength.

Pro 29:15 "The rod and reproof give wisdom, But a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother." Sometimes it is so much easier to simply give in so that we can have "peace" in our home. Unfortunately when we do that, we are not getting "peace" but giving a "piece" of our authority to children. The challenge to remember is that our goal is not to get the room cleaned, the garbage taken out, or the dishes done, but our goal is raise children who become responsible adults, with soft hearts toward God. When we are beat up and about to give in, we must remember, God has given us authority in the home for that purpose; we are not to give it away to gain a moment's peace.

Have a blessed Lord's Day!

Proverbs 28

Proverbs 28

So many great verses.
Pro 28:2 (NLT) "When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But with wise and knowledgeable leaders, there is stability." Lord, deliver us from leaders who do not have a heart for you. May you root out the cancer and elect godly leaders.

Pro 28:9 "He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, Even his prayer is an abomination." This verse and verses like Isaiah 59:1-2 show us that God does not listen to the prayer of the ungodly. He only hears the prayer of the penitent. We must humble ourselves first.

Pro 28:13 "He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes {them} will find compassion." This goes against my very nature. When I stumble and fall, my natural desire is to cover it up and hide it. Yet only through confession do we find true freedom. Not that we need to publish our sins on a blog everyday, but the scripture says to "confess our sins one to another..." (James 5:16). If we don't "feel" forgiven, it is because we have not repented or are not believing God at His Word - "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

Pro 28:23 "He who rebukes a man will afterward find {more} favor Than he who flatters with the tongue." So often if we would just be straight with people, they would respect us more. Yet, the world says, "be nice," "make them feel good." The bible says, tell the truth in love. Oh, that we all would be able to do that.

Proverbs 27

Proverbs 27

This is another one of those chapters full of pithy truths.
27:5 "Better is open rebuke Than love that is concealed." This verse reminds me how rarely I tell those close to me that I love them. I tell my wife, Lori, that I love her everyday, but sometimes I fall into habits and don't go out of my way to show that love to her. She knows that I love her, but that love is concealed. Once concealed, the enemy can come in and spread seeds of doubt or just churn things up. The same is true with my other relationships. How rare for us to really take the time to let people know how much we appreciate them. I appreciate all of you who have taken on the Proverbs Challenge. We are nearing the end and if you are reading this, you are probably one of the few. But the Lord will bless your perseverance. Thank you for reading and sharing. I have been blessed!

27:17 "Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another." Here is what this blog is all about, seeing what wonderful things God has put in the heart of each person who reads this and how we can sharpen one another with the treasures gleaned.

Proverbs 26

Proverbs 26



Great advice regarding fools. The challenge is to apply to our everyday life. It is easy to discern the foolish things of others but much harder to see it in ourselves.


26:5-6 "Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Or you will also be like him. Answer a fool as his folly deserves, That he not be wise in his own eyes." My natural, carnal wisdom, is to treat a foolish statement with a like response. Yet, I will look just as foolish. Instead I must respond in the Spirit with an appropriate response.

Lord, may I recognize foolish choices for what they are and instead choose your way of wisdom.

Proverbs 25

Proverbs 25

25:8-10 (NLT) "Don't be in a hurry to go to court. You might go down before your neighbors in shameful defeat. So discuss the matter with them privately. Don't tell anyone else, or others may accuse you of gossip. Then you will never regain your good reputation." It is easier to complain about people to others than to simply go directly to the person involved and deal with the problem. We live in a litigious society and very few people have the integrity to try to work out a problem. Instead we gossip and try to destroy another's character or opt to threaten lawsuits which result in lose-lose for everyone except the lawyers.

25:11 "Like apples of gold in settings of silver Is a word spoken in right circumstances." Words are powerful for they communicate thoughts, emotions, and wisdom. Everyday we have the opportunity to share rotten apples (gossip, malice, bitterness, dissension) or golden apples (the Word of God, words of edification, words of encouragement, support, love...) Which words will you use today?

