Proverbs for Breakfast

Proverbs 3:11-12

2010-09-08T11:40:00.000-07:00

"My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth."

The foolish child does not understand correction. It is a heavy, unbearable, mean-spirited thing done to him. The wise child understands that correction is something done for him, something beneficial, helpful, and loving. Why does a father delight in his wise son? Because the wise son appreciates his father's correction. He knows while it is not immediately pleasurable, it is for his own good in the long run. He trusts the loving hand of his father to provide good for him, and not do him any evil. This son is a delight.

Psalms 1:1-6 compares the good person to fruitful and valuable grain, and the wicked, sinful scorner to the chaff which the wind driveth away. The circumstances of life will beat down on the foolish child, until he can not stand. God's blessings will not be on his life, and his path is one that will end in sadness and despair.

The father of a fool can only hope that once broken of his pride and stubbornness, the foolish child will return to God, repent of his wicked choices, and learn that his father was a loving guide to be respected and followed. How much better to determine early to be a strong tree, planted by the rivers, sinking down roots into the ground and drinking deeply of the water of the Word? Who would choose to be the worthless chaff, which the wind driveth away leaving a forgotten life void of accomplishment, blessings, good influence on others, and joy?

Proverbs 9:1-18

2009-10-09T07:06:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 9:12 "If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it."

What a great verse on personal responsibility. I would love to be able to make all the decisions for my kids. Even though I know I would make some wrong decisions, I would make many more right ones than sometimes I see them making! But God has chosen to give us free will on the most important decision - salvation! We only have what my husband refers to as "the illusion of control" over many of their other decisions in life. We can force them to go to church, but we can not force them to accept the truths of God's Word. We can force them to eat healthy, but we can not force them to never harm their bodies through other unhealthy behaviors. We can force them not to argue with their siblings, but we can not force them to love one another.

As a parent it is hard to realize, especially for me in the teen years, that you have less control than you ever imagined. However, it is comforting to know that God is the Author of free choice. Adam and Eve had three sons, and the very first child ever born, exercised his free will in committing murder against his own brother. Judas, who spent time with the very Son of God, exercised his own free will in rejecting Christ, and betraying Him to the jealous leaders who wanted to kill Him.

Because God is the Author of free will, I know that it is a good thing. All we can do is influence them, and try to bring them up to follow the Guide of God's Word. The choice is theirs.

Proverbs 8:1-36

2009-10-08T08:54:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 8:4 "Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man."

Wisdom calls to all men. As much as all are invited by folly and sin to do the wrong thing, and shake their figurative fists in the face of God, wisdom calls to love God, obey God, and follow God's paths of righteousness. Calvinism is rearing it's ugly head once again, and some people are left wondering if God has indeed a "call" on their soul. Know that God calls all men to repentance, as wisdom calls all men to learn of truth, and forsake wickedness.

"For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips."

The wisdom of the world is foolishness with God; but the wisdom of God, is foolishness to a wicked world, who run after folly, and are blinded to it's end: destruction.

Proverbs 20:1-30

2009-09-20T11:56:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 20:1-30

Proverbs 20:3 "It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling."

"Every fool will be meddling." It sounds like some southern axiom muttered from the corner of a grandma's mouth, as she sits in her porch rocker! You can almost hear the southern drawl.

How true that when we unwisely get in the middle of a fight between two people, we often end up with the black eye and the busted lip. Not only should we not strive with others, but we need to stay out of other's troubles. There is a time to help...and a time to let them work it out on their own. We can be a peacemaker without getting directly involved, and sometimes that is the wisest way.

Proverbs 19:1-29

2009-09-19T11:46:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 19:1-29

Proverbs 19:9 "A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish."

Sometimes it seems like the wicked are getting by with their sin. David put it like this, "For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked...They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment...they have more than heart could wish."

But toward the end of that chapter, we see the real conclusion. Psalm 73:17 "Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end." The Judge stands at the door. One day all the wrongs will be righted. Those who think themselves rich, will stand naked in their poverty.

"I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living." Psalm 27:13

Proverbs 18:1-24

2009-09-18T06:16:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 18:1-24

Proverbs 18:24 "A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."

Do you have a friend that is closer to you than your brother (or sister)? Earthly friends can be very close to us, even closer than our own family members. I am often amazed at the close fellowship that quickly arises when meeting another Christian - based solely on a mutual love for the Lord. God is so good to us to give us families, but He also give us close friends. There is something special about fellowshipping with other Christians, a little taste of heaven. Won't it be wonderful when we all get to heaven and we have eternity to worship our Lord together, and fellowship with each other?

