LIFE QUEST - A STUDY IN PROVERBS
The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom
NOTICE THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THE FATE OF THE RIGHTEOUS & WICKED:
Proverbs 10:27-28 The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened. The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.
Proverbs 3:3-4 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: 4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
WE NEED TO BE MERCIFUL AND TRUTHFUL IN DEALING WITH OTHERS AND OUR LIVES SHOULD BE LIVED ACCORDING TO GOD'S TRUTH AND STANDARDS, NOT ACCORDING TO WORLDLY WAYS.
PRO 3:5-7 Trust (Strongs 982) in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
982 batach, baw-takh'; a prim. root; prop. to proceed towards a place of refuge; fig. to trust, be confident or sure:-be bold (confident, secure, sure), careless (one, woman), put confidence, (make to) hope, (put, make to) trust.
WE NEED TO TRUST IN AND ACKNOWLEDGE THE LORD (JEHOVAH) IN ALL THAT WE DO AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS, AND THEN HE WILL DIRECT OUR PATHS:
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
PSA 25:8 Good and upright [is] the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.
PSA 25:9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.
PSA 32:8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
PSA 37:5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring [it] to pass.
PSA 37:7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
PRO 16:3 Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.
PRO 16:9 A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.
PRO 28:26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.
ISA 12:2 Behold, God [is] my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH [is] my strength and [my] song; he also is become my salvation.
ISA 26:3 Thou wilt keep [him] in perfect peace, [whose] mind [is] stayed [on thee]: because he trusteth in thee.
JAM 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.
1CO 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
Proverbs 3:9-10 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
WE SHOULD GIVE GOD THE FIRSTFRUITS OF OUR INCREASE, NOT THE LEFTOVERS!
Ref:
Proverbs 11:24-25 There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
Malachi 3:7-10 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?
Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
JESUS SAID IN Luke 6:38, "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again."
GIVING LEADS TO BLESSINGS FROM GOD, WHILE HOARDING LEADS TOWARDS POVERTY. A PROPER PERSPECTIVE ABOUT OUR POSSESSIONS AND TALENTS IS THAT THEY ARE A GIFT FROM GOD AND THAT WE ARE THE CUSTODIANS! USE WHAT YOU HAVE WISELY AND INVEST IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD; IT WILL YIELD EVERLASTING REWARDS!
PRO 3:11-12 My son, despise not the chastening (4148) of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction (8433): For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son [in whom] he delighteth.
4148 muwcar, moo-sawr'; from 3256; prop. chastisement; fig. reproof, warning or instruction; also restraint:-bond, chastening ([-eth]), chastisement, check, correction, discipline, doctrine, instruction, rebuke.
8433 towkechah, to-kay-khaw'; and towkachath, to-kakh'-ath; from 3198; chastisement; fig. (by words) correction, refutation, proof (even in defence):-argument, X chastened, correction, reasoning, rebuke, reproof, X be (often) reproved.
Ref:
JBO 5:17 Behold, happy [is] the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:
PSA 94:12 Blessed [is] the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law;
1CO 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
HEB 12:3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
HEB 12:5-11 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected [us], and we gave [them] reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
For they verily for a few days chastened [us] after their own pleasure; but he for [our] profit, that [we] might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
REV 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
PRO 3:21-23 My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion: So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.
PSA 121:3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
PSA 121:8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
PRO 2:8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.
PRO 3:27-28 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do [it]. Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.
Ref:
2CO 9:6-7 But this [I say], He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, [so let him give]; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
Proverbs 3:29-30 Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee. Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.
Ref:
Romans 12:18-21 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but [rather] give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance [is] mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Ephesians 4:29-32 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Matthew 6:12-14 {And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.} {For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:} {But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.}
Matthew 18:21-22 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, {I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.}
Matthew 18:32-35 {Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:} {Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?} {And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.} {So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.}
Mark 11:25-26 {And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.} {But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.}
Luke 6:35 {But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and [to] the evil.}
Luke 6:37 {Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:}
Luke 17:3-6 {Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.} {And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.} And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. And the Lord said, {If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.}
Proverbs 3:32-33 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.
IN PROVERBS 6:16-18, GOD DEFINES ABOMINATION AS FOLLOWS:
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.
HAVE YOU EVER COMMITTED ANY OF THESE ACTIONS THAT GOD SAYS ARE AN ABOMINATION TO HIM? HAVE YOU DONE SO LATELY? GOD WANTS US TO TURN FROM SUCH PRACTICES, SEEK AFTER HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS AND OBEY HIS COMMANDMENTS. THERE ARE MANY WONDERFUL PROMISES GOD HAS MADE TO THOSE WHO FOLLOW HIS COMMANDMENTS. MANY CONCERN THE PERSONAL GUIDANCE AND BLESSINGS THAT HIS FOLLOWERS RECEIVE FROM GOD.
THERE IS ALSO A SPECIAL PROMISE IN GOD'S WORD THAT HAS MUCH BROADER APPLICATION CONCERNING THE LAND WHERE BELIEVERS LIVE:
2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
JUDGING FROM THE WAY THINGS ARE HEADED IN THE UNITED STATES TODAY, WE, AS GOD'S PEOPLE, WOULD DO WELL TO FALL TO OUR KNEES AND SEEK GOD'S FORGIVENESS FOR OUR PERSONAL SINS AND TURN FROM SUCH PRACTICES; THEN GOD WILL FORGIVE OUR SINS AND HEAL OUR NATION!
MAY GOD SEARCH US AND SHOW US ANY SIN IN OUR LIVES AND LEAD US IN THE WAY EVERLASTING! GOD BLESS YOU AS YOU SEEK HIS FACE, FOLLOW HIS COMMANDMENTS AND ACCOMPLISH HIS WILL FOR YOUR LIFE!