25:28 (NLT) "A person without self-control is as defenseless as a city with broken-down walls." If we lack self control in any area, the Enemy has easy access to control us. We may have think we have "everything under control" but if there is even one area of compromise (lust of the eyes, anger, alcohol/drugs, etc) we can be controlled by him and open ourselves to great ruin.

Proverbs 24

Proverbs 24

24:29 "Do not say, 'Thus I shall do to him as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.'" Just as we discussed last Wednesday at church, we tend to want to take the Golden Rule and turn it on its head, an evil twist on "an eye for an eye." When someone does something distasteful to us, we think, "I'm going to show him how it feels..." We forget that the Lord says "Vengeance is mine." Our human wisdom wants to try to get others to feel as we do, but God's standard says to love the person and serve him/her regardless what he has done to us. Impossible to do unless we are walking in the Spirit.

24:33-34 "A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest," Then your poverty will come {as} a robber And your want like an armed man."
Sometimes we just get so tired that we need to rest. The problem is inertia sets in ("objects at rest tend to stay at rest, objects in motion tend to stay in motion"). If we cultivate a habit of being at rest, we never have the energy for anything. If we are moving, in motion, seeking the Lord, and looking expectantly for His leading, He will guide us and continue to give us the strength to "run and not grow weary." God designed us with a need to rest (one day in 7). We should have a lifestyle of remaining in the Lord, resting in Him. But resting does not equate with inactivity or putting off until "tomorrow." God created us for service unto Him.

Proverbs 23

Proverbs 23

23:13 "Do not hold back discipline from the child, Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die." God knows us so well and how fearful many people are of corporal punishment. He affirms that the child "will not die." In fact, Solomon says, "You shall strike him with the rod And rescue his soul from Sheol." A little discipline can go a long way toward helping people follow the truth and keep from sin. Of course some people take discipline too far, but generally speaking most people simply aren't consistent enough.

Proverbs 22

Proverbs 22

22:1 "A good name is to be more desired than great wealth, Favor is better than silver and gold." Notice it doesn't say popularity, but a "good name." It is not so much making sure people think well of you, but doing well so that you are associated with integrity. A good name, once lost, is rarely recovered.

22:3 " The prudent sees the evil and hides himself, But the naive go on, and are punished for it." The prudent not only see evil and turn away so as to not go to evil, but the prudent hide from evil. Evil comes looking for all of us. Are our spiritual eyes open enough to see the signs of evil as it approaches, or are we so busy doing our own thing that we don't even notice that we are being pursued by the Enemy of our souls, subtly seducing us into compromise?

Lord, may my name be associated with integrity, not for my glory, but for yours. May I pursue your righteousness and godliness and hide from every evil thing.

Proverbs 21

Proverbs 21

21:19 "It is better to live in a desert land Than with a contentious and vexing woman." Probably the most unattractive thing a wife can do is to nag her husband. Verse 9 says, "It is better to live in a corner of a roof Than in a house shared with a contentious woman." Most women are longing for a deep communicative relationship with their husbands; yet, nothing will send him emotionally packing like constant nagging. Prov 27:15-16 is similar, "A constant dripping on a day of steady rain And a contentious woman are alike; He who would restrain her restrains the wind, And grasps oil with his right hand."

21:31 "The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But victory belongs to the LORD."We need to prepare ourselves to battle for the Lord, to be ready to answer his call, to be sensitive to the Spirit. We need to "study to show ourselves approved" and "always be ready to give a defense..." We need to prepare - and part of that is pre-prayer, get our hearts right before we are in the midst of the battle. When we have done that, "no weapon formed against us will prosper." Ultimately, the victory is the Lord, but we have a responsibility to be prepared.

Lord, help us to not be nagging and contentious when dealing with our spouse, family or others. Help us to follow through and do what needs to be done, so that we are vessels, ready to be used by You.

Proverbs 20

Proverbs 20

20:2-3 "The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion; He who provokes him to anger forfeits his own life. Keeping away from strife is an honor for a man, But any fool will quarrel."

