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Warnings Against Folly – Proverbs 6
In the Bible on my desk right now, the first part of Proverbs six has a section heading. It is called “Warnings Against Folly.” It is interesting that more than half the section deals with money. Being financially responsible is obviously very important, and it is a recurring theme throughout the whole book of Proverbs and the teachings of Jesus as well. The first warning is against putting up security for your neighbour. Now, you might think that trusting your neighbour is the kind, neighbourly thing to do. But, no. It is considered foolishness. We need to be more careful than that. We need to understand that our resources are…
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Pay Attention! – Proverbs 5
“Pay attention to my wisdom.” “Turn your ear to my words of insight.” —Proverbs 5:1-2 It is so easy for us to be distracted. We seem to be carried away by every shiny new object that enters our field of vision. The writer here reminds us to pay attention to what is important: wisdom and insight. In this case, he is warning specifically against adultery, but that particular sin is not the only one we need to be on our guard against. We each have our areas where we are vulnerable. Feeding our minds with the wisdom of Proverbs is great protection against whatever might try to entice us. Reading…
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Does father really know best? – Proverbs 4
At the beginning of the fourth chapter of Proverbs, the writer repeats his admonition to his son, “Listen to me!” This time around, though, he shares with his reader a sampling of his credentials, “For I too was a son to my father, still tender, and cherished by my mother. Then he taught me.” Here, Dad reminds his son that he has been in the place where his son now stands. Once, he too was a young man making a serious choice, “Should I listen to my father’s advice or should I go my own way?” Can we trust the wisdom of those who have gone before us? Are we…
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Listen to your father! – Proverbs 3
My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity. —Proverbs 3:1-2 In these verses, the son is told that obeying his father’s commands, or taking dad’s advice, will prolong his life many years and bring him peace and prosperity. When you look at the themes that are repeated throughout the book of Proverbs, it is easy to see how this can be true. Proverbs is about being wise, following God, keeping your promises, being careful with your money, and eating and drinking well instead of foolishly. Who could fail to have…
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Look for Wisdom: Find God – Proverbs 2
Much of the book of Proverbs is a reminder of the importance of seeking after wisdom in life. It is basically a book of good advice. But in chapter 2, the writer says that if we look for wisdom, we will also “find the knowledge of God” (Proverbs 2:5). God is described as the source of all wisdom, and “from his mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6). God has given us the benefit of his wisdom in the Bible. In it, we have documentation of his dealings with individuals and groups of people called to a very specific task, to stand for or represent God on the earth. As…
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Do Not Go Along with the Crowd – Proverbs 1
The middle part of Proverbs Chapter One is a warning to stay away from troublemakers. Now you would think that this would be obvious, but every generation, and really every one of us, has to learn this lesson. Hopefully we won’t have to learn it the hard way. The writer says of those who cause trouble, “Do not go along with them, do not set foot in their paths” (Proverbs 1:15). This is very similar to the first Psalm which warns us not to “walk… with the wicked” (Psalms 1:1). So, what kind of trouble are these troublemakers causing here in this first chapter of Proverbs? They want to “lie…
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Joy and the Fear of God
Fear of God seems to have gone out of fashion. It is a wonderful and comforting thing to view God as a loving and tender Father, but more than a little frightening to view him as grabbing an iron bar and smashing nations like so much defective pottery (Psalm 2:9). The psalmist says we are to serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. How do fear and joy come together in our understanding of God? It is easy, when we are feeling good, to bubble on about the joy of the Lord. But where does the sense of fear come in? Fear of God starts with understanding who…
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Breaking the Chains… or Not
Are you raging against God? Have you had it up to your eyeballs with God trying to run your life? Are you looking for a way to get God out of your life forever? If so, you have a lot in common with those described at the beginning of Psalm 2. The people here were rebelling against God and his anointed king, David. They were mad as hell. They weren’t going to take it any more. “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles,” they said. How does God respond to all this fist-shaking? He laughs. Disclaimer: Please note that I might earn commissions from products sold or…
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Bearing Spiritual Fruit
Psalm 1 describes the one who chooses to follow God as being like “a tree planted by streams of water.” This tree “yields its fruit in season,” and its leaves do not wither. C.H. Spurgeon, in his commentary The Treasury of David, goes on to describe this tree as “not a wild tree, but ‘a tree planted,’ chosen, considered as property, cultivated and secured.” Spurgeon paints a picture of God as a loving caretaker, or husbandman, who chooses, plants, and looks after his trees. Jesus paints a similar picture in John 15:1-9. Here, he describes himself as a vine and us believers as its branches. God the Father is seen…
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Keep on looking
“Blessed is the one… whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in season.” -Psalm 1:1-2 “It may be, at once reading or looking, we see little or nothing; as Elijah’s servant went once, and saw nothing; therefore he was commanded to look seven times. What now? says the prophet, ‘I see a cloud rising, like a man’s hand;’ and by-and-by, the whole surface of the heavens was covered with clouds. So you may look lightly upon a Scripture and see nothing; meditate often upon…
