Proverbs 3:1-2(KJV): "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." Verse 1 The first verse above gives us an admonition, while the second verse gives the result of keeping that admonition. What wonderful promises God gives us! If we do not forget His laws, but keep them in our hearts and obey them, they produce peace, long life, and days full of accomplishmentbesides the many other things the Lord promises His people. Over the years, I have heard people say things like You never know when it will be your time to go or It may be Gods will to take you home when you are young. Todays verses, and other verses, however, promise long life if we do certain things: Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation (Psalm 91:1416">Psalm 91:14-16). The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened (Proverbs10:27). Verse 2 God desires to bless us and our families with long life and peace. These promises are as available to us as are His many other blessings, but they are conditional. We must keep His Word in our hearts and appropriate His promises through faith and obedience. He has a wonderful purpose for every individual on earth and promises long life to fulfill them. However, we have an enemy who is determined to destroy us. Jesus spoke of Satan as a thief; he seeks to rob our families and us of the peace and long life that God promises (John 10:10). We must learn Gods Word and walk in His ways to protect ourselves and our families from the enemy. One passage we can claim daily is Psalm 91. If we are in Gods will, He will protect us, regardless of geographic location or circumstances. We could be in a war zone and still be safe; conversely, we could be in the safest place in the world and still have a fatal accident if we are not in His will, for then we are open to Satanic attack. The only safe place is in the will of God. As we meditate on Gods Word, and claim it by faith, we become overcomers in Christ, living abundant lives and fulfilling His purposes. Satan can take a Christians life prematurely; however, the devil is ultimately defeated since we are promised eternal life in heaven.

Proverbs 3:3-4(KJV): "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."

Thought for the Day

Verse 3 Many cause and effect statements are found throughout Proverbs. Todays verses reveal that we find favor with God and man, if we allow mercy and truth to rule our hearts and lives. The Bible is Gods Word; therefore, we are admonished to keep its truths in our hearts. John 14:6 also records that

Jesus said I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. We must invite Jesus to dwell in our hearts, for He is the Truth. We will never find our way in this world until we allow the Holy Spirit, through Jesus, to lead and guide us. Life and truth are in Him. When we follow Him, we will keep His commandments, which are absolute truth. Jesus said Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away (Matthew 24:35). Humanistic teachings claim that there are no moral absolutes or absolute truth. These false doctrines have spread throughout the world. Humanism teaches that each man is his own guide and truth. We are told to do what feels right for us and to let others do what they feel is right for them. Right or wrong becomes whatever each individual decides it to be. This destructive teaching is wreaking havoc in our world. Without moral standards, there is no justice; each person becomes a law to himself. Proverbs16:25describes this kind of thinking: There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Verse 4 If we desire Gods favor, we must embrace His words and His ways. If we want mans favor, we must not only embrace the truth, but be merciful to people. We must not be legalistic about Gods Word, but always have mercy in our hearts toward those who break the laws of God. The Lord tells us that if we desire to obtain mercy in our time of need, we must be merciful to those who fall short of the truth and hurt us. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy (Matthew 5:7).

Proverbs 3:5-8(KJV): "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." Verses 5-6 Leaning on our own understanding does not mean we are not to use our minds. When we do not understand what is happening, we must trust the LORD to show us what to do. When we are tempted to blame God for trials, we must not yield to Satans accusations against Him. Evil attacks against us or our families do not come from God but Satan, who is trying to discourage us. We must trust God to bring us through every trial. If we acknowledge Him, He promises to direct our paths and show us how to overcome every problem we encounter. Verse 7 We must not be wise in our own eyes, but reverently respect the Lord. If we really believe that the Bible is true, we will leave our own ways and follow His. We will honor His Word and not treat it lightly, since we will fear the consequences of rejecting Him. The Bible tells us there is a heaven and a hell and that we will decide which will be our abode. We are invited to repent of our sins, accept Jesus as our Savior, and obey His law of love. To accept this invitation is to choose the way of heaven. If we reject it, our rebellion will take us to hell. A healthy fear and respect of God will help us to resist evil when we are tempted to sin. Verse 8 The navel marks where a babys umbilical cord was once attached, reminding us that our mothers gave us life by nourishing us through the umbilical cord before we were born. Symbolically, this could represent Gods life-

bringing health to us as we are attached to Him. The Hebrew word for navel also means nerve or muscle.[1] Following God brings health to our emotions and bodies. The phrase marrow to thy bones takes on strong implications regarding health in the light of modern medicine and biology: life-giving cells are created in the marrow of the bones and released to the body, and doctors even perform bone marrow transplants for the reversal of some fatal diseases. Many helpful books are available on health, but the greatest advice on healthy living is found in Gods Word. He desires to bless us with healthy minds, bodies and spirits. This complete health is obtained by allowing Jesus to rule every area of our lives.

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. Verse 9 The Bible was originally written to peoples of the ancient world, particularly the Israelites. Since most Israelites were farmers or herdsmen, many Bible parables are expressed in agricultural terms. Firstfruits meant the first fruit to ripen in the garden, the first grain to ripen of the crops, or the first lambs born of the herds. Many had grape orchards, and since they did not have refrigeration, it did not take long for the juice to become wine. When the Israelites brought their firstfruits to offer to the Lord, He received those offerings as acts of faith and obedience. They represented the substance of their labor. Today, labor is usually rewarded through monetary payment. Offering firstfruits is taking money out of our paychecks for tithes and offerings, then using the rest to meet our needs. When we give to God, we honor Him as Lord over our money. Farmers kept grain to grind into flour as well as seed to plant the next crop. God expects us to keep some of our seed for bread, as well as some for sowing. Those who impulsively give it all away and then expect God to take care of them are violating this principle. Some people give away all their seed and have nothing to eat, while others eat all their seed and have nothing to plant or invest. We should have seed for both purposes. In addition to our tithes or firstfruits for the Lords work, we should also give to help others whenever the Lord directs. We must learn to give by the Spirits direction, not allowing mere emotions or sympathies to direct us. Until these areas are renewed in us, Satan can still influence us through them. God is not always sympathetic with seemingly good causes. We should also not give mechanically, just because we have always given to a certain cause, but remain open to Gods direction in our giving. Sometimes He may speak that we are not to give to a certain ministry we are used to supporting. He may desire us to give elsewhere. We need to be just as sensitive to Gods restraining voice as to His prompting voice. However, we must remain compassionate in our giving. When we see those around us in obvious need we should not turn our backs on them,

since we are called to be good Samaritans (Luke 10:30-37, 1 John 3:17). Verse 10 After we plant, we expect a harvest. In the same way, we can expect God to meet our financial needs when we have been obedient to give Him our tithes and offerings. 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 (Luke 6:38). It is Gods nature to give. Greed and stinginess are of Satan. If we are truly committed to God and walking in the Spirit, we will always desire to give. It will not be a burden, but a joy. If we are faithful in giving, we shall never lack anything that we really need; our barns will be filled with plenty. That is Gods promise.
Proverbs 3:11-12(KJV): "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." Proverbs 3:11-12(Amplified): "My son, do not despise or shrink from the chastening of the Lord -- His correction by punishment, or by subjection to suffering or trial; neither be weary and impatient and loathe or abhor His reproof. 12 For whom the Lord loves He corrects, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights."

Thought for the Day

Verse 11 To become wise, we must receive Gods correction, or His chastening. We should pray for it so that we will remain on the right path; if we go astray we can be destroyed. God corrects His children as an earthly father does. A good father never injures his children when correcting them. He chastens to teach proper behavior so that they will avoid pain and trouble. It is important to understand that God does not send evil things into our lives in order to teach us. The Holy Spirit is our teacher and the Bible is our textbook. Students must learn from their teachers and textbooks to pass their tests. If one does not pay attention to instruction and refuses to study, he does not advance. He must apply what he hears. Likewise, we must obey the Holy Spirits promptings and apply the Bible to our lives, in order to pass lifes tests. If we are rebellious or ignorant of the Bibles teachings, we will suffer things that God never intended for us to suffer. Verse 12 A good father never does anything evil to his own child, but protects and cares for him. If his child should hurt himself, whether through ignorance or disobedience, he quickly comes to his aid. Our heavenly Father loves us and sent His Son to redeem us from the curse, not to put another one on us. The Bible tells us who the troublemaker is (the devil) and how to avoid his temptations and attacks. Some people claim that they came to the Lord through tragedy. This may be true, but the devil, not God, devised the tragedy. God, in His grace, was there to help and deliver them in the midst of their troubles. Tragedies in themselves never save anyone; many lead to death, and those involved that do not know Jesus as Savior will endure eternity in hell. The Spirit of God brings us to salvation, not tragedy. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him (John6:44). People are saved because the Holy Spirit leads others to pray for them. We must never blame God for difficulties, but rather turn to Him and praise Him; not for the trouble, but for the fact that He is there to help us in the midst of it. Praise God that we can call upon Him to show us the way to overcome problems and grow spiritually in the process. Remember: He loves us and delights in us!

Proverbs 3:13-18(KJV): "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." Verses 13-17 The wisdom of God is better than any earthly treasure because it will not only produce prosperity, but prosperity which is gained honorably. Whoever gains wisdom is given the promise of long life, which only God can give, because life and death are in His hand. Through the ages, men have sought to obtain happiness through riches. Many have even killed, in their search for gold and precious stones. However, in obtaining riches, they were still not fulfilled, because real peace only comes by knowing God. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we are given a peace that passes understanding. It is a gift of God. The kind of peace and joy one receives from God is not based on circumstances, or how much wealth we might have. It is based on our relationship with Jesus. When we know Him, we have access to all things that we need in life. Verse 18 Wisdom is a tree of life and all who take hold of it experience joy. Since all the riches of wisdom are hidden in Christ (Colossians 2:3), Jesus is that tree of life. His Word tells us how to take hold of and keep it. By embracing Christ, we experience His life in all we do. Scripture compares the righteous to trees planted by water. Trees with a continuous water supply will continue to grow. In the same way, all who commit themselves to the Lord and obey His Word will also continue to grow in Him. Devotional Scripture
Proverbs 3:19-20(KJV): "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."

Thought for the Day

Verse 19-20 Today, as he has throughout history, man desires to know the origin of himself and the

earth. Scripture states that the Lord God, in unsearchable wisdom, created the earth and all the galaxies, and that it was He who created man. The first chapter of Genesis tells us that God created first heaven, then the earth. In the following order, He made light, day and night, space, matter, energy, and time, along with the plants and animals, and His crowning creation: man and woman. When I read this account, I appreciate the organization and order that is a part of Gods wisdom, for it strikes me that everything was done in precisely the right order. First, God created the heavens and earth; then light and the cycle of day and night. Then He made the expanse and divided the waters. Next, He gathered the seas together, caused dry land to appear, and created vegetation on the earth, which must have light to grow. Then He created the sun, the moon and the stars. After that came the sea creatures and the birds; and then the land animals, which need vegetation to feed upon. Finally, He created man to rule over all He had made. In creating the sun, the moon and the planets, God set them in orbits so that they would not collide with each other. They rotate with exact precision and astronomers can calculate their alignments at any given time. This is but one example of the intricacy and orderliness of creation. The universe is full of visible evidence of Gods wisdom. We should pray for wisdom to know Gods proper order for accomplishing His purposes in our lives. We may feel we have heard the Lord tell us to do something, as He is certainly calling people to serve Him at this hour, but we must know His plan, as well as His call. Gods pattern is to call us to be before He calls us to do. Many babes in Christ are zealous to go into full-time ministry, but are unprepared for the task. Paul said of the Jews they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge (Romans 10:2). Faith and preparation should precede works. We must apply to our lives the knowledge of Gods Word, which requires some time, before we can be effective ministers for Him. Real ministry flows from what Christ is doing in us, not from what we are trying to do for Him. We render a greater service through our being than through our doing. It is a greater honor to be called to be something than to do something. True ministry is a natural part of our relationship with Jesus Christ. It naturally spills over onto others.

Proverbs 3:21-24(KJV): "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." Verse 21 If we are wise, we will keep Gods laws and commandments from the heart. This is possible only as we rely on the power of the Holy Spirit and stay in close relationship with Jesus. Keeping Gods words before our eyes (by studying the Bible) is one way in which we maintain a close relationship with Him. We keep sound wisdom and learn discretion by obeying His Word. Verse 22 Obeying Gods Word brings life to our souls. The soul of man is made up of his mind, emotions, and will. Man is a spirit who has a soul and lives in a body. The body is only the house that holds the real man. The real person is the spirit man. The Greek word for spirit is pneuma, which also means breath. The spirit man, unseen with the natural eye, is the true, inward man. It is made to rule over the realms of soul and body. It is the sphere of divine influence, referred to in Scripture as the heart of man. But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God a great price (1 Peter 3:4)

Verse 23 The Lord promises us His grace to overcome in this life in addition to many other blessings. Among these are the blessings of safety and His grace to keep us from falling. Verse 24 The gift of sweet sleep is a wonderful blessing. Sleep for many people is not the peaceful state God intended it to be, but a restless one. Many are unable to rest at night because they fill their minds with unwholesome things through books, movies, and so forth during the day. Others are worried and anxious; lifes cares keep them awake. Some experience tormenting dreams and nightmares. Many must even use prescription drugs in order to sleep. Although prescriptions may be a temporary help, we can have Gods sweet sleep without them, if we ask Him to deliver us from the root problem which causes sleeplessness. My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments (Proverbs 3:1). God promises us sweet sleep. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety (Psalm 4:8). The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep (Ecclesiastes 5:12). It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep (Psalm 127:2). Proverbs 3:25-26(KJV): "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." Verse 25 The Bible tells us many times not to be fearful. God knows we live in a world where fearful things happen, and He has made provision for us. He promises to watch over and care for His children, and has even appointed angels to keep us from harm: For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone (Psalm 91:11-12). We are living in the last days. Before the Second Coming of Christ, God will be dealing with the wicked. Many of them will be removed from the earth through judgments in the form of plagues, storms, earthquakes, and other catastrophes. (Not all who perish in these kinds of destructions are wicked, since many innocent souls can suffer too for various reasons). Todays verses charge us not to be fearful, but to have faith that our God will keep us, as well as our families, safe. We can be protected from these things if we stay close to the Lord and have faith in the protecting power of God, under the shadow of His wings. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence (Psalm 91:1-3). Verse 26 Our confidence must not rest in the things of this world, but in the fact that our Father watches over us and keeps us from falling. That is what is meant

by keeping thy foot from being taken. Without Gods protection we are apt to fall into the devils snares. Satan uses many schemes to try to turn us aside from Gods ways. If we pray, read our Bibles, and stay close to the Lord, he will not be able to trip us up. Proverbs 3:27-29(KJV): "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. 29 Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee." Verse 27-28 The Bible records much practical advice concerning finances, including instructions regarding payment of loans or services rendered. If we have enough money to reimburse a loan or pay for the work someone did for us, we should pay promptly and not put it off. Many friendships are strained if the borrower puts off paying back what was given to him as a temporary a loan. These verses say that if we have it, we must not turn our neighbor away and ask him to come back later. How should we respond to situations in which we are asked to help someone? If we are able, we should help those in need, but this does not mean giving money to everyone that asks. There are many con artists in the world. Rather, these verses refer to neighbors and friends, meaning that we are to help those we know. We must always pray about what we are to give. Sometimes money is not the answer to someones need. Instead, we may need to give of ourselves in time and effort to really help in the matter. Although these verses do not refer to strangers, the Bible addresses this kind of giving also. My husband was a pastor for many years, and since our church building was located on a busy highway, we had many people come in and ask for our help. We always tried to help the best way we could. Many transients whose breath smelled of alcohol asked us for money. We knew that when they asked for money for food or gas, they would usually buy more alcohol. After praying about this problem, we came up with an answer. We arranged with a local restaurant and gas station near the church to pay for meals and gas for people who asked for money for these things. In this manner, we knew our money was helping them, not hurting them. Of course, we always prayed for them, too. Even if we cannot help by giving money, we can always pray for people. Prayer is a form of giving also. Verse 29 The Amplified Bible translates this verse this way: Do not contrive or dig up or cultivate evil against your neighbor, who dwells trustingly and confidently beside you. We should always try to live peaceably with all men. We should especially strive for peace with our neighbors because we all need one another at times. In the future, we may be the ones asking for help instead of the ones called to give it. If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well (James 2:8).