How easy it is to quarrel! Whether our boss, our neighbor, our brother, spouse or parent, sometimes we feel we just have to be right. We have to prove our point and we provoke to anger and wonder why the other person is upset. But "keeping away from strife is an honor." Anyone can pick a fight or quarrel with someone, but it is much harder to avoid strife and keep integrity. If we never worried about people knowing we were right, we would have a lot less strife. Of course we can't compromise The Truth, but if we are truly focused on taking up our cross daily, life becomes much simpler (not necessarily easier, but simpler).

Proverbs 19

Proverbs 19

Sorry, folks, I thought I had posted, but apparently I had not. My apologies to you blog junkies ready to post.

19:2 "Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge, And he who hurries his footsteps errs. " When we get in a hurry, we get into trouble. Everyone (except the Lord) wants us to make a quick decision. Satan wants us to make a decision without knowledge, to simply look at the beautiful fruit and eat it. The car salesman reminds us that the car we love so much may be gone tomorrow and the other salesman tells us the product is only on special today. They all want hurried decisions. The Lord, on the other hand, wants us to count the cost and make a wise decision. Whether the decision is to follow the Lord or to make a purchase, we are to seek knowledge and understanding and decide if the consequences are worth it. In the case of salvation, the consequences are incredible but obedience to the Lord may cost you your earthly life.

19:18 "Discipline your son while there is hope, And do not desire his death." Apparently Solomon had some hyperactive kids and knew the frustration parents go through. I think the key point here is to discipline starting from as early as possible; it is much harder to try to redirect your children later in life when they "think they know everything."

19:19 "{A man of} great anger will bear the penalty, For if you rescue {him,} you will only have to do it again." Anger can destroy lives, not only of others, but the one who allows his emotions to rule him. He who angers you, controls you. Be controlled by no one, but be filled with the Spirit and ruled by Him.

Proverbs 18

Proverbs 18



18:2 "A fool does not delight in understanding, But only in revealing his own mind" and 18:13 "He who gives an answer before he hears, It is folly and shame to him." How hard it is to listen! Even though God gave us two ears and one mouth, most of us are more interested in speaking our own mind than understanding someone else. Maybe its pride, maybe its insecurity, maybe it is the need to be understood, but most people won't take the time or energy to truly put themselves behind the eyes of others. If we could simply see things from an other's perspective, we would understand why they act and think as they do. Too often we simply dismiss others as foolish, selfish, evil, or stupid. The more I take the time to truly understand someone else, the more I realize that even the strangest actions are done based on the "rational information" someone else has. Their information maybe be flawed, but they don't know it. The same is true for most non-believers. They have been given wrong information, deceived by the enemy and make poor choices. Of course our sinful nature bears responsibility, but too often the roots go much deeper.



18:11 "A rich man's wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own imagination." Great verse. Riches can be deceitful, giving a false sense of security. Yet, no one knows what will happen tomorrow, or even tonight for that matter. Do you trust in your job, your bank account, your insurance benefits, your retirement or the Lord?



Lord, may we take the time to try to see things from Your perspective, to understand Your heart and trust You fully.

Proverbs 17

Proverbs 17

17:5 "He who mocks the poor taunts his Maker; He who rejoices at calamity will not go unpunished." I never connected that to poke fun at others (especially the poor) is to taunt God, their Creator and mine. It is so easy to make fun of the eccentricities of others, and yet, how ungodly! Lord forgive us when we put ourselves above others in any way.

17:9 "He who conceals a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates intimate friends." reminds me of 1 Peter 4:8 "Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins." and 1 Cor 13 - "love keeps no record of wrongs..." We always seem to keep a scorecard. We don't intend to, but when things get tough so often we get "historical" remembering the sins of others. That is Satanic! Only Satan will throw our sins before us after we've been forgiven. Satan loves to condemn us and make us feel bad; the Lord will convict us, so that we will turn from our sin. Love will protect others integrity, covering the sins of others not to deceive but so as to demonstrate forgiveness. When you are tempted to point out the failures of others, consider this verse, "He who conceals a transgression seeks love."

Proverbs 16

Proverbs 16



Verse 2: "All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, But the LORD weighs the motives." From our perspective, there is a good reason for everything we do, so our ways are "clean in our own sight." But God sees in the spiritual and can recognize when we are simply rationalizing our carnal desires. nothing is hid from His sight.



