Proverbs 7
Scripture
Proverbs 7:1-3
My son, keep my words
and store up my commands within you.
2 Keep my commands and you will live;
guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.
3 Bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Observation
For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. – Romans 8:13
This chapter is used to warn against the adulterous woman, which leads to sins of the flesh…and the result of not doing so being death.
Understanding
There’s a second part of verses that stood out to me in this chapter.
21 With persuasive words she led him astray;
she seduced him with her smooth talk.
22 All at once he followed her
like an ox going to the slaughter,
like a deera] stepping into a nooseb]
23 till an arrow pierces his liver,
like a bird darting into a snare,
little knowing it will cost him his life.
Pastor Gary talked in service last week about how the devil is sly and will often work through the people we love and are closest to in order to accomplish his destruction – Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah. It can happen that with people we love or in relationships where we feel “safe” that we let our guards down and the enemy can strike.
In this chapter the person the person used is less subtle but the message is still the same – be on guard.
So how do we be out in the world but not become of the world? We must arm ourselves.
For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— … – 2 Peter 1:5-8
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. – Romans 8:5-8
My son, keep my words
and store up my commands within you.
2 Keep my commands and you will live;
guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.
3 Bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
-Proverbs 7:1-3
We must actively seek God, be in the word, set our minds on the things of the spirit, keep His commands. And we must recognize the outcome of NOT doing so – death, destruction of our very soul and being ineffective for the Lord. That last one breaks my heart, for our whole purpose for being created is to know Him and to make Him known. How unfortunate it would be to live a life ineffective for the Lord.
Life Application
God, I’m grateful for the path you’ve called me to as your child – to know you and make you known. May I be willing to submit to your will at all costs, considering you first. May I guard my heart against the enemy’s desire to kill, steal and destroy – to render me ineffective for your service. Keep me in your hands today. Amen.
– Rei
Proverbs 6
Scripture
Proverbs 6:6
Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
Observation – What does it say?
Solomon encourages his listeners to observe the ants’ hard working and disciplined behavior and to learn wisdom from it.
Understanding – What does it mean?
Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!
Woah. Those “little fools” are actually wise. Lol What wisdom can I learn from ants, I thought? Well, they are incredibly persistent. They won’t give up. They aren’t easily deterred. They keep at it and have no plan B. Just plan A: get in Levi’s house and drive him crazy.
How big can an ant brain possibly be? I don’t know that they have the capacity to think hard about what to do. They know what to do and do it. No excuses. They see no roadblocks, only obstacles they will overcome.
Life Application
If I’m going to apply that wisdom to my life, there can be no, “God will work it out” attitude while I sit here passively.” There can be no, “I’m just not feeling very motivated.” “I’m too busy.” “I’m tired.” “God sees all the obstacles the enemy is placing in my way. He’ll understand why I’m not going to try hard anymore.”
What areas have I been a sluggard? Where have I lacked persistence? Discipline? Where have I been making excuses instead of just knowing what’s right and doing it?
Proverbs 5
Scripture
Proverbs 5:20-23
“Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress? For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his paths. The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin. He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray.”
Observation-What does it say?
In this Proverb, an illustration is given about a man who is warned to watch out. Watch out from being enticed by the forbidden woman, who seduces him with her speech and wandering ways. He is told to stay far away from her and to enjoy the wife of his youth, instead of being intoxicated by the adulterous woman. He is told that lack of discipline and foolishness will lead him astray, but to guard his heart towards knowledge and understanding.
Understanding-What does it mean?
Foolishness leads us astray, but wisdom keeps us safe.
As I’ve read the book of Proverbs, wisdom is referred to as a female “she/woman/her” and foolishness is also referred to in the same manner. Although this chapter speaks specifically on the issue of adultery, in the big picture view, it refers to more than just adultery, but anything else that entices us towards sin. Anything that is forbidden that would lead us down a foolish path instead of the path of wisdom, must be avoided. The answer to living wisely is to be open to correction and discipline and not to ignore it. Wisdom accepts correction and advice.