Proverbs 3:30-32(KJV): "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."

Verse 30 We might phrase this admonition as Dont start a fight without a reason. Some people just love to argue. Verse 31 Sometimes it seems that oppressors are better off than those seeking to do what is right. However, Psalm 37:1-9 tells us not to envy such people or choose to follow their ways: Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. 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. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.

In time, the ungodly will perish, while those who wait upon the Lord and follow Him shall see the righteous desires of their hearts fulfilled. Verse 32 When the Bible speaks of a froward person, it refers to one who is crooked and perverse. It calls such people an abomination to the Lord. This verse tells us of an advantage the righteous have over the wickedthe Lord shares His secrets with them. He knows the secrets of all hearts. When we are walking in Gods will, the Holy Spirit will warn us if anyone tries to deceive us. This discernment will prevent us from being deceived by unscrupulous people and from becoming entangled with those who have wrong motives. 1 Corinthians 12:10 mentions this as the gift of discerning of spirits. God not only shares His knowledge, but His hidden thoughts and feelings with those who love Him. This is the wonderful privilege of knowing God! God blesses us in so many ways. This is another reason why we should praise our Lord every day!

Proverbs 3:1 Keep commandments: 1 Kings 2:3 and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go, 1 Kings 6:12 Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father: 1 Kings 8:58 That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers

1 Kings 11:38 If you do whatever I command you and walk in my ways and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and commands, as David my servant did, I will be with you. I will build you a dynasty as enduring as the one I built for David and will give Israel to you. 2 Kings 17:13 The LORD warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers: "Turn from your evil ways. Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your fathers to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets." 2 Kings 17:37 And the statutes, and the ordinances, and the law, and the commandment, which he wrote for you, ye shall observe to do for evermore; and ye shall not fear other gods. 2 Kings 21:8 Neither will I make the feet of Israel move any more out of the land which I gave their fathers; only if they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that my servant Moses commanded them. 1 Chronicles 16:15 Be you mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations; 1 Chronicles 28:8 Now therefore in the sight of all Israel the congregation of the LORD, and in the audience of our God, keep and seek for all the commandments of the LORD your God: that ye may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance for your children after you for ever 1 Chronicles 29:19 And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for the which I have made provision. 2 Chronicles 7:17 17As for you, if you walk before me as David your father did, and do all I command, and observe my decrees and laws, 18I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father when I said, You shall never fail to have a man to rule over Israel. Psalm 19:11 Moreover they warn thy servant: and in keeping of them there is great reward. Psalm 25:10 All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.

Psalm 78:7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: Psalm 105:45 That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise you the LORD. Psalm 119:4 You have commanded us to keep your precepts diligently. Psalm 119:101 I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep your word. Ecclesiastes 8:5 Whosoever keeps the commandment shall experience no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerns both time and judgment. Ecclesiastes 12:13 13Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole [duty] of man. 14For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. Jer 6:16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, we will not walk therein, Jer 17:22 keep the Sabbath day Holy. Ezekiel 20:19,20 19I am the Lord your God; follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. 20Keep my Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.

Proverbs 3:1
My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
Hearing wisdom is not enough. It must be remembered and applied by changing your life to match it. Instruction only has value when it is retained and put into practice (Pr 3:2). To hear and forget is a terrible waste, and God will hold you responsible, if you squander the precious privilege of hearing wisdom (Pr 1:24-32; Luke 12:48). You must remember what you are taught; you cannot forget it (Pr 3:3,21; 4:4-6,13,21; 6:21; 7:1; 22:18). Keeping your heart is a priority, for out of it are the issues of life (Pr 4:23). Your heart directs your life (Luke 6:45). So you must keep wisdom and her commandments in your heart to guide your affections and choices (Pr 3:3; 4:21; Ps 37:31)! Here is the appeal of King Solomon to His Son, but these proverbs were written down for your benefit. Will you hear, retain, love, and obey the rules of wisdom found in this book of the Bible? They can only save you and prosper you by remembering and doing them.

Paul soberly warned about letting things you have heard slip away (Heb 2:1-4). You are dealing with the Creator God of heaven and the consequences of forgetting are severe. Men remember what they count important. It is not a function of memory: it is a function of priorities. It is not difficult, as much as it requires diligence. What do you remember? James warned you to be a doer of Gods word, not just a hearer, deceiving yourself (Jas 1:21-25). The saving benefits of truth are for those who remember it and do it. Or you are like a man seeing his faults in the mirror of Gods word, who makes no corrections. But those who see the instruction, remember it, and continue to do it shall surely be blessed. Paul warned the gospel only saves those who keep it in memory (I Cor 15:2), for some at Corinth had forgotten the resurrection of the dead. Without this doctrine, he easily showed that salvation from sin is lost and we are of all men most miserable (I Cor 15:19). Dear reader, it is your duty to hear instruction carefully and bring forth fruit (Luke 8:18). What kind of ground are you? Satan will snatch away instruction, unless you take it and keep it in your heart, where it can bear the fruit of righteousness (Luke 8:12). David taught hiding Gods word in your heart (Ps 119:11). One way is by memorizing it. Learning verses keeps them in your heart and mind, where you can easily meditate on them (Ps 1:2; 119:15,23,43,78,97,99,148) and readily use them (Pr 22:18; Lu 4:4,8,12). Peter taught the importance of repetition also (II Pet 1:12-15). Though his hearers already knew the truth, he was committed to frequent repetition to help them remember. You have two needs. You need a source of wisdom and instruction. You need a teacher, a preacher, to bring the inspired wisdom of God to bear on your life. God chose to put such men in His true churches to impart the word of God to you (Mal 2:7; II Tim 3:16-17). You also need the personal discipline and habits to retain what you hear, review it for understanding, and commitment to apply and practice it in life (Acts 17:11; I Thess 5:21). With these two things in place, Lady Wisdoms instruction can greatly prosper your life. Jesus had the law of God in His heart, and so He delighted in keeping Gods will, which is revealed there (Ps 40:6-8). Are you glad He kept the will of God (Heb 10:9-10)?

Proverbs 3:2
For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
Life extension is definitely possible. But it cannot be found in a health food store, an exercise program, or new medical research. It is found only in righteous living, which requires humility and diligence to heed correction and instruction (Pr 3:1). Peace, a very precious commodity for a pleasant life, is found the same way - living a righteous life. Wisdom is the power of right judgment. Wisdom is the conviction and knowledge to live righteously. Solomon, in this book dedicated to wisdom, offers long life as a blessing of gaining this knowledge (Pr 3:8,16; 4:4,10,22; 9:11). He asks elsewhere, "Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?" (Eccl 7:17.) There are two blessings offered here that should fascinate every reader - long life and peace. Everyone wants to live longer, and peace makes life a continual pleasure. Reader! What do you think? What else are you looking for? These are two marvelous things, and they are offered here freely! What hinders you from grasping them for yourself? Ponce de Leon traveled far looking for the fabled fountain of youth. Billions are spent annually on socalled health food and vitamins, gym memberships and personal trainers, and reading the latest medical

research and bizarre remedies for extending life. If just a portion of that zeal were applied to wisdom, a person could claim long life and peace. Sinful living ages the body and brings early death. Even pagans know the risks of "hard living." Rock stars, rap artists, actors and actresses - our nation's most profligate sinners - often live only half as long as others. They die from accidents, disease, drugs, murder, suicide, and exhausted bodies. Capital punishment also shortens the life of gross sinners. Wisdom saves from "hard living." Wise men avoid accidents by prudence; they miss disease by monogamy, drugs by abstention, murder by peaceful living, suicide by hopeful living, and exhausted bodies by refreshing sleep. By obeying the laws of the land, they are not in danger of capital punishment. All these means of life are taught in Proverbs. Wisdom brings peace. Sinners lead tortured lives of fear, guilt, shame, and stress. They are depressed, frustrated, lonely, and tired. They cannot find contentment, fulfillment, or satisfaction. They are always looking, running, and wishing for something with lasting good. But wise men find peace in the Lord, marriage, work, friends, and a righteous soul. Satan, a murderer, wants you to die! The world hates right living! Your depraved soul prefers sin! Life and death are before you (De 30:19-20). Choose wisdom and life today!

Proverbs 3:3
Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
Mercy and truth mark perfection. It is wonderful when they meet (Ps 85:10). They lead to favor and good understanding with God and men (Pr 3:4). By neglect and sin they are lost, so they must be carefully guarded and applied to our lives. See the comments on 16:6. We cannot literally bind mercy and truth about the neck. They are character traits of wisdom and the Holy Spirit and not subject to string, rope, or chains! The metaphor describes tight attachment to a person's outward life. Neither can we literally write them upon the table of the heart. Another metaphor describes committing them to our affection and memory. Wise men are dedicated to mercy and truth on the inside and outside. Mercy and truth appear to be opposites, but it is their combination that makes a man perfect. Mercy is that gentle, forgiving, gracious, and overlooking trait of noble men, who gladly take personal injury rather than fight or hurt someone in their power. Truth is the stubborn commitment to whatever is honest and right, regardless of cost. Together they balance each other gloriously, resulting in the gentle and honest life of a true saint. Parent, children should be taught to love mercy. It is your duty to teach them the glory of forgiving and overlooking personal offences (Pr 19:11; Matt 5:38-42). Kindness and tenderheartedness should be emphasized. You should teach them to love their enemies, as our Lord and Stephen did (Pr 24:17-18; 25:21-22). Sibling rivalry will create almost daily opportunities for your lessons. Mercy does not tolerate unjustified anger, envy, hatred, malice, railing, whispering, and similar sins. Teach tender compassion toward all men. Parent, children should be taught to love truth. It is your duty to teach them the final authority of God's Word and the glory of perfect honesty and integrity in all their dealings. Absolute honesty is a wonderful thing (Pr 12:22; 16:11; 17:7; Rom 12:17). Lying in any form should be punished severely. Truth does not tolerate exaggeration, hypocrisy, lying, slandering, and other related misrepresentations. It keeps all its promises as given. Mercy and truth are essential components of wisdom. They do not literally forsake men, but the inherent depravity we have from Adam causes us to forsake them! The rule of wisdom here is to love and remember these two pillars of godly conduct in all situations.

The blessed Lord Jesus had the perfect balance of mercy and truth. No man was more compassionate, even to enemies; no man was stricter about the truth, though it cost Him His life. He forgave easily and quickly, yet He is called Faithful and True (Rev 19:11).

Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Here is a most valuable proverb! It can save your life and your family's life! All seekers of wisdom should memorize it and the next one (Pr 3:6). Here is the law for gaining the wisdom to please God and live a successful life. Take a few minutes to save yourself! Here is the true basis of wisdom! Rejecting your ideas and trusting God's inspired revelation and sovereign providence will save you from the ignorance of the human race. If you cherish or protect your opinions against His, you will suffer! Beware, reader! Trust equals faith. Trust in the LORD believes He exists, and it believes He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Heb 11:6). It believes God has revealed His perfect will for men in the Bible (Pr 22:20-21; Deut 29:29; II Tim 3:16-17), and it rejects all human opinions as the vain babblings of ignorant rebels (Ps 119:128; Is 8:20; I Tim 6:3-5,20). The foundation for wisdom is trusting God completely, with your whole heart, for all aspects of your life! Such trust rejects questioning God, rejects reservations about His will, and rejects blending His word with human learning. It is sold-out humility to live by the propositions there is a God, He has revealed His will, and He rewards the obedient. Trust in the LORD that leads to wisdom has faith in the Bible and in His sovereign rule of the world. It believes every verse of Scripture as the absolute and only source of truth, regardless of what subject it addresses. And it also believes the circumstances of life are carefully orchestrated by an all-wise and all-powerful Potter demanding our obedience. But where did your understanding come from? You were born without any. You nursed by instinct like a newborn kitten, screamed for food every few hours like a baby bird, and messed all over yourself. You arrived in this world just like a wild ass's colt (Job 11:12). Where did your understanding come from, and why would you ever lean toward it? Did you get your understanding from parents? They arrived just like you did. Following them perpetuates their ignorance. Did you get it from school? America's schools are bankrupt in discipline, morality, truth, and wisdom. The most warped people in our society are the most educated. They teach evolution, espouse gay rights, abort babies, protect baby squirrels, call Picasso an artist, worship big government, and hate the Bible. Did you get your understanding from your peers? They arrived just like you about the same time. Putting 100 such morons together does not produce wisdom! Did you get it from the television? Cartoons, comedies, news, soaps, and sports are all the same - devoid of even basic wisdom. Did you get it from magazines like "People," "Time," "Parade," and "Readers' Digest"? Together they are as misinformed as mud. Grasp the issue! You have no understanding! What you think you have is dangerous! Because it seduces you away from truth and wisdom and resists any changes toward them! Your greatest enemy is your own mind! Ignorant from conception, fed misinformation since birth, encouraged to idiocy by peers, deceived by false interpretation of experiences, and inherently arrogant and selfish, you are in deep trouble! In order to succeed, you must reject your understanding. To progress beyond the rest of your species, you cannot even lean toward your own understanding. You must flush it all! Any infatuation or

protection of your thoughts will take you down with the rest of this foolish race. The rule is simple and strict - do not even lean toward your own thoughts! Trust God. He has a corner on all the truth in the universe! Trust God. He gave you existence without your permission, and He governs all the minute details of your life. Put your trust totally in Him, and you can be a wonderful success over the dysfunctional sheep around you rushing to the slaughter of depression, divorce, drugs, and death! Woman! Trust the Bible when it tells you how to treat your husband, and don't even lean toward your own thoughts on how it should be done. Trust the LORD with the husband He gave you, and don't even lean toward thoughts of it being easier with a different man! Citizen! Trust the Bible when it tells you to submit to every civil ordinance, pay your taxes, and honor those in authority. Don't even lean toward your thoughts of protecting your rights. Trust the LORD with the leaders you have, whether you like them or not. Parent! Trust the Bible when it details child foolishness and right training methods. Don't even lean toward your own thoughts or those of speculator Ben Spock or compromiser James Dobson. Trust the LORD's promises that right training will bring future success! Christian! Trust the Bible when it consistently describes baptism as a symbol of burial and resurrection down in the water - immersion! Don't even lean toward your heretical notions and false tradition that sprinkling holy chrism on a baby's forehead is a baptism! Single person! Trust the Bible when it limits sex to marriage, limits marriage to Christians, and ridicules odious women. Don't even lean toward the foolish desire for sex or someone outside these limitations. Trust God to bless your efforts for a godly spouse. Worker! Trust the Bible that giving money away will bring prosperity, hoarding money will bring poverty, and listening to business schemes will take you down. Reject your arrogant and selfish thoughts. Trust God to keep His promises of promoting diligent men. Reader! You have a choice. Trust God and the Bible and reject your thoughts, or trust your thoughts and reject God and the Bible. The choice is yours - the results are certain.

