Once again we find an example of what happens we neglect to bind the Word of God upon our hearts and lives.
Proverbs 6:25-29 “Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.” Solomon warns of the dangers of lust, and where it usually leads. His parents’ relationship began in such a way, so he had learned of the consequences of this sin from his father. If only Solomon had not traded his wisdom for vanity, and heeded his own advice years later. James 1:13-15 “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.” We must guard our hearts and minds from the temptations that the devil throws our way each day. Our flesh is weak and often entices us to do evil. It all starts within our hearts. Proverbs 4:23 “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Matthew 12:35 “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.” Examine the condition of your heart today. Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Bible Reading: Job 21-22 | 1 John 2 | Proverbs 21
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We cannot exercise Biblical wisdom without spending time within the pages of the Word of God. More than just knowing what the Scripture says, we must apply the Word to our hearts.
Proverbs 6:20-22 “My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.” Our Guide – “When thou goest, it shall lead thee…” The Word directs us. The Word teaches us. The Word leads us. Our Guardian – “…when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee…” The Word gives us rest. The Word comforts us. The Word protects us. Our Instructor – “…and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.” The Word desires to be read. The Word communes with us. Proverbs 6:23-24 “For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.” God’s Word is a Lamp to brighten our surroundings, and a Light to direct our path. The Scripture provides instruction for today and direction for tomorrow. Psalm 119:105 “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Allow the Word to guide, guard and instruct you today. As the Word shines in our hearts, we can reflect His Light so that others may see Him. Bible Reading: Job 19-20 | 1 John 1 | Proverbs 20 After the slothful are condemned, Solomon begins to address the characteristics of a wicked man. Notice how each action is described:
Proverbs 6:12-15 “A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord. Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.” The mouth of the wicked is associated with the feet. What we say affects where we go, and where we go affects what we say. The heart of the wicked is perverse and constantly plotting evil and strife. What is within our hearts controls our thoughts and actions. 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.” It is no coincidence that all these things that the Lord hates revolve around the flesh, our senses, and our desires. The devil seeks to control these in us, in an effort to destroy our testimony any way he can and at every opportunity. What the Lord hates, the devil loves. What the Lord considers an abomination is the devil’s delight. Exercise Biblical wisdom to avoid these wicked actions today. Bible Reading: Job 17-18 | 2 Peter 3 | Proverbs 19 Proverbs 6:6-8
“Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.” We can learn many things from these little creatures that we usually deem as nuisances in our homes. Proverbs 30:25 “The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;” Their Strength Ants may not possess great strength, but they are have an inner strength they rely on while they work and search for food. What a reminder of our own weakness and the strength we can find in Christ’s strength! Their Preparation Ants diligently prepare their homes for harvesting their food. An ant farm has intricate details that all serve a purpose to the livelihood of the family. They create pockets within their dwellings to store food so they may eat throughout the winter. What are we preparing for? Christ could come at any time, may He find us working for His glory. Their Determination Ants do not give up very easily. They purposefully seek for food in the summer, when there is plenty to eat, knowing that soon it will be winter. How often do we quit in frustration before we finish a task or reach a goal? May we learn to press on with a determination to finish our course with joy. Proverbs 6:9-11 “How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.” Ants are not slothful creatures. They are always working to improve their homes and provide for their family. God did not create us to be slothful, but desires that His children be always abounding in the work of the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” Bible Reading: Job 15-16 | 2 Peter 2 | Proverbs 18 Proverbs 6:1-5
“My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend. Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler." Being a surety is to be accountable for another by pledge. Solomon seems to discourage his son from getting into such a situation; and if so, then to immediately dissolve the debt. Christ gives a different perspective in Luke 6, encouraging the multitudes to lend to others. He assures them, and us today, of the great rewards that are in store for those who give. Luke 6:34-35 “And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 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.” Are you willing to give to a friend without expecting anything in return? The Apostle Paul was a surety for his friend Onesimus when he wrote to Philemon on his behalf. He was willing to pay his friend’s debt. Philemon 1:17-19 “If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself. If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account; I Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it: albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides.” What a picture of salvation that is found in the finished work of Jesus Christ! The Friend of all Friends proved His love for us by giving His life as a ransom for many. He paid the debt for our sins that we could not pay. Proverbs 18:24 “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” Bible Reading: Job 13-14 | 2 Peter 1 | Proverbs 17 Those who begin experimenting with strange wisdom often forget who is watching. They may be able to hide their dealings from those around them…but God knows.