Proverbs 12:1- “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.”
Proverbs 19:20 “Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.”
Life Application
Be open to correction and advice from God’s Word and those God has placed in our lives, especially our Spirit filled leaders. We must accept, rather than reject correction.
A prideful heart will lead to destruction and in this chapter, the man (or woman) is led astray when they choose the foolish path. The foolish person hates discipline/correction and would not listen to the voice and advice of his/her teachers. The wise person however, is humble, pure of heart and teachable. The word wise can also be replaced with the word Spirit and foolishness can be replaced with the word flesh.
Dear Lord, thank You for Your Word and the wisdom in it that is so applicable for our lives today. I admit that there are times when I have gotten very defensive with correction because of pride. Please forgive me and cleanse me of that. I pray that we would remain humble and teachable and submit to correction, especially from You and the leaders You have placed over our lives. We desire to be counted among the wise, not the foolish. We desire to be led by Your Spirit instead of our flesh. Thank You Lord for not leaving us and helping us through this journey of relinquishing our pride and control. Amen.
Proverbs 4
Scripture
Proverbs 4:5-7
“Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them. Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her, and she will guard you. Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.”
Observation-What does it say?
In this chapter Solomon gives some fatherly advice and reminds those who are willing to listen to the importance of gaining wisdom in life. He expresses that wisdom is a life saver. That those who obtain it, will live a righteous life, and glory and honor will be delivered to them. Solomon has seen it all and lived through a lot. Solomon now wants to share the wisdom he was able to obtain through his life experiences, and the wisdom he received from following God.
Understanding-What does it mean?
No one is born with wisdom; God is the One who provides it.
“For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom,”
1 Corinthians 1:25a NIV
The key to getting wisdom is understanding that no one has it to start with. Ultimately it is God who provides us with wisdom. It also means that anyone can acquire wisdom…if you decide to pursue it. Wisdom also is not something we achieve through one choice we make in life. It is a journey, a series of many steps in life, in which we receive the truth of God’s Word, and apply them into our lives each and every day. Jesus often spoke of people who had ears but did not listen. The wise will be the ones who choose to listen wholeheartedly to God’s Word, both with their hearts and minds.
“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.”-James 1:22 NLT
Life Application
Ultimate wisdom is within the grasp of our hands. So reach out and obtain it through reading God’s Word.
Life is hard enough as it is. So why try to figure it out all on our own?! Why not take advantage of life’s “instruction manual”?..The Holy Bible! Whether it is taking the advice from someone who was granted wisdom from God, like Solomon, or following the One who overcame everything the world tried to throw His way, Jesus. The Bible is the key to have access to living a wiser life…a life that will grant you wisdom. Will you choose to follow it?
Thank You God for Your Word and the wisdom it brings. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit that speaks to me through it. Thank You Lord for always having my best interest in mind. May the wisdom You grant me allow me to make the right choices today, and may I share that wisdom to those around me. In Your name Jesus, Amen.
Proverbs 3
Scripture
Psalm 2:32
For the Lord detests the perverse but takes the upright into his confidence.
Observation
As Paul continues to extol the benefits of wisdom, he points out that wisdom brings long life, prosperity, health and favor with both God and man; and that it should never be far from our thoughts and meditations. Also, Paul cautions against arrogance and pride, encouraging the wise to always be humble before the Lord. Paul then says that the wise person is one who honors the Lord with his wealth and first-fruits giving. Finally, Paul describes the wisdom of accepting the discipline of the Lord as a sign of His love and care for us and that we are His children and He, our Father.
Life Application
Proverbs 2
Scripture
Proverbs 2:1-6
My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding—
3 indeed, if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
Observation
I’ve forever loved the practicality of Proverbs. I feel like nearly every verse unpacks…well, wisdom and this Chapter speaks to reasons that wisdom is so important.
