Proverbs 5

Proverbs 5:1-23

My son, be attentive to my wisdom;

 incline your ear to my understanding,

 that you may keep discretion,

and your lips may guard knowledge.

• As discussed in Proverbs 4, God repeats himself here saying “be attentive”.  When God repeats himself, pay attention because it’s highly important.  
• In this context, God is saying that we should continually pay attention to His wisdom.  The only way to do this is to return daily to His wisdom … scripture.  His Word.
• This will keep you in check.  Without doing this, your understanding of knowledge WILL be tainted – poisoned – by the unsubstantiated thinking of this world.

 For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey,

and her speech is smoother than oil,

 but in the end she is bitter as wormwood,

 sharp as a two- edged sword.

• Wow.  God is not picking on women here.  This can as easily be the smooth, good looking fella that makes a woman melt.  
• From the time of Adam and Eve we’ve had this evil in us.  We want what’s forbidden.  Like the kid that wants the thing his parents said he could not have.  We want it MORE when it’s off limits.  
• This was Satan’s downfall.  He thought he deserved to be on the same level as God.  That’s why he was cast down.
• I know I can personally speak to the allure of the forbidden fruit.  And I can now speak to the bitterness that results from partaking in what is forbidden.  

 Her feet go down to death;

her steps follow the path to Sheol;

 she does not ponder the path of life;

her ways wander, and she does not know it.

• She (the forbidden fruit) will lead you down to death, in that “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).  This means that sin leads to spiritual death.  Whether we can grasp it or not, our physical body means very little.  It’s temporary.  Who we truly are is our spirit.  That is what dies with sin.  The only way around this is faith in Jesus.  In this way, he’s saved us.
• The second two lines are much more than you might think.  A life following something other than God’s truth – a life of sin and selfishness – is a meandering, directionless path.
• Unfortunately, a blindness blankets those who live this way.  They have no idea they are wandering and will wonder right off a cliff eventually.  Speaking to people like this is frustrating.  They sincerely do not see.

 And now, O sons, listen to me,

and do not depart from the words of my mouth.

 Keep your way far from her,

and do not go near the door of her house,

• Keep reading scripture and learning God’s truth.
• AND – at the same time – stay away from that which tempts you (the forbidden fruit) - whatever that is.

 lest you give your honor to others

and your years to the merciless,

 lest strangers take their fill of your strength,

and your labors go to the house of a foreigner,

• Think of the politicians, pro athletes, and other public figures who were highly thought of.  Then their sins became public and their entire life came crashing down.  No matter how many good things they may have done, they are now “that guy” (think Tiger Woods, et al).
• Your honor?  Gone.
• Your years of good will be ignored as the merciless tear at your character, questioning everything you’ve ever done that may have been good. 
• They will use your downfall for their gain.
• All because you could not control your desire for the forbidden fruit.  
• But here’s the silver lining … there is always a new beginning.  And you’ll start at a point of humility.  That’s where God wants us.

 and at the end of your life you groan,

when your flesh and body are consumed,

 and you say, “How I hated discipline,

and my heart despised reproof!

 I did not listen to the voice of my teachers

or incline my ear to my instructors.

 I am at the brink of utter ruin

in the assembled congregation.”

• This is the “happy" side of Truth.  Sarcasm intended.  But Truth is Truth.  Those who decided to do it there way will be in agony.  They will regret not listening, but it will be too late.
• At the end of the physical life, we will be judged.  If we don’t have Jesus and His saving grace, we will be judged on our track record alone.  This is how the Jews and the Muslims think.  The thing they’ve not concluded in their minds … they are so far off from holy (just like the rest of us) that they don’t stand a chance.  Not alone.  Not without Jesus’ salvation.
• At that time, those who dismissed Jesus and His free gift will realize their enormous mistake.  God does not want that and will do everything He can to avoid that.  We as the Body of Christ do not want that either.  That’s why we MUST evangelize in love.

 Drink water from your own cistern,

flowing water from your own well.

 Should your springs be scattered abroad,

streams of water in the streets?

 Let them be for yourself alone,

and not for strangers with you.

• Stick with what you’ve got.  Stick with what God has given you.  Don’t spread your waters about because it “feels good” to do so.  You know it’s not right and not pleasing to God.
• Your body is for your spouse and no one else.  

 Let your fountain be blessed,

and rejoice in the wife of your youth,

 a lovely deer, a graceful doe.

Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight;

be intoxicated always in her love.