Proverbs 16:24: "Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." We should strive to say words and think thoughts that bring healing to others. It should be a lifestyle that we adopt, not simply to "sweeten" others up, but to truly minister to them.


Finally, Proverbs 16:32 "He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city." What a verse for those who struggle with anger! Having control over the anger demonstrates the Spirit is in control.

Proverbs 15

Proverbs 15



More on the tongue, anger and the like. We just can't get away from it. Verse 1: "A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger." It is so easy to respond in the same way we have been spoken to, yet Jesus had a different standard. Respond in gentleness, meekness and you can turn away wrath. Don't contribute to the flames by speaking harshly (even if it is true). Speak the truth in love, kindness and truth (Proverbs 3). This chapter is full of the contrast between the choice word



Verse 4. "A soothing tongue is a tree of life, But perversion in it crushes the spirit" Not only are we to speak gently and truthfully, but we are to use our words to bring the healing oil of Jesus Christ. Let's look for opportunities to congratulate, honor, and bless others, in order to bring healing.

Proverbs 14

Proverbs 14

Mmmmhmmm! Lots of good stuff here.
"The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish tears it down with her own hands." (14:1) This verse is so similar to yesterdays, "she who shames [her husband] is as rottenness to his bones." The godly woman will build up her husband and show him respect, but so many instead tear their husbands down and wonder why he is not the spiritual leader. Many men work hard all day and come home to a nagging wife, tearing her husband down further, so he retreats into mindless TV, video games, or other diversions. A vicious cycle with both people at fault, but enough on the wives already!

Verse 4, "Where no oxen are, the manger is clean, But much revenue {comes} by the strength of the ox." - So often we don't want to get our hands dirty, we don't want to take a chance, take a risk and step out in faith. We fear that if we do, we will have a mess to clean up. We forget that there are no "chances" with God; simply walking by faith in obedience. We should follow Pastor Chuck Smith's lead and "venture in faith." Where God guides, he will provide, he will bless, he will confirm his direction.

Finally, one last verse I have to comment on: Verse 7 "Leave the presence of a fool, Or you will not discern words of knowledge." If we can't discern which way to go, maybe we have too many foolish people around us cluttering our minds. We need to reach out to our friends, but we also need to recognize when we are brought down by the worldly thoughts of our friends. Do you have friends that are always talking about spiritual things? Do you have other friends that hardly talk about the Lord? Where do you spend your time? If you are spending your time with the friends that don't talk about the Lord, or don't even know Him, are you lovingly sharing the gospel with them? If not, why? Are those friendships "spurring you on to love and good deeds" or reminiscing your carnal days? Either be a leader and direct the conversation to spiritual things, demonstrate your love and compassion and tell the truth, or consider spending more time with your spiritual friends until you are strong enough to be bolder with the others.

Lord, give us the wisdom to know what to do, and the courage to do it regardless of the cost.

Proverbs 13

Proverbs 13

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick" - verse 12. The Christian faith is a hope in Christ. But that hope is not like hope how we normally think about it. It is a "sure hope", something we know for sure. Yet, if we take away someone's hope, the heart grows sick. Nothing makes you feel as awful as the feeling of hopelessness. It feels like the bottom has dropped out and we are continually falling wondering, "when will it end?" Yet, as Christians, we have hope and need not experience that falling feeling. Only when we disbelieve God does hopelessness enter. Abraham believed God and God's promises weren't fulfilled for years; yet, Abraham had hope. The hope wasn't deferred, but the fulfillment of the promises was. He could continue to believe, and thrive and live. Have you lost hope? Then you are doubting God's promises: to never leave you nor forsake, to never be separated from His love, to provide for all of your needs, to give you the strength to do everything He has called you to...