Proverbs 17:1-28

2009-09-17T05:38:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 17:1-28

Proverbs 17:17 "A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity."

Adversity is defined in the dictionary as "a condition marked by misfortune, calamity, or distress"; some synonyms are "catastrophe, disaster; trouble, misery". When I was young I used to think "Well, the Lord sure has my brother pegged! He causes me nothing but trouble. But that's kind of an odd verse to have in the Bible."

Siblings aren't born to cause us trouble, they are there to help us in times of adversity! Friends and family members can be such a source of support and strength when we go through times of adversity. Times like this are going to come on us all. Jesus said "He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." I recently heard a quote that I liked: "The storm also beats on the house that is built on the rock."

When we face adversity, isn't it good that God knows we need others to help us go through it, and so has provided us friends and family? A true friend loves us all the time, and will pray for us, and support us through the valleys of life.

Proverbs 16:1-33

2009-09-16T06:29:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 16:1-33

Proverbs 16:18 "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall."

This is one of the most misquoted proverbs. Pride goeth before destruction, not just a fall! Pride is a sin, and it is all about giving ourselves the glory for the circumstances of life or the works of our hands. Instead we should give God the glory! Even God, when looking down at Jesus' earthly baptism did not say "I am so proud of my Son", but rather, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

When we consider the things we have pride in: a home, a child, our job - and then think of how easy it would for us not to have inherited those things - we will be truly thankful for His blessings, rather than proud of our meager accomplishments with what God has provided.

The Bible teaches that in us, no good thing dwells. If we followed our own nature, we would not accomplish anything spiritual. Even the lost world tries to bring the fruits of their own hands to God: giving to the poor, being kind to a neighbor, visiting the sick. But God looks on the motivation for such acts, and calls all of our righteousness filthy rags. Do you give to the poor out of pure and undefiled charity, or so that you will look good, or make yourself feel happier or less guilty over what you possess? Are you kind to your neighbors out of holy love and concern for them, or so that your life will be easier, so they will watch over your house, or so they will think highly of you? Do you visit the sick with only their benefit in mind, or for social standing, selfish reasons, or even as a tribute to some earthly person you are trying to honor?

The good that comes in man, comes only from the Lord. It is when we submit to God and allow Him to work in our lives that any real good works come from what we do - and it is not us really doing it, but He that works through us! When you come to terms with this Christian truth, you find there is really no room for pride in any area of our lives.

Proverbs 15:1-33

2009-09-15T06:22:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 15:1-33

Proverbs 15:20 "A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his mother."

Our relationship with our parents is about our relationship with God. The Bible says in the end times, perilous times will come, and men will be "proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy".

Kids today often say, "I don't respect my parents because they haven't earned my respect/have lost my respect". While this might make worldly sense, it does not make good Biblical sense, and we put ourselves as judges over the Word of God.

The Bible says we are to honor and obey our parents. God thought it was so important, He made it one of the key ten commandments, the first commandment with promise. When we reject the authority God has put over us in our life, we are actually rejecting God.

Exodus 20:12 "Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee."

Exodus 21:15 "And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death."

Exodus 21:17 "And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death."

Proverbs 14:1-35

2009-09-14T07:24:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 14:1-35

Proverbs 14:12 "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."

There are many wrong ways, but only one right way. There are many wrong answers to 2+2: 3, 9, 28; but only one correct answer: 2+2=4. Our ways are not the ways the Lord would have us go, because all we, like sheep, go astray.

In Isaiah 55 we read: "Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD."

The way of the Lord can be found in His Word, and for the Christian, we know that Way is Jesus Christ. Seek the Lord. He may be found. "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6

Proverbs 13:1-25

2009-09-13T05:24:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 13:1-25

Proverbs 13:7 "There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches."

If you have lived on this earth for any real length of time, you know that money can't buy happiness. Many of the world's richest people have turned to drugs or suicide to the shock of everyone watching them. Money is a tool that can make our lives easier; but if you have money, and your life is falling apart around you, money can do nothing to help.