roverbs 3:6
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
You will face questions, difficult questions, every day of your life. The right answers are easy to find, if you humble yourself before God and trust Him on every subject. But men have problems with this simple solution - they are too proud to admit their ignorance; too fearful to go against the crowd; and they believe they can figure out a workable solution. Our proverb is positioned between two others to give its right sense and emphasis. The previous verse teaches total trust in the LORD and total rejection of our understanding (Pr 3:5). We cannot even lean toward our thoughts on a matter! And the following proverb warns against any confidence in our own wisdom; we are to fear the LORD (Pr 3:7). You can find the right path for life's complications, if you acknowledge the LORD in all your ways. Acknowledging the LORD is admitting He is infinitely wise, He has perfectly addressed every subject, and you should obey Him. You would have only one path at every decision, if you did not create other options by consulting your foolish heart or the foolish hearts of others. Lord, give us single hearts that acknowledge only you! The Bible is God's will for your life - on any subject you will ever face (Deut 29:29). It can make ministers perfect, when they ignore and reject the opinions of men (II Tim 3:16-17). If you cannot find its answers to your questions, it is your fault or your pastor's fault, not the Author's! The answers are

there; you just need to find them! Lord, help us! Read these strong words about the Bible: "Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way" (Ps 119:128). Read them again! Any attitude toward the Bible short of this confidence is not acknowledging God: you are heading straight into the abyss of human confusion (Is 8:20-22; I Cor 1:18-20; 3:18-20). Do you acknowledge Him in all your ways? Corporal punishment perfects children, in spite of what Benjamin Spock and other fools imagine (Pr 22:15; 23:13-14; 29:15). Baptism is by immersion, in spite of what the Pope taught John Calvin (John 3:23; Rom 6:3-5; I Pet 3:21). Solomon gave the best position for lovemaking, in spite of what the Kama Sutra and Eastern idolaters think (Song 2:6; 8:3). The Bible answers all your ways! Acknowledge Him in all your ways! When dealing with an enemy, forgive him and pray for him (Pr 19:11; Matt 5:43-48; Rom 12:17-21)! When facing funeral options, cremation is pagan (Gen 23:1-20; Deut 12:29-32; 21:22-23; 34:5-6)! If you have offended an authority, a soft response works best (Pr 15:1; Eccl 10:4). Acknowledge the LORD: He will say to you, "This is the way, walk ye in it" (Is 30:21). The Bible answers all your ways

Proverbs 3:7
Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
Here are three simple steps to guaranteed prosperity and success (Pr 3:8)! These are the means to grow in favor with God (Pr 3:5-6). There is nothing complicated here. If a man can reject the love of His own opinions, humble himself before the Sovereign of the universe, and hate sin and worldliness in his life, he will be great in the sight of God and men! These three fundamental steps are connected. You will not fear God until you crush your pride and despise your wisdom: a proper view of the Almighty will help! And you will not despise sin and this world until you fear the LORD (Ps 4:4). Reader, here are the simple, yet precious and true, means to a successful life (Ps 111:10; 112:1-3; 128:1-6). Pride is arrogant and haughty presumption your thoughts have value and deserve hearing. Though in diapers and nursing like a baby gerbil yesterday, you believe your ideas have merit. You cannot avoid a common cold, but you pontificate on moral matters. You were born with this curse, and it is fed by the devil, who lost his place in heaven for pride. You know nothing, and the sooner you learn this fact, you are on the road to wisdom (I Cor 3:18-20). Apart from God's revelation, you do not know where you came from, where you are going, what you are, or why you exist, let alone what you should do! You struggle to keep the grass cut, and yet you question the Word of God? Fool, get down! You are a pitiful, weak, helpless creature. Two fingers squeezing your nose will end your life (Is 2:22). Jehovah God, Lord of heaven and earth, is the independent and eternal sovereign Creator of the universe. You should tremble before Him and His word (Is 66:1-2). He can and will suffocate you, if you persist in rebellion against Him. Think Flood! But His mercy and grace are visible to anyone looking (Matt 5:44-45; Acts 14:17). His benevolence is obvious! You are still alive, aren't you? And Scripture declares He can and will forgive those who confess and repent of their pride and rebellion. It is because of this forgiveness we are in reverent awe of Him and desiring to please Him (Ps 130:4). With your pride eliminated, and your life dedicated to pleasing the blessed God, you will despise and reject sin. You will be perfect and eschew evil, like Job (Job 1:1). You will cut off evildoers from your house (Ps 101:2-8). You will love righteousness and hate sin (Pr 8:13). You will hate wicked men and

their profane ambitions (Ps 15:4; 139:21-22). In which of these three areas are you weak, reader? Correct your deficiency today!

Proverbs 3:8
It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
Spiritual and physical health and vitality are up to you! They are based on the choice of the previous proverb (Pr 3:7). You can have God's blessings on body and spirit by rejecting your own ideas, fearing the Lord, and turning from sin. This important choice is the primary lesson of Proverbs - obtaining God's best for your life by choosing His wisdom. If you neglect or reject this precious offer, you are committing certain suicide (Pr 8:36)! The pronoun "it" refers precisely to what went before (Pr 3:7). Solomon wrote, "Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil." The combined choice of rejecting self-confidence, reverently trusting and obeying God completely, and hating sin is the condition for these promised blessings. Each phrase of the condition contains an imperative verb, indicating clearly that it requires your action. What hinders you? Navel and bones are synecdoche for your body. The Oxford English Dictionary defines synecdoche, "A figure by which a more comprehensive term is used for a less comprehensive or vice versa; as whole for part or part for whole; genus for species or species for genus, etc." Navel and bones, bodily parts, are substituted for the whole body. Consider, "Count heads," "All hands on deck," or "Nice wheels." All are synecdoche. You depended entirely on your navel for nine months, when vital nourishment passed to you from your mother through the umbilical cord. And the vitality of your bones continues to depend on nourishment from your marrow (Job 21:24). These figures of speech describe the blessing and prosperity from fully following the Lord. A good and happy life is dependent on submission and obedience to the will of God (Pr 4:22; 14:30). An exercise regimen or diet protocol can only marginally help the vitality of your life. A wise man knows that God's blessing on humble obedience exceeds any such natural efforts to extend or improve life (Pr 3:2,18; 4:10,22; 7:23; 9:11; 11:19; 12:28; 14:27,30; 17:22; 19:23). Obedience saves from natural consequences of sin, magisterial judgment, and the punishment of God. It further activates God's precious promises (I Pet 3:10-12). Will you reject your own wisdom (Pr 3:7)? You were born with none, and you have none by natural education. Truth and wisdom are the property of Jehovah, and He only gives them. Self-confidence is the certain route to destruction (Pr 14:12; 26:12; I Cor 3:18-20). Will you fear the Lord (Pr 3:7)? It is prerequisite to knowledge and wisdom (Pr 1:7; 9:10), and it is the whole duty of man (Eccl 12:13-14). Reverent awe and submission to Jehovah is the basis for the blessings of God upon all you have and do (Ps 112:1-3; 128:1-6). Will you depart from evil (Pr 3:7)? The true fear of God is to hate and depart from sin (Pr 8:13; 16:6; Job 1:1; 28:28). Do you esteem all His precepts concerning all things to be right, and do you hate every false way (Ps 119:128)? Sin will destroy you early (Eccl 7:17). Reader, neglect this proverb to your own peril! Arrogance and sin will dry you up from the inside out (Pr 1:31; 5:11; 12:4; 15:13; 17:22; 18:14; 27:4). Your only life and light in this sin-cursed world is the fear of the Lord. Humble yourself now! Reject your foolish thoughts! Call upon Him for mercy! Turn from all your sins! Perhaps He will lengthen your tranquility, which arrogant Nebuchadnezzar missed (Dan 4:27)!

Proverbs 3:9
Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
How important is God to you? Can you improve your finances? This proverb answers both questions! You can honor Him with your mouth, but talk is cheap. You should put your money where your mouth is to show true honor. Solomon promised, "So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine" (Pr 3:10). Success requires giving some of your substance, and the first part of any increase, to the LORD. Giving Him leftovers, whether great or small, is not honor; and it does not fulfill the proverb. The Preacher gave a financial secret - firstfruits giving to honor God. Giving money away is how to get ahead (Pr 11:24). Are you poor? You cannot afford not to give! Firstfruits giving pays God off the top. Fruit is return on investment or labor. First is paying God before anyone else, including you. Many violate this rule by giving a few bits of all they make. Is this honor? Others violate it by giving from what is left after expenses. Is this honor? Is this firstfruits? Many give only a percentage of take home pay, though they always quote their salary in terms of gross pay. Is this firstfruits? The tithe is not taught directly in the New Testament. It was taught in the Law of Moses. The Israelites gave 23 1/3 % with two annual tithes and a triennial tithe (Num 18:20-32; Deut 14:22-29). Plus they gave special vows and freewill offerings (Deut 12:6)! How did Abraham and Jacob know about tithing before the Law of Moses (Gen 14:20; 28:22)? Because it is a general rule of godly giving, which New Testament saints should use as a bare minimum for the far greater blessings they enjoy (Luke 12:48; Heb 8:6). God dares His people to test how much He can bless them (Mal 3:8-12). Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were financially blessed, because they knew how to give (Gen 14:20; 28:22). God made David rich (I Chron 29:18), but David loved to give (I Chron 21:24; 22:1-16). If you give liberally, the Lord will reward you liberally (Pr 11:25; Luke 6:38). A Christian businessman, R.G. LeTourneau, grasped the concept of honoring God and giving - he gave 90% and kept 10% for himself, no matter his financial situation! He became one of America's great industrialists. "The question" he said, "is not how much of my money I give to God, but rather how much of God's money I keep for myself." How you give counts more with our blessed God than how much you give! The Lord loves a cheerful giver (II Cor 8:12; 9:7). Giving should be your favorite financial activity! Our blessed Lord took note of a widow woman giving just two mites (Luke 21:1-4).

Proverbs 3:10
So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
Financial prosperity is simple and sure. It is easy and certain. God and King Solomon guarantee it. They put their guarantee in writing. What holds you back? Grasp the lesson. Barns filled with plenty? Presses bursting with new wine? Here are descriptive phrases of financial blessing and economic prosperity. Are you interested? Reach out! Seize them! Only the Bible has the secret financial wisdom here. The best graduate business schools are too ignorant to know the most important economic and financial factors affecting men and nations. Remember, their research says they came from monkeys! Their analysis says that instead of a long-

predicted ice age coming it is now to be global warming! Jehovah God of the Bible created this world. He gave you life. He gave you ability to get a job or start a business. He sends sunshine and rain at His own discretion (Matt 5:45). He directs hearts of kings as easily as rivers of waters (Pr 21:1). He alters circumstances, influences, opportunities, returns, and anything else as easily as you read this sentence. The Preacher, who is Solomon, presented Gods certain promise to those who honor Him with their assets and the first portion of income (Pr 3:9). True honor to God is not just singing about your love of Jesus; it is giving to Him of your possessions and cash flow. The earlier verse teaches the duty of giving; this verse teaches how God rewards givers. If this proverb had been written by a poor man, an unsuccessful man, or a religious leader, you might doubt the truth of the rule. You might think the promise was only to solicit giving, as televangelists and social organizations do today. But these words were written by King Solomon, who had experienced them firsthand with his father David. In an agricultural society, the barn was where your assets were stored, and the presses were where you converted grapes into valuable wine. These two figures of speech describe a prospering farmer he has accumulated much, and he has great cash flow. Here is the good life, from a financial perspective, presented by graphic picture language. This law of financial reward is as true as the law of gravity; it is truer than any money advice you have heard. It is as true as Genesis 1:1 or any other verse of scripture. It is Gods written promise. Believe it fully, and obey it cheerfully and liberally, today! Honor God by giving Him His portion He will bless you financially, guaranteed! Of course, as with all other Bible promises and general laws, God retains the right to apply different laws in your life at different times, all for His glory and your profit. If you think you can give to cover other sins in your life, you are tempting God to judge you. But all other things being equal, the man who gives to God is the man who will prosper. Still doubting? Your lack of faith is why you do not receive (Heb 11:6; Jas 1:6-7). Bold giving by faith is an act of worship (Phil 4:18), and God will reward it. An important man once doubted God, and believers trampled him to death on the way to the bank (II Kgs 7:16-20)! And the Lord killed many Israelites who doubted His ability (Ps 78:17-31). What kind of return can God give? Isaacs portfolio grew 10,000% in one year (Gen 26:12). Jacob went from nothing to great substance in 20 years (Gen 32:10). Solomons returns were so great that silver was as common as stones (I Kgs 10:27). It shamed him to drink from silver vessels, so they were all of pure gold (I Kgs 10:21)! The Lord can open heavens windows and pour out financial blessing and favor more than you can believe (Mal 3:10). And He dares you to test Him (Mal 3:8-12)! He knows a full measure and how to pack it down, shake it down, and pour it over the top (Luke 6:38)! He sees your balance sheet and income statement. He sees the intent of your heart and the degree of joy and zeal you have in giving. You cheat Him to your financial peril. Robert G. Letourneau (1888-1969), one of the greatest American inventors, gave 90% of his income back to God, and he died a rich man. He answered questions about his giving this way, I shovel my money to God, and He shovels it right back, but He has a bigger shovel! This man tested God with great faith, but God was greater than his faith! How much faith do you have, reader? Will you walk on financial water at His command? If you suffer financially, you have sin in your life (Jer 5:25), have not given liberally (II Cor 9:6), or have not done it cheerfully (II Cor 9:7). The LORD has put holes in your bags, and your hard work and wages are falling out (Hag 1:2-11). The only exception to this rule is when God does something else in your life for your greater benefit, but even then the duty to honor God with your assets and give the first fruits still stands (Pr 3:9).

A man will say, But I gave, and nothing happened. God is not a candy dispenser waiting for you to give an offering and push the button for your favorite treat. He will laugh and judge such a profane attitude. He wants a commitment to giving (Gen 28:22). He wants to see your sacrifice, which is much more than a little, token gift (II Cor 8:1-4). Another man will say, I cannot afford to give. That is the height of folly you cannot afford not to give! Will you dig yourself out of a financial hole by cheating the Lord? Hah! If you wait until giving is no sacrifice, it means nothing to the Lord. The Lord rewarded the widow woman who gave two mites, for it was all she had (Luke 21:1-4). These men are unbelievers. They think they are wise to protect their incomes to get ahead! Hah! Protection and blessings are from God only (Pr 21:31; Ps 4:8). The true and living God can prepare and furnish a table in the desert, and if you doubt it, you are in trouble (Ps 78:10-33). If you hold back to help your cash flow, you are going to poverty; if you give to Him part of what you think you need, He will bless (Pr 11:24-25). The reward of this proverb is obtained by obeying the previous proverb (Pr 3:9). Putting a few bucks in the offering box is not honouring God; giving what is left over after your expenses is not firstfruits giving; promising to give if God will bless you is not honouring God; giving of your after-tax income is not firstfruits giving. Examine your heart, reader. The LORD God owns the cattle on a thousand hills and everything else beside (Ps 50:10-12). He is able to supply all your needs according to His riches in glory (Phil 4:19). If you think giving a few dollars is hard, then think upon the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for sinners. Was He rewarded? He was given great honor, fullness of joy, and pleasures forevermore at Gods right hand (Phil 2:5-11; Ps 16:911; Heb 12:2)! Let God be true!

Proverbs 3:11
My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:
Bad things happen to Gods sons. Why? Because God in love chastens them due to their sins. Do not resent or faint at His trials in your life, for they prove His love for you; they stop you from sinning; and they lead to your perfection. God chastens, or sends negative events into your life, because He delights in you and wants you to be better, for Him. Affliction comes to every saint. Adversity, difficulty, pain, and trouble are the tools of the blessed God to correct your faults and perfect you. Instead of resenting His chastening or tiring of the setbacks He sends your way, you should rejoice that He loves you and wants to perfect you. If He left you alone, then you are a bastard, and not His son (Heb 12:7-8)! No one likes affliction, difficulties, or trouble. These are things you try to avoid as much as possible in life. But the Lord sends them in love, for He is able to use them to teach you better than peace and prosperity could ever teach you. Good times feel great, but they never made anyone better. Hard times feel bad, but they make you stronger and wiser. It is easy to fret against the Lord, to complain, Lord, why did you do this to me? It is easy to say He is not fair you do not deserve trouble. It is easy to get discouraged and think of quitting your race. Job fell for these thoughts. But Elihu told Job he was wrong, God was right, and Job could end the painful lessons by humbling himself (Job 33:12). There are four reasons bad things happen to a Christian. He is being chastened for sin in his life; he is suffering the natural consequences of his own foolishness; he is being tested to build his faith; or God is simply manifesting His own glory in his life. The purpose of self-examination is to analyze your circumstances to find Gods lesson in them. Once a man knows the matter is an act of God, he should humbly submit to it and rejoice in it.