One last thought on this chapter. Verse 24: "He who withholds his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently." Notice is says "diligently", not "gently." Discipline is part of being a parent. We are charged with the task of discipling our children. There are a variety of methods, but the key is discipline needs to be diligent, consistent, expected. When children know that they did wrong and that you are simply meeting out the punishment "they chose" (through disobedience), then children can begin to understand and learn to control their behavior. When we become the punishment, through shouting, frustration and the like, children never learn responsibility for their behavior and think that it is your fault. Lack of personal responsibility is probably the greatest blight on our society today. People were never taught to take responsibility for their actions, so anything that goes wrong is because of someone else. The result is workers with no drive, no sense of responsibility or desire to excel, workers that give up when something becomes even marginally challenging. The Lord is trying to teach each of us the same lesson, yet we don't want to be held responsible for that either!

Lord, help us to learn these lessons and pass them on.

Proverbs 12

Proverbs 12

This proverb overturns what my mom told me, "Never call someone stupid." Throughout the proverbs Solomon has been pointing out the fool, but in verse one he actually calls someone "stupid." "Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, But he who hates reproof is stupid" (Prov 12:1). How hard it is to receive correction (we discussed this before).

Another great verse for this chapter is verse 4: "An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, But she who shames him is like rottenness in his bones. " I wish all wives could understand the power of this verse. An excellent wife will honor her husband, make him look good (not point out his flaws). The wife that is always exposing her husband's sins and failures is like a cancer eating away at the soul of her husband. Every time she corrects him in front of others, or any time she makes a fool of herself, it reflects upon him. I am thankful that God has blessed me with an excellent wife, but she wasn't always that way. She was an excellent fiancee before that. ;)

Proverbs 11

Proverbs 11

Great chapter highlighting the differences between the righteous and the wicked. After reading of the terrible consequences for wickedness, who would want to be "wicked?!?" Nevertheless, we forget the words and the consequences (verse 8: "The righteous is delivered from trouble, but the wicked takes his place.") This is a chapter we could read everyday and chew on the consequences of each sin. By chewing on it, we will be able to see more objectively when choosing between righteousness and wickedness in "real life."

"With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered." - verse 9. Solomon begins to hammer away at the damage our tongue can do. It is so easy for us to "destroy" our neighbor, even unintentionally. A little gossip, a little frustrated word said in anger and there we go again, down that same road. Verse 12 is very revealing: "He who despises his neighbor lacks sense, But a man of understanding keeps silent." We all have problems with our neighbors, or coworkers, or supervisors, or someone. The question is, "how will we choose to handle that conflict?" Everyone gets frustrated or has a little conflict with at least someone on the planet. The man of understand keeps silent and doesn't share it or speak. The fool, however, despises his neighbor and publicize it to the world.

Lord, give us the wisdom to see clearly the path of your righteousness and give us the courage to choose wisdom in all things.

Proverbs 10

Proverbs 10

"...the babbling fool will be ruined." (verse 8, 10). Sometimes I say too much. I'm talking and I'm not totally thinking about what I say before I say it. Eventually I say something that as I rehear it in my mind, I really didn't want to say. Now I have to find a way to "un-say it." That only makes it worse. I think Solomon has really hit on something here. Twice in this chapter he writes, "the babbling fool will be ruined" and several times he uses similar phrases. Words are powerful, we must watch what we say, so that we don't dishonor the Lord in any way. Sometimes when we talk without our brain engaged, our true colors come out. This can be good and bad; God dealing with our heart. I'd much rather deal with my heart in private, though. Later on Solomon writes, "even a fool is thought wise if he remains silent" (Proverbs 17:28)

Lord, help me to control my tongue. May I only use it to build others up, to proclaim God's truth, and to share His love.

Proverbs 9

Proverbs 9


"Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you,
Reprove a wise man and he will love you." - Proverbs 9:8.

When someone reproves me, it is so easy to try to justify my actions. I have a reason for what I do and my natural inclination is to defend myself. But wisdom says to listen and learn. The wise man loves reproof, for it leads him into a fuller understanding of the truth. The wise man is more concerned with 'truth" than how he looks or is perceived by others. When someone points out my errors, I have a choice to respond as a scoffer or learn and respond like the wise man. My struggle is to respond in wisdom. Does anyone else have the same struggle?