The "great riches" in this verse is talking about real riches: riches money cannot buy. There is an undercurrent of charity in this passage. How do you make yourself poor? By giving away your money. The Bible teaches that we should use the money God has given us here on earth, and not lay up treasures here, but instead, lay up treasures in heaven. Giving to other, giving to missions, giving to the work of spreading the gospel - these are all ways we can make ourselves poor here on earth, yet have great riches.

However, the verse can be applied in so many ways. How many parents have worked for the nice house, the best cars, the most stylish clothes for their family - and then lost their kids to the world due to lack of attention to them? How many husbands have spent too many hours at the office, and lost the love of their wife? When trouble comes to our homes, you realize very quickly that none of the material trappings of life matter in the least. A strong, loving, Christian home can certainly be categorized as "great riches" as well.

Proverbs 12:1-28

2009-09-12T07:56:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 12:1-28

Proverbs 12:15 "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise."

Have you ever heard anyone say, "I did it because it felt right"? Or maybe you have heard someone say, "I just follow my heart". It is folly to follow our own feelings when making key decisions in life. Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?". The Hollywood crowd preaches the "follow your heart" philosophy in movie after movie, yet the Bible says it is the way of a fool.

Remember the book of Judges? They would disobey the Lord, God would correct them using judgement, and they would follow for a while. However, soon they would fall from the Lord again, "...but every man did that which was right in his own eyes." Judges 17:6

Where can we find counsel? Yesterday's devotion talked about finding it among wise counsellors, but ultimately, our counsel comes from the Word of God. Even wise counsellors will never counsel you against the Bible, if they are truely wise. If you are facing some major decision, make sure you are following the principles in the Bible, and you can take comfort that - regardless of how you feel about it - you have made the right choice.

Proverbs 11:1-31

2009-09-11T21:24:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 11:1-31

Proverbs 11:13 "Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety."

Nobody knows it all. We need to surround ourselves with wise counsel, and not be too proud to let others know about our problems, and then ask for their advice. Be a "learn-it-all" instead of a know-it-all.

"Everybody is my teacher." - Jack Hyles

Proverbs 10:1-32

2009-09-10T07:03:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 10:1-32

Proverbs 10:12 "Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins."

The sins that love covers are not your own sins, but overlooking the faults and weaknesses of others. Proverbs 28:13 in fact tells us not to cover our own sins. "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." Of course, I John 1:9 also comes to mind: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.".

Showing love for others includes showing kindness, grace and mercy. There are times when sin needs to be confronted: "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." Proverbs 27:6. But there is also a place for love to be patient and kind, remembering our our weaknesses before harshly judging another's faults.

"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." Matthew 7:1-5

Proverbs 9:1-18

2009-09-09T06:42:00.001-07:00

Proverbs 9:1-18

You can almost see the two schools of thought (the world's folly vs. Godly wisdom) portrayed as two universities. They each have a campus, a philosophy to learn, and a graduation.

The School of Wisdom
Campus and Recruitment: Proverbs 9:1, 3, 4 "Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars: ...She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city, Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither..."

Philosophy: Proverbs 9:6-10 "Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding....The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding."

Graduation: Proverbs 8:35 "For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD."

The School of Folly
Campus and Recruitment: Proverbs 9:14-16"For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city, To call passengers who go right on their ways: Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither..."

Philosophy: Proverbs 9:17 "Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant."

Graduation: Proverbs 9:18 "But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell."

Proverbs 8:1-36

2009-09-08T07:25:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 8:1-36

Proverbs 8:12a "I wisdom dwell with prudence..." Prudence is not a word we use much today, but it basically can be defined as "the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason; caution or circumspection as to danger or risk".

Have you ever been called a prude because you won't engage in a risky (or risqué!) activity? Wisdom knows prudence. They are housemates. Those who take no heed to the cautions of God's Word may never be accused of being a "prude", but as someone once told me, "I'd rather be a prude than a tragedy."

God gave us His Word so we could find all the wisdom we would ever need; wisdom to hide in our hearts, and wisdom to guide our steps.

Proverbs 7:1-27

2009-09-07T07:34:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 7:1-27

Proverbs 7:9-12 "In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night: And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart. (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)"

In this chapter on folly, we find the loud and stubborn sinful woman. She is up late at night, when resistance is low. She is conversing with men in the darkness, in the "black and dark". She is dressed to show off her body. She is "advertising" goods to be had for the taking. She is subtil of heart. The dictionary defines subtil as: "not open or direct; crafty; sly; delicately suggestive; not grossly obvious, working insidiously; not easily detected". The first use of the word is found in Genesis 3:1.

