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PROVERBS

CHAPTER 3

1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: 2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. 3 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.

When placed in our heart, God's Word will guide us in the blessings of life: "long life and peace."

Usually, when we make bad decisions in life, it is because we have "forgotten" to follow God's Divine instructions.

God's Word teaches "mercy" and "truth." Living according to God's expressed will grants us "favor" in His sight, and will certainly give us a genuine understanding of life itself.

5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. 8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

When I was a young boy in Royal Ambassadors, we learned these verses. They have special meaning to me.

To "trust" God means to "trust" His Word for guiding our decision making. It is far wiser to trust God than our "own understanding."

If "Acknowledge" God in every part of our lives, He will be the One Who guides us through life. Only God knows how to guide us throug life to eternal joy in glory with Him.

Virtually every decision in life should be made by using God's Word as a guideline (verse 7).

Health is important to all of us. Doctors have recently said that we should not eat "fat" because it is UNhealthy. God has been telling us that for thousands of years.

God's Word not only guides us in healthy living physically, but spiritually. It is not good to eat the "fat" of sin in life either. It is dangerous to the soul.

9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: 10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

The subject here is GIVING to God. When we acknowledge that all we have rightly belongs to God, then we will "honor" God by giving appropriatly.

When we budget our income and put giving to God on the very first line, then we will manage our moneys and properties much wiser.

11 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: 12 For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

God is a LOVING Father Who desires INTEGRITY in His children. We are all sinners all the time. We should EXPECT God to correct us at times.

To live WILLINGLY under His guidance is to realize that His correction is done in LOVE!

13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. 14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. 15 She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. 16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. 17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.

Here, wisdom is personified poetically. "She" is better than silver or gold!

Wisdom comes from obedience to God's expressed will. When we follow "her," wisdom will guide us in "laying hold" on real life. We will be filled with "pleasantness" and find real "peace."

19 The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. 20 By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.

It was not by factual information that God created all things. It was by Divine decision-making through USE of factual information.

God is OMNISCIENT - all-knowing. But God's KNOWLEDGE is not what caused Him to create the universe and ultimately create man. It was His LOVE and use of knowledge that brought our creation into being.

Therefore, allowing our souls to be filled with godly wisdom from His Word, will guide us in fulfilling the purpose for which we were created: to LOVE GOD!

21 My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion: 22 So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck. 23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. 24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. 25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. 26 For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

The begining of this chapter teaches that we should APPLY God's Word in our "heart," or decision making.

Here, we are told not to allow the Word of God to "depart from our eyes." Keeping the Word of God in front of us is a constant reminder to abide by the truths in it.

Life is brief and uncertain. Life is filled with adversity and difficulty. But when we TRUST God's Word, and abide by His Divine direction, we can have "CONFIDENCE" (verse 26). That confidence helps us face the difficulties of life, and even death, without FEAR!

When a person knows He has surrendered to Christ, and is determined to following God's expressed will in the Bible, then that person has no FEAR of living or dying.

27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. 28 Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.

There is no crime in having great wealth or possessions. But there is a crime in not SHARING with those who are needy.

Wealth and possessions in this life are means to helping others - and to helping them come to know Christ Who is the OWNER of all things.

29 Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee. 30 Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm. 31 Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways. 32 For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous.

Jesus taught that our "neighbor" is ANYONE (Luke 10:30-36) - even a "stranger."

To "devise evil," or to "strive" with another person without cause is OUTSIDE of God's will.

To have "envy," or desire to be like those who oppress others is AGAINST God's will.

Those who live in such manner are an "abomination" to God.

The "secret" of righteous living is with those who determine to obey God's expressed will.

33 The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just. 34 Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly. 35 The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.

The end result of physical life is to come before God for judgment and He will determine where we shall reside for eternity.

The "curse" of the wicked is that he will reside in hell forever.

But the "wise," those who determine to trust God and live for Him, will inherit eternal life with God in glory forever.

Please continue in Bible Study with us.