Understanding
The key truths I understood from these texts are…
It all starts with wisdom…but wisdom requires action.
Receiving wisdom is not a one-time thing…it requires a continued action and renewal.
God is the provider of wisdom.
The actions required including: accepting God’s words (v1), actively turning our ears to wisdom (v2) and applying our heart to understanding (v2). We can’t receive God’s wisdom if we don’t first believe in Him and what He says. We cannot receive wisdom if we are choosing to listen to ways and wisdom of the world, instead of those of the Creator. And, we can’t receive wisdom by just going through the motions, we must seek to understand and apply.
Verses 3 and 5 indicate to me that wisdom, once received, doesn’t stay. It requires continued action – calling out for insight (v3), crying aloud for understanding (v3), looking/searching for it as for silver or hidden treasure (v4). We must continue to seek and grow in our knowledge and understanding of God.
And, finally, wisdom comes from God (v6). He is the one that provides the knowledge and understanding and he does so through His word and through relationship with Him and other believers. We simply must ask and seek.
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5
The rest of the chapter shares the benefits of walking in wisdom – success and God’s protection along the way. Can’t think of anyone that wouldn’t want those benefits, can you?
Life Application
I love the picture in verse four…looking for wisdom as for silver, searching for it as for hidden treasure. I’m currently in Vegas for work (an ironic place to be writing about wisdom from, lol) and saw part of the upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean movie last night. So, I’m thinking of the great extent that the pirates go to to find hidden treasure – often not even knowing for sure what exactly that treasure is. May we be just as bold, just as adventurous, just as willing to seek and ultimately find the treasure of wisdom that God wants to give.
God, I thank you that you are faithful and generous to provide wisdom. May we be equally faithful to seek and to find it…then apply it.
– Rei
Proverbs 1
Scripture
Proverbs 1:5
let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance—
Observation – What does it say?
In this verse he invites the wise to listen along with the simple. These wise statements are not only for the fool but for those who are already wise and discerning. Wisdom cries out, “Come to me and I will teach you!” And to anyone who would respond to the invitation – wise or foolish, discerning or simple, old or young – wisdom is available.
Understanding – What does it mean?
First of all, I’m reminded that I’ve got a lot to learn! I wouldn’t be quick to identify myself with the wise. I still make mistakes, I still make dumb decisions, I still have struggles in my life that are a result of my actions. And, it’s not because I’m trying to sabotage my own life. It’s because I’m desperate for wisdom!
Solomon, who wrote these proverbs, was extended the most incredible invitation from God in Scripture: “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” (1 Kings 3:4) Imagine God said that to you. What would you ask for? Solomon asked for wisdom. He recognized his desperation for wisdom.
We would be wise to recognize the same. It will do us no good to read through the rest of the book of Proverbs unless we first recognize our need for wisdom.
Job 32:8-9
8 But it is the spirit in a person,
the breath of the Almighty, that gives them understanding.
9 It is not only the old who are wise,
not only the aged who understand what is right.
Wisdom does not come with age. There are plenty of old people living like fools. Neither does wisdom come with experience. It’s possible for us to have experiences and rather than learning from them we just continue making the same mistakes. Wisdom comes from God. And since it comes from God alone, there is only one place to turn when we need it.
James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
Life Application
Follow Solomon’s example and respond to God’s invitation in James by asking for wisdom!
As we continue through Proverbs, be teachable and open, reading with an awareness of need and an expectation to gain wisdom.
Colossians 4
Scripture
Colossians 4:5-6
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
Observation-What does it say?
The theme of Colossians is the overall sufficiency of Christ for salvation and sanctification (gotquestions.org). It’s very important to point this out as some of the encouragement/exhortations that Paul gives the church in Colosse may seem like it was work they were to do in their own strength, when actually it was a result of who they were in Christ.