We need to put these kinds of behaviour far from us in order to please our God who has saved us and live our life for Him.

Proverbs 6:1-35

2009-09-06T05:27:00.001-07:00

Proverbs 6:1-35

Proverbs 6:16-19 "These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren."

Verse 17, "...hands that shed innocent blood," can be applied to a lot of specific situations, but it always makes me think of abortion. Who is more innocent than an unborn child, not even able yet to "speak lies"; "The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies." Psalms 58:3

I can not imagine living in the days when live babies were sacrificed to the "gods" by being thrown screaming into the fire, yet we are living in a time when babies are routinely killed at various stages of life in the womb. Yet because we don't see it happening in front of us, because we don't witness it outside our front door, it is seldom in our thoughts.

I have an abortion counter widget I acquired somewhere on the internet a long time ago. It calculates the number of deaths by abortion, and starts over every January 1st. I am going to add the code here in case anyone would like to add it to their own blog.

Copy and paste this HTML code:

Proverbs 5:1-23

2009-09-05T05:16:00.001-07:00

Proverbs 5:1-23

Proverbs 5:22 "His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins."

One cord may be easy to snap, but it doesn't take too many strands of even flimsy thread, and soon it is impossible to snap, regardless of how hard you pull. Like the downfall of the Roman Empire, the downfall of the sinner is his own wickedness. God doesn't warn us from sin to keep us from some forbidden good. God doesn't hate sin because it is something beneficial for us. Sin is evil, and has no good in it. Because God is only good, and love, and light, God cannot sin. When we see sin for what it really is, we will flee from it and avoid it.

James 1:13-16 "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren."

Proverbs 4:1-27

2009-09-04T09:19:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 4:1-27

Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Verse 23 tells us to give attention to our heart: faint, foolish, willing, pure, hard, rebellious, sad, broken, heavy, rash, perfect, deceitful - what is your heart like today?

Our thoughts and intents don't origniate in our minds, but rather in our hearts. Consider these verses:

Zechariah 7:10
Matthew 9:4
Hebrews 4:12

Sin stems from the heart; we are born with "spiritual heart disease".

Matthew 15:19 "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:"

The only cure for this disease is to turn to God, repent of our sins, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, accept His payment on the cross of Calvary to pay our sin debt, and with our heart, believe on Him.

Romans 10:9, 10 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

"This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water." - from Hebrews 10

Proverbs 3:1-35

2009-09-04T07:18:00.002-07:00

Proverbs 3:1-35

Proverbs 3:13, 15-17 "Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, .....and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her....Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour...Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace."

Here we have the example of a life filled with following God and seeking after wisdom, which is found in God, "In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge". What benefits! This life offers happiness, above all else that can be desired, a long life, riches, honor pleasantness and peace! What man doesn't desire these treasures?

At the end of the chapter, we have a warning not to envy the life of the wicked, and a comparision is given of a life without God: Proverbs 3:31-35 "Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways. For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous. The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just....The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools."

Who would choose that life? No one in their right mind would. Yet millions do every day, because they live only for the immediate, for the pleasures of sin, and let themselves be carried downstream with the masses. Seeking wisdom takes effort; living the life of a fool comes naturally, wallowing in the psuedo-wisdom of those who do not seek after God.

1 Corinthians 3:19 "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness."

James 1:5 "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."

Proverbs 2:1-22

2009-09-04T07:18:00.001-07:00

Proverbs 2:1-22

21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.

22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.

Like a garden tended by the Lord, He grows us up into fragrant flowers, fruitful vines, and strong trees. The wicked are the weeds, useless and destructive to the growth of the desired plants, He plucks out.

Proverbs 1:1-33

2009-09-04T07:16:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 1:1-33

23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

If you are going to know the Word, you can't quench the Spirit. The Spirit of God, the third person of the Trinity, shows us the truth of the Bible.

John 16:13-15 The Holy Spirit, the Comforter, opens our understanding to the truths in God's Word. He guides us and comforts us by revealing the Words of God, written in the Bible, and gives us understanding of them. If we deaden ourselves to Him by ignoring the Spirit's conviction, or if we quench the Holy Spirit by continuing in known sins, we damage our ability to see what God wants to show us from the Bible. We communicate to God through prayer. God communicates to us through His revealed Word.

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