Negative events God sends may be in any part of your life, and they may not be in the part you need to improve. They can range from health issues to financial problems, from troubles with your children to losing your job. They may be large or small, they may irritate or overwhelm, but if Gods chastening, they are done wisely for great reasons. The ultimate reason for cheerfully accepting Gods chastening in your life is the proof it gives of His love for you (Pr 3:12; Heb 12:5-6; Rev 3:19). The true God only afflicts His children out of faithfulness and desire for them. David said, I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me (Ps 119:75). The second reason for cheerfully accepting Gods chastening in your life is that it keeps you back from sinning more (Job 34:31-32; Ps 119:67; Jer 31:18-19; I Cor 11:32). Since that is often the only way you can learn not to do some appealing thing that is wrong, you should be thankful for His mercy in teaching you His law and ways (Job 5:17; Ps 94:12). The third reason for cheerfully accepting Gods chastening is the loving reason for it to make you perfect (Rom 5:3-5; Heb 12:10-12; Jas 1:2-4). Learning to patiently deal with adversity is a great measure of maturity (Pr 24:10; I Pet 5:10). Affliction builds faith in God; prosperity does not cause you to trust Him more (Pr 30:8-9). Paul was thankful for the opportunity to grow in Gods grace through the adversities in his life (II Cor 12:7-10). Some sins are more heinous to God, so He may chasten by even cutting lives short. The best example is the Corinthian saints that abused the Lords Supper many were weak and sickly, and many had already died (I Cor 11:29-31). But even here, Gods chastening proved He loved them and they would not be condemned with the world (I Cor 11:32). If a loving benefactor sent you at great expense to the worlds best graduate school, where you saw that all the lessons were to help you to great prosperity and success, would you hate the benefactor or quit before the degree was granted? No! You would express appreciation to the benefactor and learn all the lessons as quickly as possible. This proverb, like the rest, teaches wisdom. By seeing adversity as His tool of perfection, you are forewarned and forearmed to handle it wisely (Eccl 7:14). The quicker you learn the lesson, the sooner the trouble will be lifted; if you despise and resent it, God will bring it with greater intensity (Job 36:15-18). There is no reason to faint, for they that endure shall obtain the promises (II Cor 4:16-18; Gal 6:9; Heb 6:10-12; 12:1-6; Jas 5:11).

Proverbs 3:12
For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
Adversity from God is proof of His love for you! Just as loving fathers discipline their favorite sons! The blessed God chastens every child of His to make him or her better. Having chosen them as His children before time, adopted them by the blood of Jesus at Calvary, and birthed them by His Spirit, God lovingly corrects them during their lives. Solomon had exhorted his son not to despise the LORD's chastening or get weary from His correction (Pr 3:11). Adversity from heaven should not discourage you, because it is proof of God's love for you (Deut 8:5)! Wise men will appreciate their loving Father and see the end of His corrective chastening their perfection in righteousness (Heb 12:5-13). Without chastening adversity in your life, you have no evidence you are a child of God, with an eternal inheritance in store. The Holy Scriptures declare you are a bastard, if you do not have this loving punishment in your life (Heb 12:8). For what kind of a son would a father ignore and neglect in this important aspect of parenting - an illegal pretender! Chastening from God is temporal punishment He brings to correct you from sin and turn you back into

the way of righteousness. It is very different from eternal judgment in hell for the final condemnation of your sins. Chastening is fatherly affection to perfect you as His child, as evidence He will never send you to hell for your sins (I Cor 11:27-32). Chastening proves love. If you have a bad event in your life, and it causes you to reflect on your soul with a desire to submit and serve God more perfectly, you should thank the Lord for this personal gesture of love toward you (Jer 31:18-20). He does not owe you this gracious correction; He could leave you floundering in confusion and sin. Do you not recognize that it brought more carefulness, prayerfulness, and sobriety to your existence? David was thankful for adversity: he saw its profit. He said, "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word" (Ps 119:67). "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes" (Ps 119:71). "I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me" (Ps 119:75). Affliction, or negative events, happens to God's children for four reasons - loving correction from God, to display His glory in their lives, to perfect their faith, and/or consequences of foolish decisions. God can accomplish one or all of these purposes in the individual events of your life. Since all the reasons are fair and good, there is no reason to complain. There is mercy, and it nearby, for those who humble themselves and submit. It is your duty to examine yourself (Ps 19:12-14; 26:2; 139:23-24; I Cor 11:28,31; II Cor 13:5). God will never chasten you for a sin you cannot identify by self-examination. But what efforts have you spent in sober contrition before Him (Ps 51:17; Is 57:15-16)? It is your duty to carefully heed all preaching, for the same Spirit that brought your correction also directs your pastor's thoughts (Eccl 12:11). And the same Spirit can use the book He wrote to provoke you to repentance from any passage you read (Ps 19:7-9). The proper attitude toward chastening is to remember it proves God's love for you (Deut 8:5). The proper response to chastening is exemplified by Elihu. He said, "Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more: That which I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more" (Job 34:31-32). Job could have had the trials in his life removed much sooner, if he had humbled himself and cried out in repentance to his Father for pure mercy (Job 36:15-18). Reader, how is it with you? Are you thankful for His loving chastening in your life? Are you ready to flee to Him in the name of your brother Jesus for the comfort and peace of loving tranquility?

Proverbs 3:13
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
Daily goals for your life must include seeking wisdom and understanding. They will do more for your life than any other possession. They will bring you true happiness and many other blessings. What is your chief ambition in life today? Are you chasing vanity? The Preacher exhorted his son to search for wisdom (Pr 2:1-9); it would save him from much trouble (Pr 2:10-21). To further excite his son, and you, in your pursuit of it, he described wisdom's great blessings (Pr 3:14-18). It and understanding can make you happy. Compared economically, obtaining wisdom and understanding is better than a prosperous business in gold and silver (Pr 3:14). They are of greater value than rubies (Pr 3:15). In fact, wisdom and

understanding are more important than anything you could possible seek in your life (Pr 3:15). Financial gain does not give lasting happiness to any man, and it brings enormous worries and problems with it (Pr 23:4-5; Eccl 5:10-17; I Tim 6:9-10). Wisdom and understanding will give you a long life, riches, and honor (Pr 3:16). They will bring you pleasantness and peace (Pr 3:17). They will be the source of a wonderful life; and if you keep them, you will be very happy (Pr 3:18). There is nothing this world has to offer that can even compare. Why will you waste any more effort chasing something else? If this fabulous description of the benefits of wisdom and understanding were only half true, you should still make getting them a priority! Nothing else you are working for even comes close. But Solomon, king of Israel, knew what he wrote. Having tried every sort of project and pleasure to find profit and happiness in this life, he concluded that wisdom and understanding are the great goals (Pr 8:32-36). Trust his efforts (Pr 25:1; Eccl 2:12). Wisdom and understanding know the basis and purpose for life and how to deal rightly with each situation life brings. Instead of the hopeless confusion of not knowing what man is here for and how to handle life's problems, those with wisdom and understanding find life a pleasant and peaceful experience with much happiness. They are successful and rich, as measured by noble standards; and they are honored among good men. Wisdom and understanding are built on the foundation of fearing the Lord (Pr 1:7; 9:10). They are increased by rejecting your own ideas and trusting the Lord's instruction (Pr 3:5-7), which is found in His holy scriptures (II Tim 3:16-17), especially Proverbs. God raised up Solomon and inspired these select proverbs to teach young men, and every reader, wisdom and understanding (Pr 1:1-4). Learning them should be a daily goal. Every day must include begging God for wisdom (Jas 1:5), repudiating your own folly (Job 33:27), searching the Scriptures for it (Acts 17:11), and doing what you learn (Jas 1:22). With effort applied in these areas, you will find wisdom and get understanding (Pr 2:5,8; 8:17). But you must sacrifice to make this a priority (Pr 18:1). Ultimate and infinite wisdom and understanding are in the Lord Jesus Christ (Col 2:3). He came to give His elect children the abundant life, as they believe and obey more and more perfectly (John 10:10). In Him is full and unspeakable joy (I Pet 1:8; I John 1:4)!

Proverbs 3:15
She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
What woman is more precious than rubies? The virtuous woman (Pr 31:10)? Yes, but not in this context! Is there any woman incomparably more valuable than all the things you could desire? No! Is this then a personification of success, health, happiness, wealth, family, a college degree, and/or a vacation home? No! This is Lady Wisdom (Pr 3:13-15)! Here is one of the most extreme and superlative statements in Scripture. There is some thing personified as a woman that exceeds the rare and precious character of rubies. And this thing surpasses any thing else you could dream about as being desirable or necessary to your success and happiness. Wisdom and understanding are that important (Pr 3:13-15)! Why is wisdom so exceeding important? Because it brings long life, riches, and honor (Pr 3:16); it brings pleasantness and peace (Pr 3:17); and it brings life and happiness (Pr 3:18)! You cannot even dream of anything that can provide all these blessings! And yet these are the certain advantages and rewards given to those that find wisdom (Pr 3:13-18)! No wonder David told Solomon, "Get wisdom, get understanding.... Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding" (Pr 4:5-7). If David, the man after

God's own heart, told his son that wisdom was that important, it should be most important to you also. What an exhortation! Did you read it? Get wisdom! What is wisdom? The power of right judgment, the ability to please God and men in all situations! It is based on a deep and abiding fear of the LORD Jehovah, a hatred for all sin and evil, active faith that God is and rewards, and knowledge of the precious details of His precious word (Pr 1:7; 8:13; 9:10; 22:17-21; Job 28:28; Ps 119:128; Heb 11:6). How do you get it? By fearing God as the First Cause and Last End of all things in the universe (Pr 16:4; Ps 14:1)! By trembling in humility and repentance before God and the Bible (Is 66:1-2; II Tim 3:16-17)! By rejecting any opinion of any man that contradicts the Bible (Ps 119:98-100; Is 8:20; I Tim 6:3-5,20)! By soberly listening to the man of God when he preaches God's truth to you (Luke 8:11-18; Jas 1:21-25). Wisdom is easy! Forget education or worldly wisdom (I Cor 1:19-20; 2:6-9; 3:19-20)! Forget wealth or professional success (Pr 3:14; 23:4-5; Ps 39:6; I Tim 6:6-10)! Forget physical strength or recreation (Ps 90:10-12; Eccl 10:10; 12:1-7; I Tim 4:8)! These things are vanity and vexation of spirit - they get you nowhere with God or man - they are empty and painful! Rejoice in knowing God and His character (Jer 9:2324)! That is wisdom and pleasure

Proverbs 3:16
Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.
A beautiful woman is approaching you today! She calls to you (Pr 1:20-23)! She is full of desire for you (Pr 8:1-4)! She wants to be your companion for life (Pr 9:1-5)! Will you embrace her (Pr 4:8)? If you love her, she will love you back (Pr 8:17)! She is beautiful and offers a feast at her house; but she also offers long life, riches, and honor. How can you resist such a fantastic invitation and situation (Pr 3:13-18)? Most reject it! What about you? Here is Solomon's personification of wisdom - the representation of an abstract concept like wisdom as a beautiful woman. Personification is a powerful tool of language, as you can see by considering Uncle Sam, Lady Liberty, and Father Time. Solomon painted the literary picture of Lady Wisdom for his son and all men (and women). The image is delightful, the offer sincere, and the simple condition easy. Will you love this woman? Lady Wisdom offers three things - long life, riches, and honor (Pr 22:4). Is there a better combination? Every man desires these things, but few obtain them. With these three, what else do you need? With these three, you can achieve total success. How do you get them? Embrace Lady Wisdom! How? Love the wisdom of Proverbs and Scripture! Length of days is long life. It is God's reward for obedience (Pr 10:2; 11:4; Deut 4:40; 5:16; 6:2). Solomon connected long life with wisdom (Pr 3:2; 4:10; 9:11; 10:27; 13:14). How can wisdom extend your life? It can save you from whores (Pr 2:16-18), the judgment of God (Pr 3:4; 26:10), revenge (Pr 6:34), disease (Pr 15:13; 17:22), the executioner (Pr 16:14), a dangerous lifestyle (Pr 1:15-19), accidents (Pr 22:3), an odious woman (Pr 30:21-23; Eccl 7:26), and drunkenness (Pr 23:29-35). If you reject Lady Wisdom, you must love death (Pr 8:36)! Riches are financial and professional success. Solomon taught excellent economic wisdom in his proverbs. He preached diligence (Pr 10:4), faithfulness (Pr 27:18), savings (Pr 6:6-8), giving (Pr 11:2425), career planning (Pr 24:27), and capital investment (Pr 14:4). He warned against debt (Pr 22:7), spending (Pr 21:20), squeezing the poor (Pr 28:8), waste (Pr 12:27), risk (Pr 22:3), contingent liabilities (Pr 6:1-5), sleep (Pr 20:13), get-rich-quick schemes (Pr 14:23; 28:19), fear (Pr 22:13), cornering a market (Pr 11:26), and evil negotiating (Pr 20:14). Honour is personal respect from others. Wisdom leads to honour (Pr 3:35; 4:8; 8:18). It secures a good name and favor with others (Pr 3:4; 22:1). Solomon taught, among other things, as rules for honour, a gracious spirit (Pr 11:16; 22:11), ending strife (Pr 20:3), searching out controversies (Pr 25:2), humility

(Pr 29:23), using few words (Pr 17:27-28), hearty counsel (Pr 27:9), handling matters wisely (Pr 16:20), and marrying a great woman (Pr 31:23). But there are even better rewards in the gospel of Jesus Christ. The wisdom of the gospel leads to eternal life, spiritual riches, and the honor of being an adopted son of God! Glory! What are you doing to pursue these superior things? Paul charged the financially rich to give up their money to be spiritually rich (I Tim 6:17-19)! Moses dumped the treasures of Egypt for the reproach of Christ, seeing a better reward (Heb 11:24-26). Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to death and destruction, and most men are fools and travel that suicidal road. Strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life and limitless blessings, but only a few choose to travel there (Matt 7:13-14). What road are you pursuing today? Lady Wisdom (Pr 9:1-12)? Or Lady Folly (Pr 9:13-18)? Embrace her in love today! Humble yourself before the wisdom of God's precious word and say with Paul, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" (Acts 9:6.)

Proverbs 3:17
Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
A woman offers you pleasantness and peace. If you follow her, your life can be happy and quiet, joyful and comfortable, delightful and secure. What more could you want? Lady Wisdom offers the good life to you, if you will but learn wisdom from her. Wisdom and understanding are very valuable things to obtain, far superior to silver and fine gold (Pr 3:13-14). Wisdom is personified as a woman, who is more valuable than rubies or anything else you can compare to her (Pr 3:15). She brings long life, riches, and honor (Pr 3:16). She is a tree of life and brings happiness to those who have her (Pr 3:18). The fear of the LORD and keeping His word is the foundation of wisdom (Pr 1:7; 9:10). The man who fears the Lord will enjoy a life of pleasantness and peace. An axiom of Scripture is that God shows great favor to those who fear Him (Ps 128:1-6). If we consider our proverb naturally, in light of the rest of the book, we find it perfectly true. Wisdom saves men from the pain and trouble of whorish women, excessive financial obligations, unruly children, bad investments, anger of rulers, odious wives, drunkenness, lack of friends, spoiled reputations, speech problems, gluttony, fear of the unknown, guilty consciences, wicked friends, poverty, and many other snares. If we consider our proverb spiritually, we find it perfectly true. The man who wisely walks with God has pleasure and peace in his soul that others cannot comprehend by any art or language. The eternal God is His refuge, and the joy and peace of the Holy Spirit in his heart far exceeds any and all other possible pleasures and security in life. There is no lasting or solid joy to the fool or hypocrite. Solomon experimented with man's toys and dreams to a degree that all other men can only fantasize about (Eccl 2:1-10). And what did he find? "All was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun" (Eccl 2:11). What a foolish, empty, and painful pursuit! There is no peace to the fool or hypocrite, for the LORD will put thorns in his way and terror in his heart (Pr 10:24; 13:15). And when he cries for help in his great calamity, heaven will shake with the laughter of God (Pr 1:26-28). Do not mock Lady Wisdom! The pleasure and peace of wisdom do not depend on health, circumstances, or friends. They can be as great in poverty, as in wealth. They cannot be stolen in this life, and they lead to everlasting bliss in the

next. What more could you want? With Jesus Christ at the right hand of God, there are pleasures forever and incredible peace (Ps 16:11; Phil 4:7).