• “Rejoice in the wife of your youth” - Why did you love your spouse so much when you were dating … in those first few years of marriage?  It was because you were giving him/her what he/she needed and he/she was giving you what you need.  You were filled.  Over time, we stop doing that and the negative results follow.    
• Return back to that.  No matter what your spouse does, give him/her what he/she needs.  Love, respect, compassion, sex, whatever.  
• Your spouse is still that person.  Trust God that the “wife of your youth” will reemerge if you do as he commands.  

 Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman

and embrace the bosom of an adulteress?

• The answer to this question:  Because he or she is giving you what your spouse used to give you.  And your spouse no longer gives that to you because YOU stopped giving him/her what he/she needs.  All you are doing with the “forbidden woman” is repeating your same mistakes.  That puppy love will fade, too, if you haven’t learned your lessen.
• What’s better is to invest your energy in the "wife of your youth” not in the “forbidden fruit”.

 For a man's ways are before the eyes of the Lord,

and he ponders all his paths.

• God sees you and watches what you’re doing.  He hopes that you will do what he’s instructed, just like a good father, but he created “free will” to allow you to decide.  When we don’t do what He instructs, He is disappointed, not only because you are going against His rules, but because it’s just not good for you.

 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.

• Slavery is still alive and well.  We are slaves to our sins.  The only freedom is with God … away from the snares of sin.
• Lack of discipline and folly (things fools do) leads to the spiritual death we talked above earlier.  To truly LIVE, just follow the instructions that came in the box.  

Proverbs 4

Hear, O sons, a father's instruction,

and be attentive, that you may gain insight,

 for I give you good precepts;

do not forsake my teaching.

• Stop listening to the other clueless children (us), and just understand that God’s instructions are for our best.  Period.  Nothing good can come from listening to this world.
• He’s saying, “I know infinitely more than you.  In fact, I know how this all turns out.  I’m already there in the future.  So JUST TRUST ME!”
• And, as I read in C.S. Lewis’ book yesterday, we don’t need to be taught as often as we need to be REMINDED.  We know better, but we get distracted, confused and tricked by the smooth talk of this world.  This is why it’s so critical to spend some time in God’s word every day.  It’s like taking a shower to remove the dirt.

 When I was a son with my father,

 tender, the only one in the sight of my mother,

 he taught me and said to me,

 “Let your heart hold fast my words;

 keep my commandments, and live.

• Like in the beginning of any relationship, you feel dedicated to the other and what they have to say.  You can’t imagine a day when that will fade.  But it will fade if we aren’t diligent.  
• So, let your heart hold fast my words.  Make it part of you … don’t treat it as simply a few “good ideas”.
• Because if you keep to the instructions, you will live spiritually forever.  And as the Artist Formerly Known As the Artist Formerly Known As Prince (a.k.a. Prince) once said, “…and that means forever, and that’s a mighty long time.  But I’m going to tell you, there’s something else …”. ;)

 Get wisdom; get insight;

do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.

 Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;

 love her, and she will guard you.

• Will just walked up and I explained what will happen as he grows older.  He will be tricked by this world into thinking certain things.  This is what happens to the man (or woman) that does not return to God’s Word regularly.  It will sound right, until it is once again compared to real truth.  It’s like seeing a white shirt that looks perfectly white … until you compare it with ACTUAL white.  They it looks as it is – dirty, off-white, imperfect.
• The promise – as mentioned – is that if you do not forsake the wisdom and insight found in God’s Word, it will guard you.

 The beginning of wisdom is this:  Get wisdom,

and whatever you get, get insight.

 Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;

she will honor you if you embrace her.

 She will place on your head a graceful garland;

she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”

• Take this literally (as it will be in heaven – no idea) or figuratively.  The point is, wise people are not fooled.  They have a different ere about them, don’t they?  A glow.  A joy and a peace that you can’t put your finger on.
• Get wisdom from God through His word and through studies like this one.  This will give you insight in every situation.  A compass of ruler to measure everything correctly.  Keep in mind, worldly thinking has no compass.  It is floating in mid-air with its arguments.  Nothing to substantiate it.  Pitiful that worldly people don’t see this.  
• With Godly wisdom comes solid ground on which to stand.  And with that will come your graceful garland and your beautiful crown.  

 Hear, my son, and accept my words,

that the years of your life may be many.

 I have taught you the way of wisdom;

I have led you in the paths of uprightness.

 When you walk, your step will not be hampered,

and if you run, you will not stumble.

