Proverbs 23:3
“Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.” How often are you conscious of what your flesh lusts after? More often than not, we rarely even realize that our flesh is in control of our desires and behaviors. Our hearts cannot be trusted. Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” If we continue to follow after the flesh, we will soon find ourselves drowning in sin. Lust quickly turns into sin, which has a definite consequence. James 1:12-15 “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. 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.” The greatest way to combat against sin and lust is to avoid it at all costs. Psalm 141:4 “Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.” Avoiding must also be combined with an offensive attack against any lust or sin creeping in our minds. Ephesians 4:22-24 “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” We need only one Weapon to fight against the lustful wiles of the devil. Ephesians 6:17 “And take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:” Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Reading the Word of God faithfully renews our mind and transforms our lives. It is through His Word that we find His will for us. Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 7-8 | Mark 7 | Proverbs 21
1 Comment
Proverbs 23:1-2
“When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.” Here we see a unique illustration of how we must consider what is before us and use restraint against our fleshly desires. Our appetite can sometimes get the best of us and cause us to eat far more than we actually need. Rather than allow our flesh to get the best of us, we can choose to consider these things: Consider Diligently Who Is Watching Us. Proverbs 15:3 “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” Consider Diligently Who Is Learning From Us. Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Consider Diligently What Is Influencing Us. Proverbs 13:20 “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.” When we consider these things, we begin to realize when to restrain our flesh from the temptation we face. Every one of us struggles with different things and the devil knows exactly what are weaknesses are. He utilizes every opportunity he can get to cause us to fall from temptation into sin, but God is Faithful to help us overcome his attacks. 1 Corinthians 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” Our best defense is by putting on the whole armour of God. Ephesians 6:11 “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 5-6 | Mark 6 | Proverbs 20 Proverbs 22:28-29
“Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set. Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.” God has given us people and places to mold us into who we are today and who He desires us to be someday. The parents who raised you, the person who shared the Gospel with you, and the pastor who feeds you with the Word. The home you grew up in, the school you learned in, and the church you attend. God orchestrated it all. Psalm 64:9-10 “And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing. The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.” In the Book of Joshua, we read of a new season in the lives of the children of Israel. Moses has died and they now had a new leader, Joshua. The Lord used him to bring His people into the Promise Land, but he was wise not to forget what the Lord had done before with Moses at the Red Sea and what He did when they crossed over Jordan with Joshua. The Old Rock Altar. God used those stones to serve as a memorial unto His people forever that He takes care of His children. Joshua 4:21-24 “And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones? Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land. For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over: That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever.” He orchestrates events and situations to show His mighty hand in our lives. He makes a way when there seems to be no way. Trust Him today to carry you through whatever roadblock is in front of you. If God builds it, it cannot be overthrown. Acts 5:39 “But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.” If God does it, it will stand forever. Ecclesiastes 3:14 “I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.” Thank Him today for the landmarks of Wisdom He has placed within your life. Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 3-4 | Mark 5 | Proverbs 19 Proverbs 22:26-27
“Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts. If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?” Biblical stewardship is such a vital part of the Christian life. How we handle what God has given us says so much about the condition of our hearts. God warns us not to spend more than we have and also not to be a surety for someone if we do not have the means. If we have nothing to pay, we have no reason to promise; yet so often we see these principles misused and even blatantly disobeyed today. Creditors are not nearly as forgiving of our earthly debts as God is of our debt to Him. God tells us to give as He gave. When we give sacrificially and with the faith that God will bless us as we obey His leading, we are sure to see Him bring to pass much more than we could ever desire. 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.” The more we follow His direction, the more we will realize and believe that He is Able to do so much more than we can even comprehend. Ephesians 3:20-21 “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” Many work in order to pay a debt that they cannot pay, rather than simply believing on Jesus Christ that gave His life so that we could live. Romans 4:4-5 “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” There may be times when we have nothing to pay an earthly debt, but we can still have joy because we need nothing to pay for our sins if we place our faith in Him. Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 1-2 | Mark 4 | Proverbs 18 Proverbs 22:24-25
“Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.” How we choose our friends impacts every aspect of our lives because the type of friends we make are a result of our choices. Job’s friends could have encouraged him instead of questioning his integrity. Jonathan was faithful to David even when his father, Saul, sought to kill him. These and many other examples of how friendships can mold us or break us lie within the pages of Scripture. Friendship is a gift from God when we allow Him to place within our lives the people that He knows we need. 1 Samuel 23:16 “And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.” Are the friends you have sharpening or dulling your walk with the Lord? Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” Wise To Evaluate 2 Samuel 13:3 “But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David's brother: and Jonadab was a very subtil man.” Amnon shared His heart with Jonadab, telling him the truth about his feelings for Tamar, his brother’s wife. His so called friend advised him to follow his heart and sin instead of giving him godly counsel. Amnon neglected to evaluate the advice he received and compare it to what God’s said. Wise To Separate 2 Corinthians 6:14,17 “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?...Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,” Sometimes the best thing we can do is to separate ourselves from people. We can love them without allowing our lives to be in fellowship with unrighteousness. It is rarely easy to do so, however God promises to bless our efforts when we do. Proverbs 13:20 “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.” If God has blessed by giving you iron sharpening friends, thank Him while asking Him to continue to strengthen those relationships. If God has revealed to you some changes you need to make, have the faith to trust Him to do what He knows is best. Regardless of your situation today, choose your friends wisely. Bible Reading: Numbers 35-36 | Mark 3 | Proverbs 17 Proverbs 22:22-23
“Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate: For the LORD will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.” It is through Wisdom that we understand that regardless of the situation we face, the Lord will plead our cause. Jeremiah 51:36 “Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry.” In poverty, oppression, sickness, confusion, or discouragement...the Lord pleads our cause. Psalm 140:12 “I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor.” When God allows us to go through something, He does not send us in the storm alone. He is in the boat with His children and will speak peace to their hearts until they are safe on the other side. Affliction has a purpose. Psalm 119:71 “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.” Whatever affliction we face, we can carry on by God’s grace because He has chosen to plead the cause of His people. Psalm 35:1 “Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.” Bible Reading: Numbers 33-34 | Mark 1-2 | Proverbs 16 Proverbs 22:20-21
“Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?” Wisdom is given through the written Word of God. He wrote through the means of human authors pinning down His Holy and Inspired Words so that every generation to come may have the Scriptures which He preserved. It is through those Words that we find the Wisdom that we are told to ask for from God. We cannot wisely answer any question to the reason for our faith without Biblical knowledge and understanding. 1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:” The degree to which we take heed to every Word that He has given us determines the amount of Light we allow to shine within the darkness of our existence. Sin abounds all around us and within us; yet the grace of God does much more abound, and can only be found through His Holy Word. 2 Peter 1:19-21 “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” The Words of Truth were given so that we may receive the free Gift of Wisdom Himself, and become more like Him as we know Him more. Philippians 3:8-11 “…that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.” We cannot be certain of our knowledge of the Word of God without first knowing the Author through His sufferings, His death, and His resurrection. The Gospel is the foundation for every Word of Wisdom we have been given. We are given the Good News Of Wisdom so that we might first believe and then share this Gift with everyone around us. Bible Reading: Numbers 31-32 | Luke 24 | Proverbs 14 Proverbs 22:17-19
“Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge. For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.” The Lord has given us three simple steps to do with the Wisdom He bestows upon those who ask. Bow. Acknowledging in holy reverence the sovereignty of the Lord is the first step we must do when we come before our Heavenly Father. Bowing our hearts and ears allows us to show our devotion to Him. Psalm 78:1 “Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.” Hear. Humbling ourselves before the Lord allows us to more attentively hear what He has to say within His Word. If our hearts are not listening to His Wisdom, we cannot follow His direction or fulfill His purpose for our lives. Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Apply. The Words Of Wisdom we hear from the Word of God cannot be turned into faith until we apply them to our hearts. He has given us the Answer to every problem we face if we will only seek Him though His Word, for He is THE Answer. Proverbs 2:1-6 “My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.” Doing these three simple steps brings us closer to our Creator and strengthens our walk with Him so that we may be able to trust Him more each day. Proverbs 22:19 “That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee.” Bible Reading: Numbers 29-30 | Luke 24 | Proverbs 14 Proverbs 22:16
“He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.” The world around us encourages selfish behavior. We are taught to put ourselves first, implying our needs are more important than those around us; yet, the Word of God speaks of a different way of life. Philippians 2:3-4 “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” Selfishness only leads to wanting more. Instead of considering how everything will affect us, we can choose to live by faith and follow the Lord as He leads us. Doing so will allow us the opportunity to watch Him fulfill our needs time and time again just as He promised. Matthew 6:31-34 “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Jesus Christ left us an example of how to live selfless instead selfish. Philippians 2:5-8 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Through His strength, follow His example today: Put His reputation above your own. Serve selflessly like He did. Humble yourself before Him. Seek to obey until the end. By following Christ’s example, we can turn from selfishness to selflessness. Bible Reading: Numbers 27-28 | Luke 23 | Proverbs 13 Proverbs 22:15
“Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.” The corruption of sin is woven into our very existence. We were born into sin. Psalm 51:5 “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Our corruption demands correction. Just as children must receive correction to learn what is right and wrong, our Heavenly Father corrects His children in love for He knows what is best for us. The Rod of Correction. God directs those to which He has given children to spare not the rod of correction from them. This is to be done in love. Proverbs 13:24 “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.” The Rod of Moses & Aaron. Exodus 4:2 “And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.” God had already given Moses exactly what he needed, and he held it in his hand. This was the rod that God would cause to turn into a serpent, to perform each of the plagues upon the Egyptians, in the parting of the Red Sea, and the defeat of the Amalekites. God used this rod in performing miracle after miracle through Moses; yet it was also this same rod that Moses used in his disobedience when he smote the rock instead of speaking to it. His flesh got in the way, and caused God to have to use His rod of correction upon the children of Israel because of Moses’ disobedience. The Rod of the Scriptures. Psalm 23:4 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” God has also given us a Rod to correct and guide His children. This Rod has been preserved so that every generation could know the Truth. This Rod was written for our learning, and is more necessary than our daily bread. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Allow the Rod of Wisdom to perform a miracle within your life today. Bible Reading: Numbers 25-26 | Luke 22 | Proverbs 12 |
Archives
January 2021
Philippians 4:17Copyright © 2020
Delight Thyself Design Ministries, Inc. All rights reserved. |