Proverbs 3:18
She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.
There is a tree of life! You found it! Success and happiness are its fruit, and you can have it forever. Men search vainly for fulfillment and prosperity, but both are offered to you today. Are you really living? These words are to you from God and the wisest king ever. True wisdom is the woman here, shown by the feminine pronouns she, her, and her. You finally found her! She has been calling for you (Pr 1:20-23; 8:1-4; 9:1-6)! She has long life in her right hand and riches and honor in her left (Pr 3:16). Her ways are pleasure and peace (Pr 3:17). Nothing in the world can be compared to her (Pr 3:13-15). Love her! Lady Wisdom offers you life and happiness. She is the tree of life. Fruit trees yield fruit for taste and short refreshment, but her fruit is a lifetime of pleasure and peace. She offers you a safe, successful, and satisfying life. She offers you contentment, happiness, and pleasure. She plans these things for you to the fullest degree. Grab her! Never let her go! All men want life and happiness, but most look in the wrong places. The world cannot provide them, for it destroys life and happiness. Look at the lives of the so-called rich and famous they exceed the averages in depression, dysfunction, drunkenness, drugs, divorce, and early death, just as God promised (Pr 2:22; 4:19; 5:22-23; 13:15; 22:5; etc.). Look at them! They think two women in bed is a marriage and two men with a baby is a family. They believe more debt, public or private, will cure anything. They teach a family reunion is visiting baboons at a zoo. They richly pay shrinks for no profit. They desert and swap spouses, never finding love or happiness. They are hopelessly dysfunctional. They chase entertainment, recreation, education, business success, sexual liberty, material possessions, a leisurely lifestyle, a perfect spouse, and a fit body; but these things do not make a prosperous and happy life. Only wisdom can give you the good life, and only then can you realize the real benefits of food, friends, love, marriage, sex, possessions, etc. Look at them! They write and sing about love e.g. Elton John and Daniel. They think the greatest love of all is self-love confessing their narcissism and creating the most selfish generation. They fear everything; they take responsibility for nothing; and they believe anything, except the truth. They have confounded happy living. You need the tree of life! You think sex will make you happy? Wisdom owns sexual happiness. The world pursues this pleasure any way they can with whomever, but God invented every detail of it; as the wise Designer, He prescribed rules for its maximum fulfillment. Solomon experimented with 1000 women and wrote his inspired analysis in Proverbs. The world has no clue! They write sex manuals, ignore love or commitment, sing about it, murder unwanted babies, hire surrogates, try same-sex combos, expose it in movies and websites, promote it in elementary school, offer doctoral degrees in it, and chase the elusive elixir any way they can imagine. But God reserves its real pleasure for those with the tree of life! The world fulfills Solomons warning, There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death (Pr 14:12). And if you missed it, There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death (Pr 16:25). They assume they are right, but they are heading to death. They do not have a tree of life! Solomon personified wisdom as a desirable woman in several early sections of Proverbs (Pr 1:20-33;

2:4; 3:13-18; 4:5-13; 8:1-36; 9:1-12). In this section, he has taught that she is more precious than rubies and incomparable to anything in life (Pr 3:15), she brings long life with riches and honor (Pr 3:16), and her ways are pleasant and full of peace (Pr 3:17). There was a tree of life in Eden, which was denied to your rebellious first parents by cherubims and a flaming sword (Gen 3:24). And there is a tree of life in heaven, which bears a unique fruit each month of the year, and which has leaves for the healing of the nations (Rev 2:7; 22:2,14). Therefore, the metaphor of a tree of life is powerful indeed. Here it pictures the source of a prosperous and successful life. By learning wisdom and obtaining understanding, a man has the basis for a good and happy life in his possession. A tree of life bears fruit for a wonderful life. Every man that seeks and obtains wisdom has found a metaphorical tree of life. He may freely take its fruit and live the good life. For every person laying hold of wisdom and retaining her, she is a tree of life to them, providing the source and means for success and happiness, as the proverb states. Sex or any other lawful goal or pleasure of life is only satisfying when done by the rules of wisdom. It is the way to maximize life in every way for God, others, and yourself. You have found the tree of life. You have met Lady Wisdom. Life and happiness are before you. But you must lay hold of her you must dive into Gods word and learn the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom. As you grow in wisdom, you must retain what you learn, because the world, the devil, and your flesh will try to rip it away. What is wisdom? It is fearing and loving God and keeping His commandments. The great God of the Bible is the Source and End of all things, and He offers perfect knowledge and understanding for those who will believe and obey His inspired scriptures. Wisdom is the power of right judgment for all lifes decisions, learned from trusting Him and His Word. The blessings upon such a man are great in two ways he makes right choices in life and reaps the wonderful results, and God supernaturally blesses him for his obedience. From beginning to end, the Bible speaks of the abundant life of such a man (Deut 32:46-47; Josh 1:7-9; Ps 1:1-3; 112:1-3; 128:1-6; 144:11-15; John 10:10; Heb 11:6; Jas 1:25). David wrote, and Peter copied, Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD. What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth (Ps 34:11-16; I Pet 3:10-12). Wisdom is not only the means for success and happiness in this life, but in the next life as well. The man who lays hold of wisdom and retains her finds assurance and evidence of eternal life (Matt 7:2123; Acts 10:34-35; II Pet 1:5-11). The greatest life and happiness of all are reserved in heaven for those who obey the Lord Jesus Christ (Ps 16:11). A tree of life is before you. Live successfully and happily, now and forever. The choice is yours. Your future begins today. Take Gods inspired and preserved Bible, and humble yourself before every word. Fall before Jesus Christ, of Whom it testifies, and lay hold of eternal life (I Tim 6:12). Begin prospering today (Pr 8:1-21; 9:1-12). God bless you.

Proverbs 3:19
The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.
Let God be true, but every man a liar (Rom 3:4)! Here is glorious truth about the origin of the earth and heavens. Any science that contradicts it is false science (I Tim 6:20-21). The present world believes the earth and heavens are the result of a cosmic explosion - a big bang. They believe the incredible order, beauty, design, life, intelligence, consciousness, sexes, animal spirits, reproductive ability, and human souls, among trillions of other aspects of the universe, are the result of combustion of gases in space! Chaos brought all this into existence by chance! Now that theory takes enormous faith - confidence in man's speculative imagination, with no supporting evidence, and with all experience denying the remotest possibility. And the more education a person has, the more confident they are of this ridiculous hallucination. So much for higher education! Children know better. For, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Gen 1:1). For, "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear" (Heb 11:3). Such men are as stupid as a stone. They reason from pure speculation out of hatred and rebellion against their Creator. Wisdom reasons by faith from the visible creation and the obviously inspired revelation of the Bible. The truth is certain and sure, but only a man with faith can see it and hold it (II Thess 3:1-2). Thank you, Lord, for the gift of faith. The LORD and Solomon want you to learn wisdom and understanding (Pr 3:13,21), for the benefits of having it are numerous and glorious (Pr 3:14-18,22-26). But where did it come from, and how valuable is it? You have this proverb, and its conclusion in 3:20, to provoke greater appreciation for wisdom by considering its Source and use. Wisdom and understanding are from the LORD, Who has both in infinite measure; and He used them to found the earth and establish the heavens! Wisdom and understanding are what guided the Creator God in the design of the universe! Now are you interested in acquiring it? Now are you willing to listen, as Solomon teaches you the fear of the Lord? He founded the earth with its axis holding an angle of 23.5 degrees, so you have seasons and varying amounts of light and night. He gave you 24-hour periods called days, which are just the right amount of time to work, play, and sleep before the next one begins. The list could go on indefinitely. He established the moon to keep track of months, and the stars guide sailors on the seas. They hold in patterns called constellations, and the sun gives just the right amount of heat within a narrow range for life to prosper on earth. The list could go on indefinitely. Dear reader, if other descriptions of wisdom have not moved you, does the use of wisdom by God in creating the universe impress you? You may have the wisdom of God, if you will. The book of Proverbs was written to help you get it, so get it (Pr 4:7)! And remember that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are in the Lord Jesus, the blessed and soon appearing Redeemer, Who created all things Himself, and by Whom all things consist, and by Whom all things are upheld (Col 1:16-17; 2:3; Heb 1:3).

Proverbs 3:20
By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.
What does the water cycle mean to you? It should stoke your desire for wisdom! Mother Nature is the hallucination of God-haters, just like Santa Claus and the tooth fairy. The great God meticulously created and governs all oceans, springs, and the water cycle, and His infinite wisdom, understanding, and knowledge are clearly displayed in them. By this natural illustration of how the LORD created and rules water, Solomon exalted the importance of three things - wisdom, understanding, and knowledge (Pr 3:19-20). The value of these things from God's creation and providence should promote them to us. Observing the water cycle exalts the glory of God and the importance of true knowledge. When He made the earth, about 6000 years ago, God created hydrogen and oxygen, their combination that forms water, the three forms of water, the properties of the three forms, the temperatures at which they change forms, and the amount and location of water in these forms in the universe (Gen 1:1-2,610). It was nothing for Him (Gen 1:16)! Charlie Darwin (Pr 1809-1882) could not be found! The sovereign Judge of all did not order him to appear on earth for about 5800 years. He now knows his fantasies were foolish, for he has met Jehovah, Creator of heaven and earth. He despises his profane and vain babblings, for he knows they are not reasonable or science (II Thess 3:2; I Tim 6:20-21)! The LORD sent a mist from the ground to water Eden (Gen 2:6). Around 2400 B.C., He broke up the fountains of the deep and opened the windows of heaven to flood the earth (Gen 7:11-12). A year later, He ordained the refraction of light in water to cause rainbows, to remind Noah and other saints there will not be another flood (Gen 9:12-17). The water cycle is His (Eccl 1:7). Solomon, living around 900 B.C., knew about it in detail from the LORD. Elihu, who never took a course in meteorology from a Darwinian, knew much about water. He wrote about clouds holding water vapor and distilling it in rain upon the earth (Job 36:26-33). He wrote about thunder, lightning, snow, tornadoes, ice, and many other aspects of water and weather (Job 37:124). Only God fully knows the springs of the seas, the direction of lightning, and other mysteries (Job 38:1-41). Consider that a one-inch rainfall, which occurs often, brings 10-15 billion gallons of water on a typical U.S. county! How do puffy clouds, through which airplanes pass easily, hold billions of tons of water? The Lord balances them by His knowledge (Job 37:16)! He numbers the clouds and holds the water in bottles (Job 38:27)! Human discoveries involving water are only that - discoveries! They are men finally finding things God created and put in place long ago. The wisdom of the one merely finding the invention is infinitely inferior to the wisdom of the Inventor! Human inventions are no greater! They are men finally using the matter God created or properties God ordained long before. God's wisdom excels man's wisdom as light excels darkness! Man is so ignorant that God must even help him discover or invent (Pr 8:12; Is 28:23-29). Maternal death rates during childbirth in American and European hospitals in the 19th century ran near 25%, until Holmes, Semmelweis, and Pasteur called for doctors to wash their hands, a practice required in 1500 B.C. by the Bible to be done with running water for dealing with infectious diseases (Lev 15:5,13). Praise God for sharing His wisdom! The blessed Son of God, Jesus of Nazareth, upholds all forms of water and all other things by the word of His power (Heb 1:3). The molecules of the universe consist - are held together - by His great power (Col 1:17), for in Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col 2:3). God made Him wisdom for the benefit of His people (I Cor 1:30). Men shall soon face Him as the Judge of the universe (Acts 17:30-31).

Reader, humble yourself before your Creator and pursue the wisdom and knowledge of His Word with all your heart. There is no other source of light or understanding anywhere else (Ps 119:128; Is 8:20; I Tim 6:3-5; II Tim 3:16-17). The thoughts of man are vain! God is willing to share His wisdom with those who will humble themselves before Him.

Proverbs 3:21
My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:
Most young men have a short attention span and a short memory. It is easy for them to forget instruction and warnings, when they are in the heat of a difficult controversy or a strong temptation. Solomon taught his son to keep wisdom, understanding, and discretion, for it is only by retention that instruction has any value (Pr 3:18). And if the truth is told, honest readers will admit they are little better than memory-impaired young men! What good is a sermon you lazily listen to and forget as soon as the preacher says, "Amen"? Jesus said the teaching is immediately taken away from such a hearer by the devil (Matt 13:19; Mark 4:15; Luke 8:12). And it is the common experience of all men to have difficulty remembering what was preached just a few days or weeks before. Shame! Instruction for success in any endeavor is only as profitable as the hearer's ability to remember and apply the knowledge to the specified task. Warnings about danger in any situation are only as valuable as the hearer's ability to remember and apply the advice when facing the threat. A great hindrance to success for many is a poor memory! The blessed God of Israel knew this danger. After giving wonderful laws, precepts, and statutes to Israel through Moses, He warned them not to forget what He had taught them (Deut 4:9,23; II Kgs 17:37-38). He knew that prosperity was a curse to memory, for luxury induces laxity and impairs the conscience (Deut 6:10-12; 8:7-20). To counter this problem, God commanded fathers to diligently teach His laws to their children when in the house, when traveling, when preparing for sleep, and when getting up (Deut 6:6-7). He required diligence comparable to tying signs to hands, putting frontlets between eyes, and writing His laws on the posts of their houses (Deut 6:8-9)! Forgetting teaching is dangerous! The church at Corinth forgot the resurrection of the dead that Paul had taught them, which stole the hope and joy of the gospel from them (I Cor 15:2,19). The gospel must be kept in memory. The world assaults your senses every moment you are awake with their enticements, which are entirely opposed to the truth of God. What are you doing to defend yourself from this assault and retain His wisdom? Do you know your weak memory? Do you understand that prosperity and activity dull it further? What are you doing to review, remember, and retain what you have been taught? Do you have any mechanism in place to review sermons, remember lessons, or retain advice? If you speak to another about applying wisdom, then two would remember!

Proverbs 3:22
So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.
Here is a prince - crowned with life and adorned with grace. Here is a successful man or woman living the good life with a glorious reputation. Here is prosperity - saved from painful living and public shame. The man who keeps sound wisdom and discretion will have a wonderful life and a great name.

Reader, what hinders you from being a prince? The proverb concludes a sentence, which states, "My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion" (Pr 3:21). The plural pronoun "them" refers to wisdom, understanding, and knowledge in the context (Pr 3:13-20). Life for your soul and grace for your neck are based on consistently following sound wisdom and discretion. What is sound wisdom? It is real wisdom, true wisdom, the wisdom of God. The wisdom of this world - abortion, divorce, evolution, fornication, labor unions, rap, sodomy - is foolishness. The wise men of this world - Darwin, Einstein, Marx, Sagan, Spock - are fools (Is 8:20; I Cor 1:20; 2:6; 3:19). Sound wisdom comes only from God and the Bible (Pr 2:7; 8:14; I Tim 1:10; II Tim 4:3-4). It is the only wisdom you should seek or keep. What is discretion? It knows what words or actions are best for any occasion. It knows what, when, where, and how to do anything. It is the reservation that holds a person back from foolish impulsiveness. It is discipline and self-denial to not speak the first words you think or not do the first thing that comes to mind. It is discerning and discriminating judgment to know the best approach and response to any situation. What is "life unto thy soul"? Depressed, dysfunctional, or destructive living is like death. True wisdom and discretion give you a happy and successful life rather than this death. They keep you from making fatal mistakes, and they will increase and extend a good life. Solomon had already given a great description of the good life in the context (Pr 3:13-18). What is "grace to thy neck"? Ornamentation or jewelry is often put around a person's neck to declare glory, honor, or reward. Consider the neck chains Pharaoh gave Joseph and Belshazzar gave Daniel (Gen 41:42; Dan 5:29). Wisdom and discretion enhance and exalt a man's reputation, as if he had been awarded a gold chain by a great king (Pr 1:9). Living a happy life and having a great reputation require godly wisdom and discretion (Pr 4:5-13; Ps 34:12-15). This is the lesson of the proverb. The Lord God of heaven will teach wisdom and discretion to any man who will despise his own thoughts, repent of his sins, and follow the teaching of the Bible. The purpose of the Bible, especially Proverbs, is to teach wisdom and discretion for a successful life (Pr 1:1-6; Ps 1:1-3; 19:7-14).