Understanding-What does it mean?
“If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”1 John 1:6-7 NIV
Christ’s light in us should not result in a double life of being a Christian on Sunday, but living a worldly life during the week. Outsiders (unbelievers) are always watching us, the way we conduct ourselves, act towards them and speak with them. They should be asking us where the purpose of our hope lies, instead of asking us why we claim one thing, yet still walk in darkness, aka are hypocrites.
“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4 NIV
Life Application
Walk in and WITH the Light, not in the darkness.
The world has enough darkness of its own. It is desperate for the light of Christ and the light shines brightest in the darkness.
Dear Jesus, I pray that You would shine Your light in us. I pray that through our love for each other, they will know we are Christians. I pray that because of the love You’ve given us for them in the way we act and speak, they will know we belong to You. I pray that Your love in us would draw them to You. Thank You Jesus that it is Your power working through us through Your Holy Spirit that enables us to be witnesses in this world. May Your Name be praised because of all the people You will choose to draw to yourself as a result of our faith, surrender and obedience to You.Amen.
Colossians 3
Scripture
Colossians 3:23
“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.”
Observation-What does it say?
Paul writes a letter to the Colossians to encourage and remind them of their new life in Christ. Paul tells them that they are God’s new creation, that their old and sinful ways should be buried and dead to this world. And now is the time to live a new life, a life filled with Christ. A life filled with the attributes of Jesus Christ.
Understanding-What does it mean?
We all have a boss to serve…and His name is Jesus.
We’ve all been in a workplace or situations where we have to submit to people who are in authority over us that we may not particularly like. While others may defy them, Jesus calls us to submit to their authority. Work willingly for them, as though we were working for the Lord rather than people-(vs. 23). This is a great reminder for me in my workplace. I know there are times for me when I feel under appreciated or disrespected, and I just think to myself, “what’s the point?!” I mean here I am giving work my all, and management is gonna come back and not even acknowledge the hard work?! If anything they either criticize it or give me even more work to do! Ugh! Then I remember this verse. It reminds me that Jesus is watching. He sees the works that I am doing. It is Him who I am trying to please. Then I’m also reminded that as a Christ follower others around me are watching as well. They are observing how I am reacting to certain situations. That is even more incentive to work happily and willingly. This way when others may fold and break under those difficult circumstances, I can remain steadfast. Then others may ask “how I’m able to do it?” I can simply say it is my Lord and Savior Jesus who gives me strength to do so, and He is the One I work for!
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:16 NIV
Life Application
It’s all about the attitude.
No matter what comes my way today, I’m going to come at it with a grateful heart, knowing that Jesus is with me, and understanding that He is in control. Understanding that He has a purpose behind everything, whether good or bad. It’s up to me and how I carry my attitude, which can help determine how I can use those situations to glorify Him.
Colossians 2
Scripture
“…regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.”
Observation
Understanding
Paul mentions that legalism, empty ritual and worship are mere shadows of a greater reality. Every one dimensional shadow that we settle for is cast by the genuine article, just as a counterfeit is a worthless rendering of the valuable original. We are compelled to look past the shadow and seek out that which is casting it. In this chapter, the shadow is the delusion of legalism and the solution to the problem is for us to be found “In Christ” who is the reality. 10 times in this chapter, as the remedy for empty, meaningless worship and the temptations of the flesh, Paul uses terms to describe intimacy with Christ as our only source of righteousness and our only hope for victory – in Him, in Christ, with Christ, by Christ. This chapter reminds me that the gospel has never been about following a list of rules and regulations or jumping through a bunch of hoops in order to overcome, to be holy, to please God and make Him love and accept us. Paul reminds us here that the ongoing process of progressive transformation is never accomplished from outside in, but it happens from the inside out as we seek to fully understand and experience who we already are “In Christ” and, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to bring our earthly actions and attitudes into alignment with that heavenly position.
Life Application