Proverbs 10 - Zip the Lip

19 In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise.

Did your parents ever tell you "if you don't have something good to say, don't say anything at all"? Do you practice this? Most of us need to season our words with kindness and positivity. And sometimes it is better to just keep our mouths shut. I have done this and you would be surprised how effective it can be. It makes other be reflective and introspective often correcting themselves. When you have something good to say also do not withhold it. People need to be built up, encouraged, and sometimes corrected

26 As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, So is the lazy man to those who send him

Have you ever had to work around a lazy person? How horrible is that? You would rather that person go away, get out of the way, and let you just get on with your work. There is a big difference between being a lazy person and having a lazy day. We all need lazy days to recuperate from our tough ones. Lazy people have all lazy days.

Proverbs 9 - Don't waste your time

8 Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you. 9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

Do not cast your pearls to the swine. Fools, idiots, scoffing unbelievers will not listen. They are know it alls. They think they have the answers for everything and they trust in themselves and wealth. They look at us as the fools, as weak. Correcting these arrogant people is a waste of your breath. Not until the almighty falls upon them and takes away their pride will they ever seek and listen. On the other hand, a wise person will listen to instruction that comes from a wise ,person. In fact they will welcome it. It is all about attitude. A wise man knows he has much to learn and willing accepts guidance and instruction whereas a scoffer does not need anyone to teach him anything. Is there a time in your life when you have been a scoffer? It seems like the teen years are full of scoffers

Proverbs 8 - The Whole Package

8:3 She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city, At the entrance of the doors:

8:34 Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors.

Proverbs 8 seems to encompass all the discussion about wisdom in Proverbs and if you had to read just 1 chapter, this would be it. I find it very appropriate that the beginning of the chapter has wisdom waiting at the city gates and the entry to the city shouting to all who will listen, and the end of the chapter has the blessed man waiting at the city gates and the entry to the city for her. Do you seek out wisdom in this way? I know that I have been doing this much more since starting this journey and that is what its all about. I have always known that you should read a Proverb a day, but writing out your thoughts on each seems to be a very effective communications tool from God to us. I also have been trying to find the tidbit of truth or wisdom in everything I do and also trying to impart wisdom to my kids. This will be the greatest benefit

8:11b And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.

How much do you want to succeed in life? What would it be like to be famous? What about wealthy enough to live life like a constant vacation? What if you could do all the ministry work you every wanted to do? Take everything you want in life, all your aspirations, all your physical, spiritual, and emotional desires, and all of these lumped together are not as desirable as wisdom. When God granted Solomon one wish, he asked for wisdom. God was so impressed with his decision and his honesty that he gave him boundless wisdom and knowledge, but he also gave him the ability to do all the things I mentioned before. What if we sought wisdom on such a scale? How powerful of a nation of Christ-followers could we be?

8:17 I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me.

diligent - characterized by steady, earnest, and energetic effort, i.e. painstaking.

Are you diligent about anything? Your family, your wife, your kids, your work , your hobbies? I could probably name a couple of things I am diligent about. I want to be diligent about wisdom. I want to come to a point where wisdom flows out of my being and off my tongue without preponderance. Right now I am trying to keep my thoughts focused on 2 things: God and wisdom. I want to really take time to investigate at everything, search out every meaning and morsel of true. Wisdom and knowledge are not the same thing. I have know desire to know everything. Wisdom is realizing that you won't or can't.

Proverbs 7 - The Enticement

Another story! Or is it? Many times when I read these stories in Proverbs about the Harlot, the adulteress, I see our lives in the "world". The "world" is a gigantic black hole, enticing us with all kinds of empty promises. There are promises of riches, promises of fame, success, reward and all the amenities that go with them. Nice houses, nice cars, pretty women, boats, vacations to exotic places, etc. It is not wrong to "like" some of these things or to have a decent living but many have gone overboard. This cannot be our priority, nor can we let it interfere with our relationship with God. That is a huge downward spiral. Christ is our Bridegroom and the "world" is the adulteress. It is not only fame and fortune that take us away from our true relationship. It is also responsibility, our jobs, our activities, and sometimes our religion. Many of us settle for something less because we don't have the courage or confidence to step out in faith and be who we are truly called to be. Do you need to step out in faith? I know I do. What would you do/be if you could do/be anything in the world? Don't ask "how". "How" cuts the legs right out from under the "what". Our responsibility is to determine the "what" and let God worry about the "how". We need to ask ourselves "what makes me come alive" and go out and do that thing. I know I have spent most of my life being what everyone else expected or wanted me to be. So much to the point that I don't know who I am anymore. "What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul". Remember: You don't have to die to lose your soul.

7:16 I have spread my bed with tapestry, Colored coverings of Egyptian linen. 17 I have perfumed my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 18 Come, let us take our fill of love until morning; Let us delight ourselves with love. 19 For my husband is not at home; He has gone on a long journey; 20 He has taken a bag of money with him, And will come home on the appointed day.”

I am convinced at the duplicity of this scripture. This is how the "world" entices us. It makes its bed beautiful and its promises sweet. It will be okay, the Master is away and won't be back for a long time.