Proverbs 3:23
Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.
A carefree and smooth life is possible! You can be secure from trouble and move through life without falling into problems. Solomon had observed such lives, and God inspired him to write about them. The conditions are in the context - do not forget wisdom and understanding; keep sound wisdom and discretion (Pr 3:19-22). Here is the value of wisdom: it will help you live your life without all the pain and trouble of others. One of the great encouragements to learn wisdom is to consider its benefits. Look at the preceding list of benefits (Pr 3:13-18)! And this proverb is in the middle of another list (Pr 3:19-26)! Wisdom can both adorn and protect you (Pr 3:22-23; 2:11; 4:6; 11:16; 22:11). Where is wisdom found? It is found in the inspired words of the Bible and the religion of Jesus Christ. It is not found anywhere else. The Bible is able to make you wise in ways that the world cannot grasp, and you will be saved from their troubles (Ps 19:7-11). The word of God is a divine light and lamp for the paths and choices of life (Ps 119:105). The financial and professional wisdom of Proverbs can keep you from discrimination (Pr 17:2; 27:18), foolish pleasures (Pr 21:17,20), get-rich-quick schemes (Pr 14:23; 28:19), risk (Pr 6:1-5; 22:26-27), sleep (Pr 20:13), sloth (Pr 6:6-11; 12:24), and waste (Pr 13:23; 18:9). The rules for success in business or employment are throughout the book. Those who take heed to the instruction will walk safely and

not trip economically. The choice is yours, reader. The marital wisdom of Proverbs warns you about odious women, who destroy men (Pr 12:4; 19:13; 21:9,19; 30:21-23). Instead of her, you are shown the virtuous woman, who will enhance your entire life (Pr 5:15-19; 11:16; 12:4; 19:14; 31:10-31). And you are graphically warned about strange women and their traps (Pr 5:1-23; 6:23-35; 7:1-27; 22:14; 23:26-28). The family wisdom of Proverbs teaches you the nature of children and the necessity of their training (Pr 17:25; 22:6; 29:17). Though the world may be confused, there are methods to correct and discipline children that work (Pr 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; 29:15). The book deals with authority (Pr 15:1; 25:15), abuse of wine (Pr 23:29-35), savings (Pr 30:25), the folly of modern welfare (Pr 20:4), the importance of reputation (Pr 22:1), the nature of true friends (Pr 17:17), treatment of fools (Pr 26:1-5), treatment of scorners (Pr 9:7-9), etc., etc. Dysfunction and misery are common in the world. Your safety is in Bible Christianity, which will save you from their fears and troubles and prosper you (Ps 1:1-6; 34:11-16).

Proverbs 3:24
When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
Not all sleep problems are due to insomnia, sleep apnea, or other physical ailments. Some sleep difficulties are spiritual problems. Solomon told his son to keep sound wisdom and discretion, knowing the many benefits they give to men (Pr 3:21-23). Sweet and peaceful sleep, free from fear and guilt, is a wonderful gift to those who fear the Lord (Pr 3:25-26). Wisdom has many benefits! It will give you an abundant life of joy and peace (Pr 3:22). It will adorn your character and reputation like a gold necklace graces a neck (Pr 3:22). It will keep you from stumbling or falling over things in life that destroy others (Pr 3:23). Wisdom is a precious asset during the daytime, but it is also one during the night (Pr 3:24; 6:20-23)! What causes sleep problems? Guilt! The fear of getting caught or the shame of having been caught is a source of fear that can chase you day and night, but especially at night. Your mind is free at night to imagine all sort of debilitating scenarios, usually worse than reality (Pr 28:1). Wisdom, the knowledge and choice to do what is right, can save you from guilt by keeping you from sinning against God or men. You can sleep peacefully! What causes sleep problems? Fear! If you have been foolish and done something stupid, you know there are painful consequences (Pr 6:1-5). No matter how creative you get, you know there will be punishment. If you have committed adultery, there is fear of an angry spouse, theirs or yours! If you have invested in a possible scam, there is fear of losing your money. Wisdom, saving you from such stupid choices, can give you confident sleep. What causes sleep problems? Fear of God's judgment! If you have sinned, you know that God is angry and could chasten you severely for your folly (Ps 32:3-5). The dread of His judgment is enhanced at night, because you imagine unseen danger is lurking on every side. A chance storm with thunder and lightning further contributes to a terrifying fear of God. Wisdom keeps you godly and righteous, and there is no fear of God's judgment. What causes sleep problems? Fear of disasters! Many tremble about everything from bird flu to tsunamis, from Y2K to identity theft, from economic depression to war; but the child of God sleeps on peacefully. He knows his God never sleeps, his God keeps every sparrow, and his God directs every bolt of lightning (Lev 26:6; Job 37:3; 38:35; Ps 29:7; 121:4-7; Matt 10:29-31). Wisdom is of great value to help you sleep at night! With the Lord on your side, you can sleep anytime, anywhere (Ps 3:5; 4:8; Is 26:3-4)! If the angel of

the Lord is camping with you, there is no reason for nightmares or fear in the night (Ps 34:7)! Peter was hard to wake up the night before his planned execution (Acts 12:1-7)! Paul and Silas sang at midnight in Philippi's dungeon (Acts 16:19-25)! And Paul cheerfully ate in a terrible storm that blocked out the sun for two weeks (Acts 27:12-37)! But it gets even better! With the Lord on your side, you can limit yourself to reasonable effort, no matter how daunting the task or intimidating the situation, and go to bed! He will do the rest! He wants you to sleep on it! Getting up early, staying up late, or worrying will not help. He will take care of the matter, if you will do your reasonable best and trust Him for the rest. It is His promise (Ps 127:1-2; Phil 4:6-7; I Pet 5:7)! Consider how Jesus of Nazareth experienced this benefit of wisdom in a storm at sea (Mark 4:36-41). When a great storm of wind arose, and the waves beat into the ship, so the ship was full of water, where was He? Peacefully asleep! His disciples had to wake Him up! What was His advice to the terrified disciples? "Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?" What is the proverb's lesson? Get wisdom! Go to bed! Sleep well!

Proverbs 3:25
Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.
Fear is one of life's most painful experiences. A dreaded event may be imagined, or it may be real; but both are very painful. Terrifying news or grave danger can suddenly cause great fear and consternation. Or you may know God is going to severely judge the wicked around you. But in both cases, wise men will be happy and peaceful, because God will be their confidence from the one, and He will deliver them from the other (Pr 3:26). The larger context describes the many benefits of wisdom (Pr 3:1-22). The smaller context teaches that peace from fear and safety from danger are some of these benefits (Pr 3:23-24). The proverb above declares wisdom's value in delivering men from surprise disasters and trouble and from God's expansive judgment of sinners. Because wisdom includes the fear of God and obedience to Him, He will save all such men and women from both dangers. Praise the true and living God! A Christian should not fear anything, for his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord (Ps 112:7-8). Even if an army were to come against him, he can be confident, because the high King of Heaven is on his side (Ps 27:1-6). Even if the surface of the earth were violently overthrown, there is no cause for fear at all (Ps 46:1-7). Here is a glorious benefit of wisdom - faith in God will save you from all fears (Ps 34:1-7)! Consider sudden fear. A doctor says you have cancer! Your spouse of many years leaves you! You are fired unexpectedly! You are in the middle of a bank during a robbery! Your son is killed in an accident! Your auto quits, and you have no money for repairs! A powerful nation declares war against yours! Your retirement plan is cancelled entirely! Those who fear God and love wisdom have complete confidence in the face of fear. Naaman contracted incurable leprosy, but he boldly sought Elisha for its complete cure. Hezekiah had a fatal disease, but he prayed for a couple minutes and was given 15 more years. Jesus Christ went to the cruel death of the cross with total confidence in His Father. Paul and Silas could sing praises in a Roman dungeon in Philippi, Macedonia. Consider the desolation of the wicked. The influenza epidemic of 1918 killed 40 million! World War II took 72 million more! Deranged moon worshippers destroyed the World Trade Center! A tsunami wiped out the lives and homes of many from ten nations! Those who fear God and love wisdom are kept from God's judgment of the wicked. God drowned all men by a worldwide flood 4500 years ago, but Noah and his family were dry in the Ark. He took Lot out of Sodom before burning it up. Jacob and his family were fed in the best part of Egypt during a

terrible famine. Many saints were saved out of Jerusalem, when God sent the Roman armies to destroy His Son's murderers. What is wisdom? It is reverently fearing the LORD Jehovah of the Bible and keeping His commandments. God befriends, blesses, delivers, and helps such men, so they need not fear in this world or the next. They can respond confidently to any news of trouble, for they will be protected. If the God of heaven is on your side, then there is nothing man or natural disasters can do to you (Pr 3:26; Ps 118:6; Matt 10:28-31; Heb 13:5-6)

Proverbs 3:26
For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.
Some think self-confidence is great, but confidence in the LORD is greater! For what will you do when self is tired, weak, discouraged, dying, or facing impossible adversity? Some think self-defense is good, but the LORD's defense is much better. The bravest and securest men in human history were those who put their trust in the LORD. The context declared the LORD's use of wisdom, understanding, and knowledge, and the benefits men obtain by having them as well (Pr 3:19-22). Solomon then taught the security and peace that these blessings bring to those retaining them (Pr 3:23-25). In spite of what is happening in the world, those who put their trust in the LORD will be safe and saved. In fact, they can sweetly sleep when others are panicking and in trouble (Ps 4:8). Walking in the fear of the LORD with wisdom, understanding, and knowledge gives a man total confidence and safety (Pr 14:26). He fears nothing! "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident" (Ps 27:1-3). David thought the men of Israel should have lined up for a chance to fight Goliath (I Sam 17:29). Three Hebrew men had no regard for the fury or threats of Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 3:16-18). Peter and John boldly testified against the same Jews who crucified their Lord (Acts 4:13). And Paul stood alone to give answer before Emperor Nero (II Tim 4:16-18). The horse is prepared and trained for battle, but safety is of the LORD (Pr 21:31). A wise man makes only a reasonable effort, for he knows that success is from the LORD (Ps 127:1). He does not fret or overextend himself, and he goes to bed on time (Ps 127:2). He puts his trust in the name of the LORD, his strong tower. See the comments on 18:10. But what about the unseen pestilence or disease frightening others? "Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked" (Ps 91:5-8). But what about economic disaster? "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation" (Hab 3:17-18). No matter what difficulty or threat is facing you, be confident the LORD will deliver and save you. Do not faint, but rather believe! Go forward in faith! Do what you need to do, then go to bed! "I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD" (Ps 27:1314).

Christian, your blessed Lord slept during a terrible storm (Mark 4:37-38). He could enjoy supper and serving others just hours before his betrayal and crucifixion (John 13:1-5). This same Jesus promised, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Heb 13:5). What is the result? "So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me" (Heb 13:6). Saints go to sleep by saying, "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety" (Ps 4:8). Amen.

Proverbs 3:27
Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.
You are in debt! And some debts you may not know about! Here is a rule of wisdom to please God and men. You must give good things to those that need them, when you are able to do so. Your debt may be a civil, employment, or financial obligation; or it may be the very religious matters of mercy and charity. This rule is also taught clearly in the New Testament (I John 3:17). Are you fully aware of your debts, and are you paying them? The context is minimal, but helpful. The next verse says, "Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee" (Pr 3:28). Noble and virtuous men will not delay in providing the needs of their neighbors, when they are in the position to help them. They will not put neighbors off with promises of future kindness or performance. God and Solomon are teaching you true mercy and charity. The debts you know well are rent payments, shared expenses, wages for services, returning borrowed items, repairing damaged property, refunding overpayments, replacing stolen things, returning unused deposits, and so forth. The duty to pay these debts on a timely basis comes from God's laws and the civil rules of men (Rom 13:7-8). Consider how Jehovah demanded prompt pay for laborers (Lev 19:13; Deut 24:14-15)! But there are other debts, which are created by the mercy and charity requirements of God alone. The LORD made both rich and poor men (Pr 22:2). Rich men did not get wealthy by their own abilities (Ps 75:6-7; Eccl 9:11; I Cor 4:7). And God expects them to share some of their abundance with those that have less (Ps 112:9; I Tim 6:17-19). Since God expects the rich to consider the poor, the mere need of the poor creates an obligation. When God brings a person into your life with legitimate needs, and you have the ability to help them, then your help is due! Godliness and wisdom create the debt! God is expecting payment to them, and He will hold you guilty, if you choose to not pay. For example, it is an obligation of heaven for you to help widows and orphans in need that God brings your way (Job 29:12-13; 31:16-23; Isaiah 1:17; 58:67; Jas 1:27). Legitimate needs are food, clothing, and shelter (Job 31:19; Is 58:7; Ezek 18:7; Jas 2:15-16). And only those working hard and not wasting assets deserve charity. If a man will not work, he should starve (Pr 20:4; II Thess 3:6-12). If he is financially foolish, he should be treated the same (Pr 18:9; 12:27; 19:10; 30:22). Godly welfare was gleaning, which required very hard work collecting scraps from fields or vineyards (Lev 19:10; 23:22). Christianity is not communism - from each according to his ability, to each according to his need, until all are reduced to poverty. The rich may enjoy the good life, if they are ready and willing to give to those in need (I Tim 6:17-19; Eccl 5:18-19; 9:7-10). If the rich gave all away, they could not fund their wonderful enterprises that employ the poor, and the poor would be destroyed. Communism is folly: look at Russia's experiment!

Most charity should be done through your local church, where a pastor or deacons can identify legitimate needs and protect both givers and receivers from abuse or partiality (Acts 4:34-37; 6:1-3; I Tim 5:1-16). Such public giving does not violate the Lord's rule for secrecy, since He opposed Pharisees seeking the praise of men (Matt 6:1-4). The Bible mentions persons and churches by name that were generous givers (John 12:3; Acts 4:36-37; Rom 15:26; I Cor 16:15; II Cor 9:1-2; Phil 4:1019; Philemon 1:4-7). The Bible does not teach you to seek out the poor in other places or feel a debt toward them. God defines objects of mercy and charity, not social do-gooders or televangelists. Godly men have a debt first to the household of faith, where they are to provide for poor saints in their own local church and then in other places (Matt 10:42; 25:40; Acts 2:44-45; 4:34-35; 11:29; Rom 15:26; I Cor 16:1; II Cor 8:4; Gal 6:10; Philemon 1:5; I Pet 4:9). Your next line of obligation is your neighbor, even if an unbeliever. Who is your neighbor? You asked a good question, which others have done trying to limit their duty to their friends and companions only. And it has a good answer from Jesus Christ, the son of Solomon. Your neighbor is anyone with a legitimate need that God in His providence brings across your ordinary path in life (Luke 10:25-37; Gal 6:10). Learn from the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). The Samaritan and Jew did not live together. They disliked each other (John 4:9; 8:48). The Jew was in true need, not lacking a television (Luke 10:30). The Samaritan chanced upon the Jew; he was not looking for wounded Jews (Luke 10:33). The Samaritan did not subsidize the Jew; he only rescued him from his desperate need. This is the Lord's definition of loving your neighbor. Nowhere does Scripture teach a debt to the poor of the world. Israel was to be generous to their own poor (Ex 23:11; Deut 15:7-11). If they had tried to feed the Egyptians and the Arabians, there would not have been any resources left for the poor in their own nation! Paul took gifts across the Mediterranean for poor saints in Judea, though he ignored the orphanages in the cities of Europe and Asia where he raised the money! Social do-gooders suggest giving to every poor person in every corner of the earth to earn the praise of men, and televangelists suggest the same to build their television audiences and funding. But if you followed either consistently, you would have nothing left for the two obligations God has given you poor saints and neighbors by providence. The Bible is pure wisdom. Gifts to many countries simply subsidize and endorse governmental and personal folly, much like the individual sluggard or waster condemned above. People choosing to live in the desert and reproduce wildly, where food and water have always been in short supply, should rethink their governmental and personal habits. God does not require the rich to dump their wealth for the poor of the world: they are merely to be ready to give it to God's two objects of charity (I Tim 6:1719; Gal 6:10). Do you pay your debts? Do you tell poor saints in your church that you are praying for them? You are cruel! "If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?" (Jas 2:15-16.) "But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?" (I Jn 3:17.) Do you aggressively take care of your parents? If not, you are behind on your debts! You are denying the Christian faith, if you do not repay your parents for what they did for you (I Tim 5:4,8). It was the perverted Jewish religion that rejected parental support by allowing faith-promise offerings of assets in order to deny parents (Matt 15:4-6). Are you going out tonight for a nice meal? Why not take a poor couple from your church or neighborhood? Listen to Jesus Christ: "But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just" (Luke 14:13-14).

