Word for the Day

“It is important to take a stand for the Lord. If we just drift along with whatever is pleasant and easy, we will someday discover that we have been worshipping a false god – ourselves.”

[ The Bible Notes from Proverbs 8:21; the Life Application Study Bible; page 727 ]

Taking a Walk Thru Proverbs

LIVING A GODLY LIFE

Proverbs 2:20-22 New Living Translation

“So follow the steps of the good, and stay on the paths of the righteous. For only the godly will live in the land, and those with integrity will remain in it. But the wicked will be removed from the land, and the treacherous will be uprooted.”

            Here Solomon shares a common thread throughout scripture. Live a righteous life that is pleasing to the Lord and you will be blessed and inherit heaven. Do the opposite and you will be cut off. This is the conditional aspect of the covenant that God made with Abraham, Moses and the people of Israel. Abraham’s descendants were promised the land of Canaan. This is a foreshadowing of the promise we have of eternal life _{(Hebrews 11:16).} 

                  Remember, this current period of God’s grace that we now live in supersedes the Mosaic Law. We are no longer bound by the Law, but if redeemed, are free to live a godly life according to God’s standard as it is presented throughout scripture. Also remember that while we’ve been given a free will to choose how we shall live, the follower of Christ is expected to choose rightly by seeking to follow Jesus’ example. We cannot escape the consequences associated with each choice we make in life. Choose wisely.

            This second chapter has spoken of the benefits of having and using wisdom in life’s decisions. The world’s greatest wisdom is impotent compared with the vast wisdom and knowledge of our creator God. Keep that in mind when you are choosing what to believe and who to trust in this life. Next we will take a look at some key verses in Chapter 3 of Proverbs, which deals with trusting in the Lord. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

Resources:www.biblegateway.com; The Life Application Study Bible; The NIV Study Bible Notes and The Reformation Study Bible.

Word for the Day

Søren Aabye Kierkegaard: (May 5^th, 1813 – November 11^th, 1855) was a Danish philosopher, theologian, poet, social critic and religious author who is widely considered to be the first existentialist philosopher. He wrote critical texts on organized religion, Christendom, morality, ethics, psychology, and the philosophy of religion, displaying a fondness for metaphor, irony and parables.

Word for the Day

Taking a Walk Thru Proverbs

Things that come from a righteous life …

Proverbs 2:7-8 New Living Translation

“He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him.”

         Solomon continues on regarding what is in store for those who live a righteous life. They shall be given not a modicum, but a treasure of common sense and boy do we all need it.  It is specifically given to those believers who are honest. Those that are dishonest will forfeit this gift offered by the Lord. 

            God himself is a shield for us. We spoke of a shield in our breakdown of the Armor of God. The shield is like the one the Apostle Paul would have been most familiar with, that being the shield used by the Roman soldiers. If a soldier crouched down, the shield would be a protective covering for the entire front of his body. This was important because Roman soldiers wouldn’t normally have their back facing attacking forces. As children of God we have no reason to turn and run from our enemy, thus exposing our backside. God honors those followers that live a life of integrity by being our personal shield against anything that might come against us.

            As long as we seek to know, love and obey the Lord and imitate Christ with our lifestyle, he will guard and protect us for any danger and all harm.  When trials come and they will come, they are not because God has stopped loving or protecting us. They come as a test to see how deep our faith and trust in the Lord truly is. The more we study God’s word the more we begin to realize that we can indeed trust him to keep a watchful eye on us at all times. His protection is reserved for those who steer clear of wayward paths and tempting side trails. So it should be clear that we are to surrender our will and our ‘want to’over to the leadership of the Holy Spirit who is the member of the Holy Trinity that lives within us. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resources: The Life Application Study Bible; The MacArthur Study Bible; The Reformation Study Bible & www.biblegateway.com.

Taking a Walk Thru Proverbs

The Benefits of Wisdom

Proverbs 2:1-2 New Living Translation

“My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands.  Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding.”

            The wisdom of God is considered a gift that he liberally doles out to those who diligently seek it _{[Proverbs 2:6 AMPC*].}It is considered nonsense to those in the world; therefore they are denied access to it. The wisdom of the world is nothing more than trivial banalities so vastly inferior to the wisdom from above that it is considered utter foolishness to the Lord _{(1 Corinthians 3:19 NLT).} 

                  To find the true wisdom and knowledge of God is to find that with which he will guide us and reward us for our persistent search. A Christian’s life is one of sacrifice and blessing, mercy and forgiveness, pain and comfort and selflessness. When we are serving the Lord for all the right reasons we end up low man on the totem pole, but that is not to say we ever get short changed. God likes to test us to see if we will utilize the gifts readily available to us to aid us in our spiritual maturation. 

            The same thought as is found in Proverbs 2:6, is seen in Deuteronomy 8:3, which says: “And He humbled you and allowed you to hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you recognize and personally know that man does not live by bread only, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.” We are to live according to God’s word. In it are the words of life … words of wisdom and guidance thru this maze we called home, albeit our temporary home. Tune into God’s wisdom and earnestly seek to understand what he is saying to you. He wants you to know and will not hide his truth from those who seek him with their whole heart. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resources: The Life Application Study Bible; The Reformation Study Bible; www.biblegateway.com.

Proverbs 2:6 AMPC* -“For the Lord gives skillful and godly Wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” 

1 Corinthians 3:19 NLT -  “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God.”

*Amplified Classic Version 

Word for the Day