Tag: Proverbs

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Your Friends and Your Future- Proverbs- Week 9- Day 3

On By Ben JenningsIn DevotionalLeave a comment

Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.

Proverbs 23:20-21

Explanation:
We’ve been walking through some instruction that the father is giving to his son regarding how to relate to those who are sinful. He has told his son not to envy sinners, but to listen, be wise, and to guide his own heart. So, what does that look like practically?
“Be not among winebibbers.” The command is given to avoid people who are addicted to and controlled by alcohol. Do not make your company with them. He also says this about “riotous eaters of flesh.” These are people who make festivities around the gorging of food. Some have said that the reason God had dietary laws for the children of Israel was to make them avoid the culture around pagan meals. At times they were characterized by sexual impropriety, idol worship, and other things that will be listed later in the text. The father tells his son to guide his heart and act wisely by not being around this kind of behavior.
He gives a first reason as to why this kind of response is needed. He says that the drunk and the glutton “shall come to poverty.” He says that “drowsiness” shall create poverty as well. What is drowsiness? It’s the literal sleep and the lack of proactivity that comes from a lifestyle characterized by alcohol consumption and gorging oneself on food.

Application:
It has been said accurately, “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.” These verses are a specific application of that principle. Being controlled by outside substances leads to all kinds of spiritual, relational, physical, and social problems.
Instead of being controlled by wine, the scripture calls us to be controlled by the Spirit.

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit…

Ephesians 5:18

Response:
Are there any relationships in your life that you need to change because they are influencing you down a path that could lead to spiritual and even monetary poverty?

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Guidance for the Heart Proverbs- Week 9- Day 2

On By Ben JenningsIn DevotionalLeave a comment

Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.

Proverbs 23:19

Explanation:
Remember that the context here is a father warning his son of the temptation of envying those who are enjoying sin.

Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long. For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.

Proverbs 23:17-18

Before he makes this very practical in verses 20 and following, he takes the time in verse 19 to give his son 3 imperatives.

  1. Hear.
    As a young person I am tempted not to listen to those older than me. It’s easy for me to think that I know better. The father tells his son “hear.” Listen. Don’t disregard what those who are older are telling you. There is so much value in learning from the experience of those who have lived longer than we have.
  2. Be Wise.
    This may seem like an obvious statement that has been said over and over in proverbs. So many people ask the question “What is allowed?”, rather than the better question, “What is the wise thing to do?”. Our aim should be for wisdom.
  3. Guide your heart.
    Young people are often told to “follow your heart.” Yet the Bible presents a different prescription.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

Jeremiah 17:9-10

Instead of following our hearts, we must recognize that on our own the heart desires the wrong thing. We need God to transform our hearts. Here the proverb tells us not to follow our hearts, but to, with wisdom, guide our hearts.

Application:
I want to submit to you, before we read the next few verses on what can be a controversial topic, that the way we can hear, be wise, and guide our hearts is by having a close interaction with the Word of God.


For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged 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.

Hebrews 4:12


The Word of God is a voice we need to listen to, the greatest repository of wisdom of all time, and a discerner of the thoughts and intents of our hearts. We must carefully and regularly listen to and obey what it says.

Response:
Recommit yourself today to live according to what the Word of God says no matter what.

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Do Not Envy Evil People Proverbs- Week 9- Day 1

On By Ben JenningsIn DevotionalLeave a comment

Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long. For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.

Proverbs 23:17-18

Explanation:
There are times in life where those who do the right thing look around and see all kinds of people doing the wrong thing and enjoying themselves. It seems at times that those who are evil are prospering. It is true that there is a pleasure in sin, and if we’re not careful we will forget that the pleasure of sin is just for a season. This is what the Father is pleading with his son to remember. He tells his son not to envy those who do wrong, but rather to fear God “all the day long”.
The father gives a really practical motivation for the son not to envy sinners. That motivation is the “hereafter.” He says “surely there is an end.” There is a life after this life. There is a day of judgement for those who sin against God without repentance. He also says “thine expectation shall not be cut off.” The idea is that honoring God now by not participating in the pleasure of sin reflects the fact that the son believes in the hereafter. The father is telling him to remember that there is an eternity, and that then he will be glad that he honored God. In the end, God will judge him rightly. The wrong that sinners do will not go unpunished. God is just.

Application:
No one envies the consequences of sin that people endure, so we should not envy the pleasure of sin that they experience for a season. There are two remedies for envying the sinner in this passage.

  1. The fear of the Lord. We must seek to honor God when we are tempted to go along with those who are enjoying the pleasure of sin in the moment.
  2. The hope of eternity. When we are tempted to envy sinners we must remember the hope and reward that we have in eternity and do the right thing.

Response:
Take some time today to imagine what eternity will be like.
Thank God for His forgiveness of our sin by His Son, and the hope that we have of heaven because of Christ’s sacrifice.

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The Benefits of Integrity (Part 2)- Proverbs- Week 8- Day 5

On By Ben JenningsIn DevotionalLeave a comment

Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.

Proverbs 16:8

A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment.

Proverbs 16:10

A just weight and balance are the LORD’S: all the weights of the bag are his work.

Proverbs 16:11

Explanation:
In studying this passage the last few days we have begun to recognize God’s sovereignty. Once we acknowledge God’s sovereignty it naturally follows that we are accountable to him. When we live as people who believe that we are accountable to God, the outcome is a life lived with integrity.
Living with integrity is a theme in this week’s passage. The passage references 5 benefits of living with integrity. We looked at the first two yesterday. Today we will look at three more benefits to living with integrity.

  1. Peace of mind. v.8
    According to the Word of God it is better to do worse financially that to give away your integrity for a price. In what ways is it better?
    People who do business without integrity
  • must deal with the guilt of what they have done.
  • constantly look over their shoulder thinking they may get caught.
  • eventually pay for what they have done.

Those who do business with integrity are the kind of people who do better in business long term. People want to deal with those who are honest and work hard.

  1. Wisdom for leading. v.10
    In the context of Solomon’s day the King was to speak what was righteous, and was to seek God for direction to lead. The king that sought God spoke on God’s behalf. In our context, when a leader needs wisdom from God, God is inclined to give it to Him. In the book of James, God promises to give wisdom to those who confidently ask for it.

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. (6) But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. (7) For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

James 1:5-7

A leader who has the integrity to look for wisdom from God for leading will be given the wisdom that is needed.

  1. God’s favor on our work. v.11
    When a person sold goods in ancient times, much like today, they sold some goods by its weight. Dishonest merchants would manipulate their scales to their benefit either to get more goods for less money if they were buying, or to give less money for more goods as they sold. The businessman that had integrity made sure that the scales that were used were as accurate as possible. This kind of businessman was looking for fairness in their dealings. What verse 11 tells us is that God’s will is always for business to be done with integrity. If fair scales are the Lord’s, then you know that the business that uses this philosophy will be blessed.

Application:
The application is fairly straightforward:
Integrity is incredibly valuable. It is not something that we should give away. God is inclined towards those who live with and practice integrity. Conversely, to live without integrity is to sacrifice peace of mind, lead without wisdom, and to lose the blessing of God on what we do.

Response:

  1. What can you do today to live with greater integrity?
  2. Are you using any “unjust scales” in your life and work?
  3. Are you living out of man’s wisdom or God’s?