The blessed God of heaven did not withhold the good of salvation from His elect, even when they did not deserve anything but eternal condemnation and punishment (Rom 5:6-10). He freely gave His only begotten Son and every other blessing as well (Rom 8:32). Are you able to follow His example even a little? Then pay your debts! Even today! There are blessings in giving that only those who trust the Bible and Jesus Christ can experience (Pr 11:24-25; Luke 6:38; Acts 20:35; II Cor 9:12-14)!

Proverbs 3:28
Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.
A delay can turn charity into cruelty and debt into theft! If you can help a person today, do not wait even one day! Help him today! Do not promise to help or pay in the future. Love will help now! If you owe any one today and can pay, do not wait until tomorrow! Clear the obligation! Pay the debt! The previous proverb condemned refusing to pay; this proverb condemns delaying to pay. Godly men pay in full, and they pay promptly! Bless the God of heaven! His rules for wisdom and success extend even to cash flow and the prompt payment of obligations and charitable gifts. There are good reasons for paying today rather than tomorrow. You may never live to see tomorrow (Pr 27:1). You may lose the cash or assets you presently have (Pr 23:5). And you cause a poor man or creditor to live another day of grief (Jas 2:1516; 5:1-5). A little when needed is better than more later! This godly rule applies to bills, debts, dues, wages, taxes, charity, family support, giving, and any similar obligations. If you owe anyone or could help anyone, and you have the money, you should aggressively pay today. The Law of Moses required that day laborers be paid their wages every day and that the poor have security deposits returned to them at night (Lev 19:13; Deut 24:12-15). The God of heaven cares about details. Beware! The due date on a bill or loan payment is when it is due. Get it? The grace period is the days a creditor will let you steal before seeking to put you in jail! You do not have a Christian right to the grace period! Pay your bills before the due date! When you employ anyone for wages, whether to cut your grass, repair your car, or watch your children, pay them that day! God will be honored, your reputation enhanced, and the party thrilled. God cares for the poor. He expects you to care for them, when they have a real need, and you can help. Talk is cheap and does no good (Jas 2:15-16; I John 3:17-18). Performance counts (II Cor 8:11). Giving to the poor is lending to the Lord (Pr 19:17); it proves eternal life (I John 3:11-24); and it ought to be done as soon as a need is detected. Jesus Christ expects the rich to be ready to give, and He greatly rewards them for it (I Tim 6:17-19). A good rule for life is to pay bills and obligations as soon as they are incurred, or when they arrive in the mail. This creates financial freedom, and you are always ahead for the unexpected emergency. Living from check to check, from bill to bill, is masochistic folly. When a neighbor needs something, get it for him as soon as possible. You can put joy in his heart by a fast response. It has been said, "He gives twice who gives speedily." Do it!

Proverbs 3:29
Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.
Those closest to you deserve the most from you. Yet men often treat family or friends more harshly than strangers. The more people trust you, the more you owe them. The more vulnerable a person becomes to you, the greater obligation you have to honor and protect him. You know more about your

neighbors than others in your life, but this privilege brings the duty to protect rather than an opportunity to defraud. Beware! Who is your neighbor? While lawyers quibble about words and wish to reduce this noun to a few friends (Luke 10:25-29), Solomon's son Jesus Christ expanded it to anyone God places in your life (Luke 10:30-37). It includes your parents or a spouse to colleagues at work or a stranger you happen to sit beside on an airplane or bus. Of course, it also includes those who live next door, but it includes many more than them as well. It is easy to discover the assets, faults, habits, and weaknesses of those closest to you. Your proximity to their activities and their trust in you combine to make them vulnerable to any lust on your part. God and Solomon, knowing this reality of relationships, warned against any wicked ambitions or defrauding by this advantage. Godly men are scrupulously honest with neighbors, and they are exceptionally protective of them. Cain slew his trusting brother. Jacob's sons deceived and murdered Shechem, and then they sold Joseph into slavery. King Saul tried to murder David as he played for him. Joab slew the trusting Abner and Amasa. Judas knew the Lord's habits, and he used them to earn a few coins by betraying Him to a murderous mob. The sin of this proverb is the cruelest form of personal malice (Ps 41:9; 55:12-15; Matt 26:46-50; John 13:21). Do you exploit or protect knowledge of colleagues at work? Does the nearness of your neighbor's wife make him more or less vulnerable to you? Do you exploit or protect gullible classmates? Can any sitting near you anywhere trust you with their belongings? The crime can be found at home. Abuse or neglect of spouses is treachery, for marriage exposes all to another (Mal 2:10-16). Never compare your wife to another woman! Never defraud or demean the man in your bed! The private events of a family at home should never be shared outside the home, for family members assume they are secure at home. Do church members know they can trust you with the most intimate details of their lives? Or do they know your vile heart would be tempted to exploit their weakness for your own advantage or to share it with others? Let this proverb crush you! Learn godliness today!

Proverbs 3:30
Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.
You better have a good reason to debate, fight, or sue someone. God allows you to defend yourself when legitimate harm has been done. But He will not tolerate a petty, hypocritical, or vengeful response to others. There had better be definite and significant injury involved, or you are messing with a matter that will come back to bite you. How serious are the consequences of debating or fighting for no good cause? The great and dreadful God of heaven hates such contrary, froward, obnoxious, and wicked men (Pr 3:32). He curses the families of men that will not get along with others and that like to stir up trouble (Pr 3:33). He will scorn the scorners and promote fools to shame (Pr 3:34-35). Of course, contentious men always have a reason for contending with others. In their depraved sense of justice, they are righteous in arguing, fighting, or suing someone for damages. But God knows the hearts of all men, and He will despise their petty, personal, hypocritical, or vengeful thoughts. He will be froward to froward men (Ps 18:25-26). Wisdom includes knowledge and ability to get along with others. Wise men are glorious, because they know they should defer anger and ignore minor offences (Pr 19:11). They know that if they are unmerciful in holding men accountable for their small trespasses, then God Himself will not forgive them their trespasses (Matt 6:14-15).

What causes some men to be contentious? Pride! Only pride (Pr 13:10)! It is not an innate sense of justice or righteousness that causes them to criticize, debate, fight, or oppose others. It is the pride of their wicked hearts that refuses to be merciful, refuses to overlook small offences, and refuses to forgive others fully and easily. Pride is damning! How about women that nag? Same thing! Their pride finds pleasure in correcting their husbands. Resenting their role, they show their selfishness by contending and brawling! No wonder Solomon warned against such women (Pr 19:13; 21:9,19; 25:24; 27:15)! Peace and unity, the godly goals of wise men, depend on overlooking the minor faults or offences of others. Only when life or home is threatened is there cause for fighting. Jesus Christ said that even anger in your heart without a cause is murder (Matt 5:21-22)! And responding with force to minor offences is of the same character (Matt 5:38-42). A contentious spirit is from hell, but a gentle and peaceful spirit is from heaven (Jas 3:14-18). What a great difference! What a glorious opportunity! What a precious privilege! What will you do today? Fight over anything? Or forgive everything? Be a peacemaker!

Proverbs 3:31
Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.
Do not be jealous of those who appear to get ahead by taking advantage of others, for they shall soon be brought down (Pr 3:32-35). Do not use any of their manners or methods, for they are the tools of fools. Froward men - unreasonable and wicked men - are an abomination to God, but He will bless and favor good and righteous men (Pr 3:32-35). Overbearing and presumptuous men may prosper for a while, until God and men turn on them and take back what they stole by their oppressive ways. Foolish men are easily seduced by the strong-arm tactics and apparent financial success of these tyrants. They are deceived into thinking such methods are manly and efficient - the way for the strong to survive and get ahead. But God inspired the rule here - do not envy such men (Pr 24:1). Neither should you adopt their manners or methods. It is not enough to despise froward men; you must also reject any of their habits or practices. Sin will deceive you by justifying some of their ways, as long as you reject other of their ways. God and Solomon knew this temptation, so they also condemned choosing any of their devices or tactics. What are the ways of an oppressor? They love to drive a hard bargain, paying less than they should, but charging more than they should (Pr 11:26; 20:14). A righteous man pays a fair price and charges a fair price, especially when the helpless or poor are involved. When it comes to charity, the oppressor neglects the poor and only gives a little grudgingly, but a good man gives generously and is rewarded for it (Pr 11:24-25; 29:7). What are the ways of an oppressor? They are harsh and hard on animals, employees, and themselves. But noble and virtuous men are kind and merciful to all three (Pr 11:17; 12:10; 18:23; 29:21). The oppressor speaks sharply, critically, and much, wounding his hearers; but the wise man speaks his few words graciously, feeds men wisdom by his speech, and wins even the king's heart (Pr 10:21; 12:18; 15:2,28; 17:9; 22:11; Col 4:6). What are the ways of an oppressor? They create strife, divide and conquer, look out for number one, and sow discord (Pr 6:14,19; 15:18; 16:28; 26:20-22). But godly men crave peace, work to keep it, and honor others (Pr 15:1; 19:11; Eph 4:3; Phil 2:1-5). An oppressor walks over a starving Lazarus going to a sumptuous table, but he ends up in hell (Luke 16:19-23)! A Diotrephes may cast men out of the church, but he will pay (III Jn 1:9-11). What wisdom can you learn? Rather than envying oppressors of the world, whom God abhors, envy the

righteous, with whom God shares His secret (Pr 3:32). Choose the ways of the godly and earn the favor of God and men (Ps 37:37; I Cor 4:16; 11:1; Phil 3:17; 4:9).

Proverbs 3:32
For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous.
Good guys finish first! Measure their end, not their beginning, for there are no exceptions to the rule. God will fight against every wicked person, because He abhors each one. But He will personally bless the righteous with His presence and goodness, because He loves each of them. Do not be misled by the world, which exalts the wicked and despises the righteous. It is their last arrogant gasp at self-delusion before their final destruction! Because the world glamorizes wicked men in its rebellion against God and truth, men often envy oppressors (Pr 3:31; 23:17; 24:1,19; Ps 37:1,7). For a time it may seem that deceitful and violent men can get ahead without consequences. But the inspired warning - "Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways," - is based on the rule here (Pr 3:31). The apparent success is a temporary illusion. Hell will be paid! God guarantees it! What is a froward man? This older word means a man who goes counter to what is right; he is unreasonable, perverse, difficult to deal with, hard to please, refractory, and ungovernable. He is obnoxious and wicked. He is the oppressor from the previous proverb, who uses any means he can to harm others and take advantage of them. The warning is clear - do not choose his ways or choose to be with him. He is going down! You have seen this man before. Have you envied him? He is brash and confident. He breaks the rules and seems to never get caught. In fact, he is often honored and rewarded, as if his cheating were the profitable thing to do. He has no regard for others, and he uses them for whatever he can get from them. He may become powerful and successful, and you wonder if there is any reward for living a holy and righteous life (Ps 73:1-14). But God abominates such wicked men. He hates them with perfect hatred, and He will judge them in this world and the next. If you think God loves such men but hates their sin, then hear the word of the Lord, "The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity" (Ps 5:5). "The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth" (Ps 11:5). Pharaoh greatly oppressed the Hebrews, so God slowly drowned him in the Red Sea for his frowardness (Ex 14:17; Rom 9:15-18). What is God's secret, which He gives to the righteous? It is His personal presence and favors, which He grants to good men in ways the world cannot recognize. As men share intimate plans and rewards with their best friends, so the Lord shares His glory and blessings with holy men. He tells them through His Spirit of His love for them and of the unspeakable rewards He has waiting for them in heaven (Ps 25:14; I Cor 2:9; Gal 4:6-7).

Proverbs 3:33
The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.
Something is hanging over your home and house! There are only two possibilities! Either the curse of the LORD Jehovah is hanging there, ready to fall; or the blessing of the mighty God is there! The difference in outcomes is incredible; the conditions are simple. You do not want to play around with the one; and you do not want to miss the other.

When the LORD curses, no man or group of men can bless! When the LORD blesses, no man or confederacy of men can curse! Balak hired Balaam to curse Israel, in order to save Moab; but God blessed Israel, and cursed Moab (Num 22:1 - 24:25)! These are the facts of life, and you are not going to alter them. "There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD" (Pr 21:30). Prudence and safety says to flee His curse by any means! Wisdom and prosperity says to seek His blessing by any means! The LORD said to Israel, "Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse" (Deut 11:26)! And this proverb sets before each reader a blessing or a curse. What will you do with this choice? How seriously do you even read the words today? If you continue in your wicked ways, the curse is coming; if you repent and do justly, blessing is coming. If you do not think it matters, read the details of His blessings and curses (Lev 26; Deut 28). A wicked man and his family are going to suffer, because the sword of divine justice hangs over them. A righteous man and his family are going to prosper, because God smiles upon them. Here is simple wisdom to bless your home and family or to guarantee their ruin. What will you do? "The righteous man wisely considereth the house of the wicked: but God overthroweth the wicked for their wickedness" (Pr 21:12). God told the priests of Israel, "And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you. If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart. Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it" (Mal 2:1-3). Not very pretty, huh? Will you hear, lay it to your heart, and give glory to His name? Let's find out. Are you thinking, living, and doing everything God expects? Everything written in His Word? Everything you have heard rightly preached? Everything the holy men and women of Scripture would have done? Where are you cheating? What are you compromising? If you are compromising or cheating in any part of your life, don't look up! Angry storm clouds are gathering over your home and house! The way of sinners is hard, and it can get far worse than you think or have ever experienced (Pr 13:15). What are the conditions for His blessing? Are they costly and difficult? Read carefully His answer. "Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (Micah 6:6-8). This proverb applies to churches as well, which are the houses and habitations of God by the Spirit (Eph 2:19-22; I Tim 3:15). The church of Israel was called Ichabod, when the glory of God departed, and they were cursed with Philistines (I Sam 4:12-22). And churches today, playing with carnal living and wicked hearts, will also be deprived of the glory of God, when the Son of man walks among His candlesticks (Rev 1:9-20; 2:5). Yet the same glorious Lord seeks fellowship with churches, which will have Him (Rev 3:20).