• I’ve given you the way, the wisdom, the insight … use it and you won’t fail.  The only way you’ll stumble is if you mix in the world with God’s word, as MANY people do.  They want something to be true so much that they justify it with a mis-translation of scripture.
• Someone used this story to explain once:  A Dad was explaining to his kids that even a little sin is bad to God.  This is why we need Jesus.  To drive home the point, the next morning he baked his kids some brownies (yes, the Dad baked – bear with me on this one).  They looked delicious, fresh out of the oven, with walnuts and cranberries popping out all over.  Gooey.  The kids can’t wait to eat them.  The Dad says, “You can have them this morning for breakfast if you want, but a quick warning:  I put just a tiny bit of dog poop from the back yard in there.  No biggie - it’s only a very tiny amount.  Enjoy!”  Even a little sin … a little of this world … spoils everything, and can cause you to stumble.

 Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;

guard her, for she is your life.

• The truth WILL be challenged by this world.  Don’t be fooled by what it tries to tell you.  Again, it has no footing in reality – only in opinions and feelings.  Feelings can’t be trusted – they are momentary.
• Hold tight to God’s Word and what it tells us.  This IS the way to true life.
• This means returning to the instructions repeatedly – as often as feasible.  Suggestion – daily, if not twice daily as George Washington did.  One hour each morning and one hour each night was his approach.  Seemed to do well for him ;)

 Do not enter the path of the wicked,

and do not walk in the way of the evil.

 Avoid it; do not go on it;

turn away from it and pass on.

 For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;

they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.

 For they eat the bread of wickedness

 and drink the wine of violence.

• The surest way to be lulled into the worlds way of thinking is to “do as they do”.  We may feel that it’s no big deal, but that’s how it happens. It’s a series of “it’s no big deal” statements that shift your thinking, little by little, until you are thinking entirely differently.  It’s insidious how the Enemy works.  
• This is not to say that we do not spend time with and hang with those who sin.  Jesus did just that.  How will they know the right way to be unless they see firsthand how from someone living the right way?  We just need to be careful to separate "being with" and "acting like”.  In this case, we should NOT do as the Romans do.  
• Some are so far gone that they can’t WAIT to do bad things.  They’ve fallen so far into the enticement that they are now addicted to an extent.  
• You’ve met the people that just love to make others stumble in some way.  It brings them an evil joy.  That is the enemy in them.  Forgive them and know that there is a person under there – beneath the sin.

 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,

which shines brighter and brighter until full day.

• The longer you are on the right path, the more obvious it becomes that it’s the right one.  For those off the path, they can only see a glimmer.  Those that take the leap of faith and trust God and His way will experience this incrementally bright light coming in the form of peace, joy and fulfillment.

 The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;

they do not know over what they stumble.

• I see this in my interactions with unbelieving friends of mine.  They have zero idea that they are standing on pure wrongness.  They are oblivious to it.  And when bad things happen, they don’t know it likely had to do with their choices based on worldly perspectives.  It’s sad to see.  Pointing it out to them results in a backlash, so you have to be careful.  Again, they do not see what you see.  They are quite literally blind.

 My son, be attentive to my words;

incline your ear to my sayings.

 Let them not escape from your sight;

 keep them within your heart.

 For they are life to those who find them,

and healing to all their flesh.

• Be attentive = Remind yourself of His words.  You must do this often to ensure they come as an automatic reaction.  Like muscle memory.  A good athlete is good because he or she has practiced so much, so consistently, so repeatedly … that it is not even a thought.  It just happens.
• The more you do this, the more life you will feel flooding in.  It is truly healing.  I feel it each time.

 Keep your heart with all vigilance,

for from it flow the springs of life.

 Put away from you crooked speech,

and put devious talk far from you.

• Protect yourself.  Put on the Full Armor of God (see my blog on this, entitled Dress for Success).  That way you will recognize and avoid false data coming at you all day.  Once you can see clearly, it’s amazing how it floods at us in force, unrelenting all day.
• Speak straight and in truth.  It always pays to do so.  But be sure to do it in love.  No harsh tone.  Be careful of your delivery.  Even the Devil speaks scripture periodically.  He sometimes uses it to twist and to lie and to hurt.

 Let your eyes look directly forward,

and your gaze be straight before you.

 Ponder the path of your feet;

 then all your ways will be sure.