7:22 Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, Or as a fool to the correction of the stocks, 23 Till an arrow struck his liver. As a bird hastens to the snare, He did not know it would cost his life.

But the truth is that the end result is death. Spiritual, emotional, relational, and yes physical death. In this illustration an arrow has pierced the liver. A fatal wound. How many of us suffer wounds fatal to our spirit, our soul, our lives, by the lives we lead. The Master does not have to return for you to lose your soul, but you can be assured that no one knows when He will return, but you can be assured if you are caught with the harlot when He does, you will lose for sure

Proverbs 6 - Sign of the Times

27 Can a man take fire to his bosom, And his clothes not be burned? 28 Can one walk on hot coals, And his feet not be seared? 29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; Whoever touches her shall not be innocent. 30 People do not despise a thief If he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving. 31 Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold; He may have to give up all the substance of his house. 32 Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; He who does so destroys his own soul. 33 Wounds and dishonor he will get, And his reproach will not be wiped away. 34 For jealousy is a husband’s fury; Therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. 35 He will accept no recompense, Nor will he be appeased though you give many gifts.

I find it very appropriate that verse 30-31 seem to be stuck in the middle of this adultery passage. Most would look at that and think the author has gotten off the subject. Not so. Committing adultery is the absolute mother of all thievery. You are stealing another man's (or woman's) possession. You are trespassing on the holy of holys of marriage and covenant. Throughout the ages there has always been some sort of punishment for adultery. Ranging from death to public embarrassment, every age, except for the present age, has made adultery one of the worst crimes that could be committed both by the adulterer and the adulteress. Today, we do nothing. Adultery is not even a good offense of defense in divorce court. Judges just overlook it, and ask what else. Adultery is even glamorized on TV, in books, and in movies. Even our own Presidents have committed adultery and we have turned the other way. In the economy you can look at certain indicators and determine where we are headed. GNP, GDP, T-bill to Libor interest spread, unemployment, etc. The same is true with society. There are certain indicators that give us a good idea of where we are in God's great plan. Divorce rate, adultery, fornication, abortion, crime & justice, hatred, disaster, famine, war, etc. People get ready, Jesus is coming!

Proverbs 5 - Not to mention

5:3 For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, And her mouth is smoother than oil; 4 But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword. 5 Her feet go down to death,

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Gross. I almost made myself barf looking for a picture I could use to show Syphilis. One of the oldest STDs known to man. It has been around as long as prostitution. For many years there was no cure. Until Penicillin. Today we have better STDs. Ones that are more stealth, more deadly, and incurable. Anyone taking their chances today is like playing Russian Roulette. You could end up with a lot more than you bargained for.

3:16 Should your fountains be dispersed abroad, Streams of water in the streets? 17 Let them be only your own, And not for strangers with you. 18 Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice with the wife of your youth. 19 As a loving deer and a graceful doe, Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; And always be enraptured with her love.

Temptation for the Christian man (and woman) is difficult. Everything in our lives around us points to sex, promiscuity, adultery, perversion, etc. It is especially difficult if you have been to the well and sampled the water. Being divorced, for me, has been more sexually difficult than being single. I think there is an added level of frustration. I was geared up for being enraptured and I got robbed. I have to be especially careful now with my eyes, my thoughts, and my heart. I want that life. I want don't want to grow old, but I sure don't want to grow old alone. Hence there is more temptation for me to do things on my own. The Internet is a great dating tool these days but it also has a dark side to it. Sites like MySpace, Tagged, Facebook, etc. are not always very careful about what they allow on the site. Little eyes need to be careful what they see.

Proverbs 4 - Wisdom Personified

4:5 Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. 6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you

I have always wondered why the author of Proverbs personified wisdom and understanding as a woman. Was it something about women that made them wiser? Though they sometimes are, I don't think that was the reason. Was it because women are pretty and attractive? Maybe. After reading this chapter I think it was more because that is what men seek after most when they become adults. Then when they get married they care for and nurture their wife (until death). This is a father giving instruction to his son. Fatherly advice. He knows that the boy likes girls. He has been there himself. He realizes what power they can have over a man. He, wisely, personifies wisdom as a woman so that his son will understand just how earnestly he is supposed to seek out wisdom.

4:23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.

How many times have you heard the phrase "Guard your heart"? I wish my father would have told me this. In fact I wish that we had the Godly instruction in my day that kids have today. Still, I wonder if many even listen. Maybe we did have it in my day and I just didn't listen. I tell my kids this all the time. We need to guard our hearts from the things in this life that can hurt us. The heart in a physical sense is what keeps the blood flowing through our veins and keeps the body alive. In a spiritual sense it is what keeps Christ flowing through our spirit and keeps us spiritually alive. Everything we do needs to be brought before the light of scripture, especially when it comes to something that could break our hearts and quench the fire of the Holy Spirit. There are many things in this life that can creep in and take control of us. We need to be on guard. The evil one is constantly looking for an opportunity and he knows our weaknesses. He will throw things in your face constantly when you are walking the right path.