Proverbs 8

Proverbs 8

Wisdom. There is nothing better. Verse 17 records, "Those who diligently seek me, will find me." I love this promise. So often I feel that I lack wisdom and don't know what to do. But God's Word promises that if I seek Him diligently, I will find the answers that I need. The parallel is in James where he writes, "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him." (James 1:5)

Ask Him. He's waiting to give it to you, to lead you, guide you and direct you.

Proverbs 7

Proverbs 7

Another chapter filled with warnings against adultery and sexual promiscuity. Solomon wanted to make sure that his sons knew how damaging sexual immorality is. Yet, there are some other gems of wisdom buried here as well. In verses 2 and 3 he writes, "Keep my commandments and live, And my teaching as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart." As a child, I remember writing things on my hand so that I wouldn't forget. Solomon tells us to "bind" the commandments on our hand. I think the hand is an appropriate place to put those reminders since we look at them often throughout the day. The wedding band on my finger is a reminder that I belong to someone and she belongs to me; we are committed to one another and have no need to look elsewhere. When I gave my future wife an engagement ring, I believe that the beauty of the ring (however small) caught her eye throughout the day. She wouldn't have dreamed of putting her hand in mud or paint with that precious ring on. So it is with God's Word, if we truly value it and treasure it, every time our hand is tempted to sin, we should shrink back in disgust. Unfortunately, over time, if the ring is not cared for, it loses its luster and beauty and we overlook potential hazards.

Lord, refresh our memory of the beauty of Your Word. May You remind us of Your truth every time we are tempted to sin or walk in the flesh. May we wear Your Word not only in tokens on our fingers and wrists, but on our character and our hearts.

Proverbs 6

Proverbs 6

Sexual immorality is so deceitful. The lure, the bait, looks like it will meet our needs, desires and wants. Whether it is inner lonelines, sexual fulfillment, or whatever empty spot we have in our heart, the enemy lies to us to say, "This will satisfy." Yet, it is a lie! Satan blinds us to the truth that in the end we will be "reduced to a loaf of bread." We think that we can play with fire and not get burned. What is most amazing is that these words were written by Solomon. Later in life he neglected his own counsel and was deceived into thinking that he could handle multiple wives, that he was smart enough to "play with fire" and not get burned (1 Kings 11). The Bible records that it eventually led him into the worship of other gods, the gods of his other wives. How could this wisest man on the planet be so foolish? Because Satan blinds us to the consequences, making us think that "we can handle it." We don't count the cost and end up losing everything (reduced to a loaf of bread).

Lord, please place godly men and women in our lives who will shake us back to reality when we even toy with temptation. Help us to build hedges around our relationships to keep them pure and holy.

Proverbs 5

Proverbs 5

"Keep your way far from her and do not go near the door of her house." - Prov 5:8. Temptation , whether sexual or otherwise, always tries to draw us out for another look, another thought, another taste. We are never content seeing how far we can stay from the cliff, we want to see how close we can get to it. Yet, if we toy with temptation, "her feet go down to death" (Prov 5:5) and we will go there with her. The chapter closes with 3 powerful verses (quoted here from the New Living Translation):

21 For the Lord sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes.
22 An evil man is held captive by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him.
23 He will die for lack of self-control; he will be lost because of his great foolishness.

If we only remembered verse 21, I think we would avoid much temptation, but we forget that the Lord sees everything, and knows our wicked hearts. Also, ironic that the sin which we think we are going to enjoy, if we continue in it, will become the ropes that bind us, making us slaves to sin. Lord, help us to run from temptation, to "keep our way far from her" and walk in your truth.

Proverbs 4

Proverbs 4

In this chapter, Solomon continues to challenge us to walk in the "way of wisdom." I notice the similarities about "walking securely" (from 3:23) recited again in this chapter (4:12). When we start down the "way of wisdom" sometimes it is totally a walk of faith, trusting God's word, because the world screams at us that God's ways are foolish and old-fashioned. We can't totally see where God is taking us. Solomon compares the "path of the righteous" to the "light of dawn" (4:18). At dawn there is only a little light; we can't see clearly at a distance, but we can begin to make out the path. Dawn and dusk are dangerous times because it is difficult to distinguish between shadow and reality. Yet, when we walk in wisdom and righteousness, the path becomes clearer, moment by moment. When we choose otherwise, we stumble and fall over little things that catch us by surprise. We put our hope in things that turn out to be shadows, we stumble over small things that shouldn't bother us. If we continue down this path, it leads to darkness and total confusion. Why? Because we allowed a little compromise to lead us out of the way of wisdom.