 Do not swerve to the right or to the left;

turn your foot away from evil

• "Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right.”  
• Early in my Journey, just after accepting Christ into my life, I heard the phrase, “Keep your eyes focused on Him.”  Didn’t know what that meant at the time.  Now I do.  The world is constantly saying, “Look at me!” trying to divert our attention.  Keep your eye on the ball and all will be well.

Proverbs 3

Proverbs 3:1-35

My son, do not forget my teaching,

 but let your heart keep my commandments,

 for length of days and years of life

and peace they will add to you.

• Step away from it for 48 hours and you’ll notice how easily you will forget.  This world and the one who rules it – the enemy – is constantly working to pull you away from the truth.  
• The only way to ensure you do not forget is to repeated return to the teachings.  Take a moment each day to “hit the reset button”, cleaning off the filth and muck that this world will coat you with.
• Don’t just think that the commandments are “good info”.  KNOW that they are what’s best for us.  Absorb them, not just into your intellect, but into your inner being.  Make them a starting point, not an optional.
• The promise here:  Just follow my instructions, children, and you will have peace and joy in your heart.  Not to mention the whole eternal life in God’s presence (a.k.a. Length of days and years of LIFE – the true life).

 Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;

 bind them around your neck;

 write them on the tablet of your heart.

 So you will find favor and good success

in the sight of God and man.

• As mentioned, write love and faithfulness on your heart.  Make them your Modus Operandi.  Leave the old person behind.  It won’t “forsake you”.
• God will be pleased (which is the real goal), but what man can find fault in you if you are this way?  In fact, they will trust you, honor you and respect you.  Who wouldn’t?
• Note:  “Good success” can mean many things.  Don’t immediately think financial success, although that may come, too.  There are far greater successes than financial in this life.

 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.

• I deal with this one EVERY day.  
• How often do you try to get out of a situation on your own without asking God for his help?
• How often is your opinion in direct contradiction to what scripture says is correct?
• Just like a child thinking we know better than our parents, when we know they are more experienced, have more wisdom, and have our best interests at heart … we can’t reasonably say “I know better”.  That’s just silly.
• Rest in God’s word and promises.  Stop being a control freak and let “Jesus take the wheel”.

 In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths.

• Direct enough.  Acknowledge Him.  Even in tough times, be still and know that God is sovereign (in control).  And that’s a good thing.  We trust the pilot to fly the plane.  Would we jump in and take over?  Of course not.
• The promise is, “Just trust me.  Acknowledge that I know better.  And your paths will straighten in life."

 Be not wise in your own eyes;

 fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.

 It will be healing to your flesh

and refreshment to your bones.

• Respect the fact that God is infinitely wise and we have a governor on how wise we are capable of being.  
• You’re not as smart as you think you are.  Even Steven Hawking is only so smart – he can’t go any further.  He is human.  God is God.
• And once we realize this, you will feel a lot of weight lifted from you.  Less stress, less worry.  More joy, even in tough times.  This is when we need this truth the most.

 Honor the Lord with your wealth

and with the firstfruits of all your produce;

 then your barns will be filled with plenty,

and your vats will be bursting with wine.

• This is one of my favorites.  It’s about using the gifts given to you by God for HIS work, not for your comfort or desires.
• Honor him with your money, your talents, your opportunities.  They were given to you by Him.  They are actually His, not yours.
• And give him your BEST, not your left overs.  Many will give of their discretionary income, for instance.  But Jesus talks about a woman in the temple who gives her last two shekels and how that differs from the rich Pharisee who gives way more, but from his “extra”.  There is no sacrifice in the latter, only in the former.  
• Is your favorite part of the day the morning?  Give some of it to God.   Did you have a bumper crop of apples in your apple orchard?  Give the best 10% to God (through giving it to the least of his children).
• Do this in trust that God will always take care of you.  Don’t let worry get in the way.  Worry means you don’t trust God as much as you should.  Rest in His promises.

 My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline

or be weary of his reproof,

 for the Lord reproves him whom he loves,

as a father the son in whom he delights.

• Accept the discipline without grumbling.  It is out of love and will help to improve you as God shapes you and makes you more Christlike.
• In fact, accept the discipline with joy!  A father that loves his child will take time to discipline.  A father that does not take the time, obviously does NOT love his child.  It’s a complement.  Take it that way.

 Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,

and the one who gets understanding,

 for the gain from her is better than gain from silver

and her profit better than gold.

 She is more precious than jewels,

and nothing you desire can compare with her.

 Long life is in her right hand;

in her left hand are riches and honor.

 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,

and all her paths are peace.

 She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her;

those who hold her fast are called blessed.