Proverbs 5:21-22 “For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings. His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.” The Lord is watching, and He sees everything. Jeremiah 16:18 “For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes.” Just when we think nobody is watching…He is. Proverbs 15:3 “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” When we forget that He sees and knows everything, we often begin to think we do not need His instruction. The last verse of Proverbs 5 tells us what will happen when we think we are above what God’s Word has to say. Proverbs 5:23 “He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.” The road of no instruction is not only dangerous, but it is deadly. Living without the Word applied to our hearts will surely cause us to go astray without the Lord guiding our steps. Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Seek wisdom today through the instruction of the Word of God. Bible Reading: Job 11-12 | 1 Peter 5 | Proverbs 16 Proverbs 5:15-20
“Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well. Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets. Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee. Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love. And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?” Solomon pinned these words under inspiration of the Holy Spirit. God knew what choices his flesh would make after this was written, yet the Lord allowed him to admonish his children about the sanctity of the relationship between a husband and wife. Just as marriage is a picture of Christ and His church, we must submit ourselves to Him as a Bride adorned for her Husband. Ephesians 5:21-23 “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.” The Lord is ever faithful to us, and therefore we must be faithful to Him in all that we do. May we never allow strange wisdom to come between our fellowship with Him. Hebrews 13:4 “Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.” Bible Reading: Job 9-10 | 1 Peter 4 | Proverbs 15 Proverbs 5:14
“I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.” In the midst of our congregations today, strange wisdom not only occurs, but sometimes it overpowers those that seek godly wisdom rather than their own. God will not tolerate the profaning of holy things. Leviticus 22:2 “Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they profane not my holy name in those things which they hallow unto me: I am the LORD.” We must remember that God is Holy; therefore His house should be as well. As His children, we are to be holy temples of God. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” The one word within our verse today that makes all the difference is “almost”. This tells us that he was not “in all evil” yet. There was still hope. He had realized that something needed to be changed. Are you “almost” today? The best way to avoid anything is to abstain from even the appearance altogether. May we be aware when we are “almost” in a place where evil may take hold upon our testimony. Proverbs 13:20 “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.” We must choose wisely what we allow to influence our walk with the Lord. Walk in the Wisdom of the Word today. Bible Reading: Job 7-8 | 1 Peter 3 | Proverbs 14 If we do not avoid strange wisdom, we will soon see the effects and influence of it upon our lives.
Proverbs 5:7-13 “Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth. Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house: Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel: Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger; And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof; And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!” Strange wisdom desires to make us doubt the Truth of God’s Word, even to the point where we hate or despise correction. We cannot fear the Lord and hate the instruction of His Word. Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:29-31 “For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.” Strange wisdom breeds disobedience to the Word of God. If we do not obey the Scriptures, we are simply not wise at all. Psalm 78:10-11 “They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law; And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them.” We must take heed today to disregard strange wisdom before it has a significant effect upon our lives. Bible Reading: Job 5-6 | 1 Peter 2 | Proverbs 13 The rest of the chapter revolves around Solomon warning of a “strange woman” that is to be avoided by those walking in Wisdom.
Proverbs 5:3-6 “For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell. Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.” On first reading, it appears that this warning only applies to men who should avoid this type of woman. However, there is a deeper Truth here in this passage of Scripture. Throughout the Bible, the church is referred to the Bride of Christ. We are the Bride, and Jesus Christ is the Groom. Marriage is such a beautiful picture of our relationship with Christ. We are one with Him. This “strange woman” is a picture of a false bride, or apostate religion; thus, the warning that must be heeded to by those who desire to walk in Wisdom. A strange woman turns aside from the Truth. Though their words may be sweet and compelling, there is often an agenda behind them. Psalm 55:21 “The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.” A strange woman is unstable in their beliefs. They question the Truth, and are often willing to change based upon convenience and popularity. Having religion rather than relationship, they desire to mix the Word of God with their own words. Matthew 15:7-9 “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” Romans 16:17-18 “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.” We must be aware of strange wisdom, and avoid it at all cost. Bible Reading: Job 3-4 | 1 Peter 1 | Proverbs 12 |
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