What wise counsel did the Lord give you today?

Proverbs 3

Proverbs 3

This chapter is full of short instructions guiding us in the way of wisdom. The challenge is not to simply read it and say, "yes, that is true," but to examine our hearts and ask, "Do I do that?" That single question should be asked by each of us as we read the chapter. "Do I do that?" - either negatively or positively, examine your hearts and see.

"Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart." verse 3 gives me much to think about. Do I wear kindness and truth as a necklace, an adornment that is visible and identifiable by all who know me? Are they only on the outside (making a good show), but on the inside my heart is harsh or critical? Do I value kindness above truth - so that I won't tell the truth to people for fear that I might hurt their feelings? Do I value truth above kindness so that I speak whatever is on my mind even though it may not be kind? (especially to my spouse or family members?) We need to measure all of our words and our thoughts. "Nice" is not the issue; Jesus was not "nice," but He was kind and truthful. May kindness and truth visibly be bound around our necks and written on our hearts.

How has God spoken to you today?

Proverbs 2

Proverbs 2

"My son, if you will receive my words and treasure my commandments within you,
Make your ear attentive to wisdom,
Incline your heart to understanding;
For if you cry for discernment,
Lift your voice for understanding;
If you seek her as silver
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will discern the fear of the LORD
And discover the knowledge of God."
Proverbs 2:1-5

To truly discern the "fear of the Lord" we need to seek Him with all our heart. It begins by "receiving His words." Many people reject the Lord and wisdom because they are content with their sin and they know enough already. They are not willing to receive.

The next step is to "treasure His commandment." This goes beyond merely receiving the words but treasuring them, placing a high value on them, recognizing they are the way to life. The things that we treasure we protect from harm and theft. We place honor upon them and display them for others to see. Are you protecting God's word from harm, from the destructive lies of the enemy? Are you meditating and thinking about God's word, hiding it in your heart so that it cannot be stolen or forgotten? Do you publicly display His word so that others can see the beauty and truth contained therein?

The third step is to "make our ear attentive." We need to intentionally listen to the voice of the Lord. God has given us ears, but we are not always tuned into His voice.

The fourth step is "incline your heart." We must open our heart, our will, our emotions to receive from the Lord, to gain understanding. At this point we are making a choice to engage our heart with the Lord. By the time we have completed the process, verse 10 says that "wisdom will enter our heart" - our emotions will have been affected to desire the wise way naturally. Wisdom will become part of us and our natural choices. Sometimes we don't "feel" like doing the right thing, but if we follow this four step process and continue on to the next step, our emotions will change and wisdom will "enter our hearts."

The final step is to pursue the Lord, the truth and His word ("cry for discernment...search for her as for hidden treasure"). Wisdom is not always obvious. Knowing the right way involves digging into the truth and requires a relentless passion for Him, not willing to compromise.

Proverbs 2 is one of my favorite chapters in proverbs. I could go on and on. In your "search for hidden treasures" today, what has the Lord shown you?

Proverbs 1

God's word is Awesome! I believe God is going to show us much through our study of Proverbs. Today we begin the journey.

Chapter 1
We begin the journey with wisdom, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom..." (Proverbs 1:7). This whole book is about growing in wisdom and it begins with a healthy understanding of the Lord and who He is. "Fear" in this case refers to reverence and respect, not a trembling fear that God is going to bop us if we get out of line. These proverbs are from Solomon, one of the wisest men who ever lived.

As we go through this book, notice the contrast between two women: "wisdom" and the "adulterous woman." "Wisdom" symbolizes walking with the Lord; the "adulterous woman" symbolizes pursuing pleasure or folly.

What did the Lord show you today?