• Ever meet an idiot with money?  Pitiful isn’t it?  
• Ever meet a poor man with incredible wisdom?  Incredible.
• Wisdom is a blessing and is far more valuable than … anything material really.
• The result of wisdom is “riches and honor”.  Riches in the form of insight, respect, love …
• And those who appreciate and honor that wisdom they’ve received, without being pulled away by wordily desires, are blessed, are peaceful.

 The Lord by wisdom founded the earth;

by understanding he established the heavens;

 by his knowledge the deeps broke open,

and the clouds drop down the dew.

• God’s wisdom, understanding and knowledge created the earth, the depths of the seas, the vastness of space and all in it.  That is just a glimpse into his power.  Our human minds can’t grasp it. 

 My son, do not lose sight of these—

keep sound wisdom and discretion,

 and they will be life for your soul

and adornment for your neck.

 Then you will walk on your way securely,

 and your foot will not stumble.

 If you lie down, you will not be afraid;

when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

• Wisdom is life and nourishment for the soul.  Wisdom will show in your face, in your actions, in your peaceful demeanor.
• With God’s wisdom, you can rest without fear of stumbling, without fear, without worry.  Peace.

 Do not be afraid of sudden terror

or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes,

 for the Lord will be your confidence

and will keep your foot from being caught.

• Rest in the knowledge that, even when bad things happen, it is all part of God’s greater plan that we may not understand.  Take comfort in this and you will have peace, even in the storms of life.
• God will never give you more than you are capable of dealing with.

 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,

when it is in your power to do it.

 Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again,

tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you.

• Love this one.  Always, without hesitation, give of yourself.
• Examples:  When you see something about someone else that is good or beautiful, tell them immediately.  You have no idea what impact that will have.  When you have, and see an opportunity to help someone who does not have, give without hesitation.  Help when the opportunity arises.  Stand up for someone when they need someone to stand up, regardless of what that might result in for you.  Trust in God.

 Do not plan evil against your neighbor,

who dwells trustingly beside you.

• Pretty straightforward.  Don’t do anything evil, mean spirited, selfish.  Just don’t.  
• No need for explanation on this one, I think.

 Do not contend with a man for no reason,

when he has done you no harm.

• Simply, don’t do anything bad to another, ESPECIALLY if they’ve done you no harm.
• That said, don’t do anything bad to others even if they have done harm to you.  Defend, certainly, but do not offend.  Turn the other cheek and let God deal with them.

 Do not envy a man of violence

and do not choose any of his ways,

 for the devious person is an abomination to the Lord,

but the upright are in his confidence.

• Many in our society do just that – envy a man who gets what he wants through violence.  No matter what he gets for his actions, ignore it.  That’s not the way.  He will pay – eventually.  God promises that in that He is a good and fair judge.
• Don’t be devious for any reason.  I’ve struggled with this in the past.  Lying to cut corners or to get what I want.  It never paid off in the end.  

 The Lord's curse is on the house of the wicked,

but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous.

 Toward the scorners he is scornful,

 but to the humble he gives favor.

 The wise will inherit honor,

but fools get disgrace

• No one is righteous, not one.  This is the beauty of following Christ.  HE has made us righteous through our belief in him and living out a life that is increasingly more like His life.  None of us are perfect.  Even Paul said that he was the greatest of sinners.  What he meant was, he sees that he can never achieve perfect righteousness.  And if he can’t, it’s unlikely anyone can.  Other religions base things on works alone, but they are looking over the horizon.  They still do bad things periodically.  What will happen when they get to judgement day with all of their mistakes on their backs?  They are screwed (excuse the French)!  We, on the other hand, acknowledge that we can’t do it alone.  We can never be clean with Christ and His sacrifice for us.  So …
• We are righteous through Christ, and our dwellings are blessed.  Our belief in Christ must be real, though.  We can’t say it, then do whatever we want.  That shows that we really don’t believe it.  God’s smarter than that.
• Be humble in all things.  Nothing you have and nothing you are capable of are yours – they were GIVEN to you.  Rest in that and give all credit to Him.  By the way, I am like totally awesome at this humility thing. ;)
• As we’ve discussed throughout Proverbs 3, the wise are given honor (think Ben Carson) and fools will get disgrace eventually (think Barack Obama).

Proverbs 2

My son, if you receive my words

and treasure up my commandments with you,

 making your ear attentive to wisdom

and inclining your heart to understanding;

 yes, if you call out for insight

and raise your voice for understanding,

 if you seek it like silver

and search for it as for hidden treasures,

 then you will understand the fear of the Lord

and find the knowledge of God.

• Seek and you shall find.  Ask and it will be answered.  
• If you truly treasure God’s thoughts on the matter over all else, then you will be given knowledge.  
• Pretty cool promise, eh?

 For the Lord gives wisdom;

from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;

• Knowledge and understanding come from Him.  Where has he spoken?   Right here, in scripture.  It can come from many other sources (dreams, a loud booming voice, a still and quiet voice), but most of it for me comes from the Word.  By the way, be careful of the “still and quiet voice” - it can be coming from another source, so make sure you line it up with scripture.  If not lined up, it’s likely coming from the other guy with the red leotard.

 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;

• He saves the good stuff for the people He knows will value His wisdom and act upon it.

he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,

 guarding the paths of justice

and watching over the way of his saints.

• He will protect you if you have integrity and are just.

 Then you will understand righteousness and justice

and equity, every good path;

 for wisdom will come into your heart,

and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;

• Take the wisdom into your heart, not just your head.  Make it part of your life, don’t just put it up on a “good to know” book shelf.  Just that act will be “pleasant to your soul” - it will give you warmth and comfort.

 discretion will watch over you,

understanding will guard you,

 delivering you from the way of evil,

from men of perverted speech,

 who forsake the paths of uprightness

to walk in the ways of darkness,

 who rejoice in doing evil

and delight in the perverseness of evil,

 men whose paths are crooked,

 and who are devious in their ways.

• Cough… Obama
• We must discern what this world is telling us.  It will try it’s best to trick us into it’s current way of thinking.  It will happen slowly.  I feel for those who don’t take the time to seek real truth, but rather grasp whatever “feels” okay. That “feeling” changes over time – it can’t be trusted.
• Many men throughout history – including those claiming to be Christian – have perverted truth, doing what they want to get ahead and bragging about it.  They will get theirs in the end, God will take care of that.
• We should ignore that they are “getting ahead” and just focus on ourselves and what we’re doing with God’s blessings and with regard to His plan for us.

 So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman,

from the adulteress with her smooth words,

 who forsakes the companion of her youth

and forgets the covenant of her God;

 for her house sinks down to death,

and her paths to the departed;

 none who go to her come back,

nor do they regain the paths of life.

• The “forbidden woman” is anything that tempts you … alcohol, porn, drugs, love of money and material things, etc..
• That path is the path to death – spiritual death.  
• Going down that path comes with the risk of never coming back.  And that means EVERYthing. 

 So you will walk in the way of the good

and keep to the paths of the righteous.

• A direct command, as from a good parent.  Do this – trust me that I have your best interests in mind and know better than you do.  Just follow my instructions and you’re going to be alright – better than alright.
• Stick with other righteous peeps – take their lead, not the lead of others whose feelings and foundation-less opinions lead them.

 For the upright will inhabit the land,

and those with integrity will remain in it,

 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,

and the treacherous will be rooted out of it

• The “land” can be translated as “in the presence of God”
• Those who choose to follow Him and believe in Him, will show it by walking in integrity.  It will be obvious.  And those people will be with God for eternity.  Incredible joy, great peace, no pain, no tears.  
• Those who “choose” to not follow Him, believe in Him and show it through action … and ultimately reject Him … will get their wish.  They will not be with Him for eternity.  They will not inherit the land.  They will be left with regret, sorrow, emptiness, and “weeping and gnashing of teeth”.

Proverbs 1

The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

 To know wisdom and instruction,

to understand words of insight,

 to receive instruction in wise dealing,

in righteousness, justice, and equity;

• To KNOW wisdom and instruction – this is not just a list of “nice ideas”.  It is God’s wisdom through Solomon.  Knowing this and taking it as valuable instruction to the real life is critical.
• There has to be a single objective set of instruction from a true authoritative source.  It must be this way.  Without that, everyone will choose their own, and then you end up with extremes like Hitler, Stalin, et al.  Extreme examples, but people don’t react to subtle examples.  They say, “Aw, they’re not THAT bad”.  And enough small moves over time and you have big moves away from home base.

 to give prudence to the simple,

• Most people are horribly informed, so “simple” does not necessarily mean “stupid”.  Some are just too busy (or lazy in some cases) to think it through, especially in the fast-paced superficial world we live in today.  So, specific instruction on prudence is needed.

knowledge and discretion to the youth—

• We must be responsible parents and impart this wisdom to them, THEN teach them the love of learning to continue their growth on their own.

 Let the wise hear and increase in learning,

and the one who understands obtain guidance,

 to understand a proverb and a saying,

 the words of the wise and their riddles.

• You’re never “wise enough” - you must continually learn and grow, all the way up to your death bed.  There is too much to know.
• Even if you think you know, obtain guidance from those more knowledgeable

 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;

fools despise wisdom and instruction.

• “Fear” in this verse is about respecting that God knows better.  Period.  That is the beginning of knowledge.
• And we both know many fools whose pride gets in the way of listening to wisdom and advice.  

 Hear, my son, your father's instruction,

and forsake not your mother's teaching,

• They’ve been around longer and have probably been through it.  Listen and head the advice of your parents.

 for they are a graceful garland for your head

and pendants for your neck.

• Parents – and their desire to teach/lead you – are a gift from God.  Never see them as a hassle, but as an advantage.

 My son, if sinners entice you,

do not consent.

• This WILL happen, over and over.  And they’ll do it in a sneaky way.  If you refuse, they will try to make you feel bad about it, foolish.  Don’t consent to their enticements or fall for their peer pressure.

 If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood;

 let us ambush the innocent without reason;

 like Sheol let us swallow them alive,

and whole, like those who go down to the pit;

 we shall find all precious goods,

we shall fill our houses with plunder;

 throw in your lot among us;

we will all have one purse”—

 my son, do not walk in the way with them;

 hold back your foot from their paths,

 for their feet run to evil,

and they make haste to shed blood.

• First off, watch out for dudes named Sheol.  Seriously. ;)
• This can mean little white lies as much as murder.  It could mean gossiping mean things about others.  Do not play along.  No good can come from it.  

 For in vain is a net spread

in the sight of any bird,

 but these men lie in wait for their own blood;

they set an ambush for their own lives.

• They may get away with it in their lives, but not in the end.  They will be judged.  Their eternal life is at stake.
• Think of a rope you are holding that goes up into space, travels millions of miles, wraps around the sun (without burning – come on, work with me), then back to you.  On one end of the rope is a strip of red tape around the rope.  The width of that tape is your lifespan here on Earth.  The rest is eternity.  What’s more important?

 Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain;

 it takes away the life of its possessors.

• See above.  Greed is not good (sorry Gordon Gecko).  It blocks out all the good stuff, like love.  

 Wisdom cries aloud in the street,

in the markets she raises her voice;

 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;

at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:

 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?

How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing

and fools hate knowledge?

• This is the frustration I feel.  Unbelievers today not only reject the truth, they scoff.  Like the punk kid who picks on the smart kid in school, making fun of his good grades.  “What are you wasting your time for?  Idiot.” the bully says.  So ignorant.

 If you turn at my reproof,

behold, I will pour out my spirit to you;

I will make my words known to you.

• It’s never too late to turn it around, though.  Just turn (the church word for this is “repent”) toward wisdom and instruction.  Life WILL be better, more fulfilling.

 Because I have called and you refused to listen,

have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,

 because you have ignored all my counsel

and would have none of my reproof,

 I also will laugh at your calamity;

I will mock when terror strikes you,

 when terror strikes you like a storm

and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,

when distress and anguish come upon you.

Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;

they will seek me diligently but will not find me.

 Because they hated knowledge

and did not choose the fear of the Lord,

 would have none of my counsel

and despised all my reproof,

 therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,

and have their fill of their own devices.

• At one point, there will be no turning back.  Once you are dead, or once Jesus returns, the option is off the table.  
• The laughter and mocking is representative of how it will feel in hell.  The “weeping and gnashing of teeth” mentioned elsewhere in scripture is the regret and mental anguish those who rejected him until the end will feel.

 For the simple are killed by their turning away,

and the complacency of fools destroys them;

• Our bodies – the bodies of believers – will die, of course.  But out eternal life with God started when we accepted his gift.  Not so for the unbeliever.  Their eternal life never begins.  And when their body dies, there is no option.  This is why the urgency to share the news … if an unbeliever dies tomorrow, even though he’s only 32, he loses in the biggest way possible.  He must hear the wisdom and instruction to make the decision, but by putting off the decision, he is risking it all.

 but whoever listens to me will dwell secure

and will be at ease, without dread of disaster

• Always know that following His instruction and heading His wisdom will result in what is best.  Without it, it’s a crap shoot.

If everyone were Christian ... a perfect world.

What would the world be like if everyone were Christian? Not forced to be Christian ... that just wouldn't work ... but if everyone sincerely accepted the free gift of Salvation through belief in Jesus. If this was a reality, how would the world be different? Let's speculate:

1. There would be no war, because (a) everyone would think of others' welfare before their own and (b) even if we had been wronged, we would turn the other cheek, not 7 times but 7 x 70 times. And we would forgive without exception and without condition.

2. There would be no hunger because we would not allow it to happen, not as God's hands and feet. We would have His eyes and would act on what we saw.

3. Everyone would have what they need. Not necessarily WANT, but NEED. We would all use our God given talents for the common good, and at our best levels of effort, giving without hesitation as we became aware of need in our global Christian family.

4. There would be no intentional murder, including abortion, because people would take personal responsibility and honor God by obeying him based on HIS perfect view of life and the gift sex.

5. We would be at liberty to love and be fully happy, without worry, without anxiety of what others might do. We wouldn't need to lock our doors, we wouldn't need to carry pepper spray, we wouldn't need firearms at all, except for hunting.

6. Men and women would live equally, as God intended it, per His perfect design for us.

7. No one would group themselves into races, as we would realize that we are all part of the same race - the human race. We would all realize that we were created by God, in His Image. Color of skin would be no more than a descriptor (e.g. the tall guy, the girl worth the darker skin, the man with the red polo).

8. It would be a world of love, compassion, selflessness, sharing ... it would be as close to Heaven as is possible in this temporal world.

But this is not the world that we live in, is it? So many of us believe we know better, that there is some other way to get to where we hope to get to. But there is no other way. There is only one way.

God wants so much more for us, but we - in our pride - have muddied the water. It's as simple and as difficult as this: we must all swallow our pride long enough to realize that we can't do this alone, that God knows this, and that He has made a way. It's up to us to acknowledge this and accept the gift.

I pray. Will you pray with me for this perfect world?

Am I My Brother's Keeper?

Stereotypes are a real time saver, aren't they?  For a good chuckle, check out the article on The Onion, entitled "Stereotypes Are a Real Time-Saver."  But aren't they?  I mean, they jump us right ahead to whatever we WANT to believe about categorized groups of individuals.  So convenient.  So nice.

Stereotypes like, "Only Democrats care about poor people and doing whatever we can to raise them up.  And Republicans care only about money, and stepping on the heads of the poor to get ahead."  It feels really good to demonize others.  Really builds up the self-esteem.

"No thanks - don't need to hear any evidence to the contrary.  I'm good with my misguided assumptions."

So let me set something straight:  Democrats do not care one iota more about the poor than Republicans do.  They DO - though - have very different ideas of HOW to help the poor.  One says "Our government should use our taxes to help the poor" and the other says, "We are all personally responsible to help the poor."

That said, both sides have good intentions, just very different perspectives:

• Good Democrat argument:  If the government is not providing programs, how can you be assured that people will help as much as they should?  Many of the rich are greedy and will not help those less fortunate.
• Good Republican argument:  Why should we trust the government to do what we should do?  Who says the government can handle this efficiently?  History and many current government programs have proven that they simply can't.

Both are correct, to an extent.  So, we have a conundrum, don't we?

And to exacerbate the situation, just providing entitlements has created dependency in many cases, and an ultimate lack of motivation to get up and out.  Not in all cases, but in too many.  However, this is normal human behavior - the long-term recipients of free help can't be blamed for a desire to be paid for doing nothing anymore than a child can be blamed for being a spoiled brat when the parents have been giving them everything they ask for and expecting nothing in return.  I'm not comparing the less fortunate with spoiled brats - not my point.  But certainly the same concept.  It's learned behavior.  If you take away motivation to improve oneself and ones situation, why do you expect a light at the end of the tunnel?

So, let's drop this "Democrats are the party of the poor" nonsense.  "Democrats are the party of the 'free stuff' given out by a government that is so far in debt, no one can wrap their head around it"?  Absolutely.  Republicans, on the whole, care just as much.  There is greed, yes.  But don't fool yourself - that exists on both sides.  It's a human flaw, not a political thing.

Call to action:  Give whenever you can.  If you have extra - give.  Get out of your bubble.  Step out of your comfort zone.  Do something.  But DON'T ask our highly inefficient federal government to do what WE - as fellow humans - are called to do.

We ARE our brother's keeper.  Time to step up and stop expecting the next guy (or President) to swoop in and save the day.