Proverbs 3:34
Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.
God is angry and hates scorners. Those who neglect His word, mock His truth, despise His ministers, and worship their own thoughts will be judged harshly (Is 29:20-21). But those who think poorly of themselves and tremble before Him will receive kind blessings. The judgment of scorners is certain. "Surely" they shall not escape. The Lord will have them in

derision. He will laugh and mock, when He brings their worst fears upon them for their arrogant disregard of His offers of wisdom, truth, and life (Pr 1:20-31; Ps 2:1-12). Scorners resent correction, despise authority, mock truth, and are full of conceit. Our great God will resent, resist, ridicule, and reject them for their pride and arrogance. Others cannot help or protect the scorner, for God will surely judge him or her (Pr 9:12). The lowly have poor and contrite hearts, are humble in thought, confess their errors quickly, and tremble with ready hearts for His instruction. Our merciful God will favor them with His gracious blessings. Though He is high, He has respect to the lowly and resents the proud (Ps 138:6). Our proverb is so true it is stated twice in the New Testament (Jas 4:6; I Pet 5:5). God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. So we must humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God that He might exalt us in due time (James 4:10; I Pet 5:6). God gives this grace before and after we humble ourselves; for it is His grace that humbles us, and it is His grace that rewards our humility with further favor (James 4:5-6). The rule of heaven is simple: God repays in kind. He is merciful to the merciful, upright to the upright, pure to the pure, and froward to the froward (Ps 18:25-26). He saves afflicted persons, but He brings down the high looks of the proud (Ps 18:27). He will not be slack to repay those who hate Him to their very face (Deut 7:9-11). And He will give them the same contrary treatment they have given Him, but with His fury (Lev 26:23-28). God's ways are equal, though Israel charged Him with being unfair (Ezek 18:25-30). A man choosing scorn and iniquity will be judged, but a man choosing humility and righteousness will be saved. The ways of God are equal. Humble yourself, dear reader. Pharaoh scorned the Lord, but Israel ravished the nation terribly. Korah scorned Moses, but he and his family went to their graves alive! Goliath scorned Israel's God, but a naked lad stole his head. The Jews scorned our Saviour, but He publicly ridiculed their doctrine, hypocrisy, and persons. Caiaphas and Israel scorned our Lord and His apostles, but He leveled their temple and annihilated their nation. Surely He scorneth the scorners! When Elymas scorned the gospel, Paul despised him and sent blindness upon him (Acts 13:4-12). When the Jews rejected Paul's message of the Messiah, he turned to the Gentiles and told the Jews they were unworthy of everlasting life (Acts 13:46-47). The haughty teachers at Corinth, who resented Paul, publicly heard chapter after chapter of his glorious boasting, which left them all scorned before the church! And Paul in turn told Timothy and Titus to let no man despise, or scorn, them (I Tim 4:12; Tit 2:15). If you have tried to teach a scorner and received hatred, shame, and a blot in return (Pr 9:7 do not 8), worry. There is a God in heaven: and He is higher than they, no matter how high their conceited thoughts. Surely He scorneth the scorners! You will be vindicated! Dear parent, if you see even a glimpse of scorn or just smell it in the air from a child, it must be eliminated today. This most hateful of all spirits must be corrected, or you will bring upon yourself great pain and bring upon your child the judgment of God. It is the seed of hell in your child, but wise and early use of reproof and the rod can drive it away. Dear reader, do your hackles ever rise in pride and rebellion at the preaching of God's word? Do resentful thoughts enter your mind against the message or the messenger? Are you offended by the correction or warning of a friend? Unless you have overwhelming Bible evidence to question their words, you are taking the seat of the scornful. Do you resent authority? Is it easy for you to criticize or mock government? Do you love giving your opinion on how things should be done in the nation? On the job? In the church? Beware! Surely He scorneth the scorners!

But on the other hand, the glorious God of heaven draws nigh to humble men, who wait quietly with contrite hearts and tremble at His word (Is 57:15; 66:1-2). Consider these precious promises! What a privilege! What a low cost! Humble yourself, dear reader. He giveth grace to the lowly!

Proverbs 3:35
The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.
You will receive an inheritance. You will be promoted. You will get either glory or shame. Your decisions today will earn one or the other. In fact, you may already have part of your inheritance or promotion. Are you living successfully by God's definition with a glorious reputation? Or are you ashamed of the mess you have made of your life? There are consequences to every decision. Some consequences are not immediately seen, but you cannot avoid them. If you choose wisdom as the basis for life's decisions, then the natural process of life and the supernatural blessing of God will bring you glory and honor. If you choose foolishness, you and God have guaranteed your pain and shame. Wise men make decisions by the Bible, the revealed will of God. Fools make decisions by their feelings, their thoughts, popular opinion, tradition, habits, educators, news anchors, televangelists, and other evil sources. The rule of this proverb is simple: if you live wisely, you will be honored; if you live foolishly, you will be punished in disgrace. Consider two men and their choices regarding women. Joseph resisted seduction by Mrs. Potiphar on the grounds it would displease God: he ended up on Egypt's throne. Samson pursued the painted faces, offered bodies, and flattery of Philistine whores to please his lusts. He ended up a blind, manual laborer, who committed suicide to end his pain. Consider two men and their choices regarding wealth. Moses rejected all the pleasures and treasures of Egypt to honor God, and he became one of Israel's greatest heroes. Lot lusted greedily for the lush valleys of the Jordan, where the city of Sodom was situated; and he ended up losing everything, living in a cave, and impregnating his two daughters. Consider men and their choices regarding education. Saul of Tarsus flushed one of the finest educations as dung for the knowledge of Jesus Christ (Acts 22:3; Phil 3:4-8). He became the greatest apostle. The philosophers of Athens adored their own thoughts and mocked Paul's vital teaching about Jesus Christ (Acts 17:22-34). They drowned in their own profane drivel, and their nation today is a disgrace compared to what it once was. Consider two men and their choices regarding the Lord from heaven. One thief on a cross beside Jesus confessed his guilt and wisely chose to honor Him as King: he went to Paradise that day for an eternity of unspeakable glory. The other thief cursed Jesus in his anger and pain, and he went to hell that day to suffer eternal and unspeakable shame. Your choices of wisdom or folly will bring present and future glory or shame. Beware! Only blinded idiots or stubborn rebels would think they can make their own choices in life and avoid the painful consequences. The evidence is all around them that human foolishness leads to incredible dysfunction, misery, and pain. And furthermore, the Bible, from beginning to end, including detailed facts about a terrible worldwide flood, shows God's certain judgment for your selfish choices. Be sure your sin will find you out!

PROVERBS 3

Proverbs 3:1-18 They're After Our Children Advertisers are after our young people. They are increasingly targeting their messages to children. Because of the strong influence they have on the purchasing habits of their parents, and because they have an increasing buying power of their own, millions of dollars are being spent to get their attention. People in the advertising business are convinced that a young, satisfied consumer could become a lifelong customereager to buy their products far into the future. In a similar way, we need to be influencing our young people to "buy into" the good things God has in store for them throughout all of life. According to Proverbs 3, some fantastic possibilities lie ahead for the young person who chooses God's way: long life and peace (Pr 3:2), favor in the sight of God and man (Pr 3:4), direction from God (Pr 3:6), health and strength (Pr 3:8), abundance (Pr 3:10), happiness (Pr 3:13). The person who trusts, honors, and fears the Lord finds wisdoman incomparable prize (Pr 3:15). The world spends millions convincing our children that they can't be happy without a certain kind of shoe. How much more we have to offer them by showing them that happiness comes by walking with God! Dave Branon (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved) We can help our precious children Follow in God's way, Living out our faith with gladness, Praying every day. Sper What we leave in our children is more important than what we leave to them Proverbs 3:1-8 Learning from Lincoln - Our Daily Bread Proverbs 3:1-6 Directions-from-above - Our Daily Bread Proverbs 3:1-12 Why- Why- Oh, Why- Our Daily Bread Proverbs 3:1-12 The High Cost Of Sin - Our Daily Bread Proverbs 3:1-12 Don't Forget Your Children - Our Daily Bread Proverbs 3:1-12 A Huge Difference Hear, my son...I have taught you in the way of wisdom. --Proverbs 4:10-11 One is my son's doctor. Another is a popular local TV personality. Several are parents of children who go to school with my son and daughter. Another is well known in the Christian music industry. Some are missionaries. Others work with me at RBC Ministries. Who are these people? They are students who attended the high school where I taught and where my children have gone to school. My son Steve and I were looking at names and photos in some old yearbooks not long ago. As I pointed out where those students are today, I was struck by the power of potential. Who knew what would become of those young people my fellow teachers and I asked to do book reports, diagram sentences, or run sprints and make free throws on the basketball court? But now, with their pathway through life partially complete, I can see that many of them have trusted the Lord and are seeking to honor Him, realizing much of their God-given potential.

In light of Proverbs 3, it's awesome to contemplate what can become of today's youth. If they are taught to walk according to God's wisdom, use the skills He has given them, and follow His leading, they can make a huge difference in whatever future the Lord has in store. JDB Dave Branon O Lord of all the upward road, Keep strong our youth, we pray; May age and youth together seek To follow in Thy way. Niedermeyer We shape tomorrow's world by what we teach our children today. Proverbs 3:1-6 Lost In The Fog The fog was as thick as pea soup. Visibility was limited to a few feet, and the lake was as smooth as glass. The only sound to break the silence was the laughing of a loon across the lake. I rowed for an hour around the shore, trying to catch fish in different areas, but the fish weren't biting! So I decided to go back to my cabin for a cup of coffee. I was at the mouth of a small inlet, which I knew was directly across the lake from the cottage. So I set out across the lake on a straight course (I thought) toward the dock. The minutes went byand after an hour I was surprised when I arrived back at the mouth of the little stream from which I started. I had been going in a circle in the fog. I was so sure I knew where I was going, but after an hour I had gotten nowhere! If I had only taken my compassinstead of relying on my own sense of direction. Proverbs 3:5 comes to mind: "Lean not on your own understanding." Without the Lord as your guide through the fog of life, and His Word as your compass, you will wander aimlessly. So be sure to make Proverbs 3:6 your lifelong motto: "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."Mart De Haan (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved) My Lord is ever with me Along life's busy way; I'll trust in Him completely For guidance day by day. Anon. To avoid going wrong, follow God's leading. Proverbs 3:1-10 Our Daily Bread Many Christians equate God's leading with an overriding feeling or an inner impression. These strong inclinations, however, are not necessarily proof of God's direction. John Hibben, former president of Princeton University, once invited a guest to dinner. Mr. Buchman, an eccentric believer in divine guidance, arrived late and brought along three uninvited guests. When Buchman shook hands with Mrs. Hibben, he said, "The Lord told me to bring these three other men to dinner, too." Mrs. Hibben, not expecting added company, replied, "Oh, I don't think the Lord had anything to do with it."

"Why not?" retorted Buchman. "Because," responded Mrs. Hibben, "God is a gentleman." Mrs. Hibben knew something about God and His ways that Buchman had overlooked. This exchange raises an important question about the primary source for divine guidance. Strong impressions will come to us, but we must always test them to be sure they are in line with God's revealed will. They must never run contrary to what is true and right. Studying Scripture passages in their context gives us discernment, and meditating on them helps us to evaluate our feelings honestly. In his book Knowing God, J. I. Packer cautions, "Feelings with an ego-boosting, or escapist, or self-indulging, or self-aggrandizing base must be detected and discredited, not mistaken for guidance." That's good counselespecially since we have a lamp for our feet, and a light for our path. D. J. De Haan (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved) Feelings are no substitute for facts and faith. Proverbs 3:3 Let's Talk About It! - Our Daily Bread Proverbs 3:5 O God, Why? Several years ago, the growing season had been unusually good in eastern Michigan. Farmers were elated at the thought of their potential profits. Then, just before harvest, the rains came--and stayed. Potatoes rotted in the ground; beans molded in their pods. The entire harvest season remained wet. Anticipation of a record yield quickly faded. One discouraged farmer was quoted as saying, "You ask yourself, 'Why? What have we done wrong?'" People have always asked why when faced with reversal and hardship. Their question is significant because it reflects the fact that nothing happens by chance. God is in control. Neither Satan nor man can go any further than is allowed by the Almighty. The story of Job, however, makes it clear that we should not become too preoccupied with the question why. God's reasons are often kept to Himself. He may hold them high above our understanding and far beyond our natural field of vision in order to develop our faith. Our response to trouble should be like that of Job at the beginning and at the end of his problems (Job 2:10; 42:1-6). Obediently trust God in your circumstances--even when you can't understand what He's doing. Mart De Haan (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved) When through life's darkened maze I go And troubles overwhelm my soul, O grant me, Lord, Your grace to know That You are surely in control. --DJD When God conceals His purposes, He consoles with His promises. Proverbs 3:5-6 Directions From Above

During a visit to Chicago, I stayed on the 25th floor of a downtown hotel. As I gazed out the window, I was fascinated by the maze of cars flowing four lanes abreast in opposite directions. One motorist faced an emergency. He had engine trouble and was stalled in the middle of all that traffic. From my vantage point I could see for blocks. I watched several drivers switch into the same lane as the stalled auto, unaware of what was ahead. Thinking they were gaining time, these motorists were actually crossing over into a lane that would only spell greater delay. As we travel along life's road, we do much the same as those misguided drivers. With our limited foresight we select the route that seems bestonly to find that the temporary advance has led us into a course filled with delay and heartache. But how reassuring that we can look to One who is above everything, who knows the end from the beginning! This is why the writer of Proverbs could say, "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:6). When the Lord indicates a "stop" or a "change of lanes" or a "wait," we should gladly obey. Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved) Yes, look for direction from above. Richard De Haan He leadeth me! O blessed thought! O words with heavenly comfort fraught! Whate'er I do, where'er I be, Still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me. Gilmore The best way to know God's will is to say "I will" to God Proverbs 3:6 A Mere Happening- - Our Daily Bread Proverbs 3:5 The Forgotten Man - Our Daily Bread Proverbs 3:6 He shall direct thy paths. Meyer, F. B. Our Daily Homily Thy paths! Then, every mans path is distinct for him, and for no other. The paths may lie side by side, but they are different. They have converged; they may diverge. When Peter had been told of the rugged nature of the predestined path which was marked out for him in the Providence of God, he turned towards John, his companion and friend, and said to Jesus, What shall this man do? The Lord instantly replied, in effect: That is a matter in which I can brook no interference; it is entirely a matter for my choice and will; if I will, it may be that he shall tarry till I come. We need to be divinely directed. The man who stands above the maze can direct you through all its labyrinth by the readiest path. God who made thee for thy life, and thy life for thee, can direct thee, and He only. First: Lean not to thine own understanding. One is apt to pride oneself on ones far-sighted judgment. We consult our maps and guides and the opinions of fellow-travellers, to find ourselves at fault. We have to learn that our own understanding is not keen enough or wise enough to direct; we must abjure and renounce all dependence on it. Second: In all thy ways acknowledge Him. Let thine eye he single; thy one aim to please Him; thy sole motive, his glory. It is marvellous how certainly and delightfully our way opens before us when we no longer look down on it, or around at others, but simply upwards into the face of Christ. It is a universal law, unalterable as the nature of God, that no created being

can be truly holy, useful, or happy, who is knowingly and deliberately out of the Divine fellowship, for a single moment. Proverbs 3:7 Our Daily Bread A cartoon in a New York newspaper depicted a young woman garbed in cap and gown, holding a diploma. With her head held high, she looks down her nose at Mr. World. "Well, what do we have here?" Mr. World asks in his cold, cruel, cynical way. "Certainly you know who I am. Cecelia Shakespeare Doaks, a graduate of Prestige College. I have my A.B." "How sad," replies Mr. World. "Come with me and I'll teach you the rest of the alphabet." We wouldn't disparage the graduate for learning, nor downplay the desire to pursue an education. But four years of classroom instruction, even under the most competent teachers, doesn't make a student wise. The "school of hard knocks" often contributes more to wisdom than the "university of hard facts." Get an education? Yes! But more importantly, seek the wisdom that is from above. The Scriptures tell us, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Prov. 9:10). Knowledge is the acquisition of facts; wisdom is the right use of those facts. Even with the best education and the broadest practical experience, a man or a woman knows nothing apart from God. The Bible says, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally, . . . and it will be given to him" (James 1:5). This kind of wisdom never leads to arrogance. R. W. De Haan Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved). The heart of education is education of the heart. Proverbs 3:7-8 The High Cost Of Sin It was only a little comma, but it cost the Lockheed corporation millions of dollars! An error was made in a contract with an international customer--a misplaced comma in a crucial number. The company insisted that the manufacturer honor the contract as written. Unfortunately for Lockheed, the error was made in an equation that adjusted the sales price, and it cost them $70 million. That's the way it is with sin too. It has a high cost, even though at the time it may seem so small. Seemingly harmless transgressions can end up doing great damage. Carrying a few extra pounds can cost a runner valuable time in an important race. Likewise, a "root of bitterness" or hatred in our lives can produce enormous spiritual harm to ourselves, others, and to our relationship with God (Heb. 12:15). Proverbs 3 tells us that we can expect God's chastening if we disobey Him (Proverbs 3:1112). That's why we would be wise to "fear the Lord and depart from evil" (Proverbs 3:7). If we take God and His Word seriously, we will hate any sin in our lives--big or little. How about you? Are you letting some sin entangle you and slow you down in your Christian race? (Heb. 12:2). Confess it now, or it will have a much higher cost later. David C. Egner Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved) The price of sin is very high, Though now it may seem low; And if we let it go unchecked, Its crippling power will grow. --Fitzhugh Uproot the weed of sin while it's still small

Proverbs 3:11 Our Daily Bread Scientists tell us that the seeds of certain types of desert bushes must be damaged by a storm before they will germinate. Covered by hard shells that keep out water, these seeds can lie dormant on the sand for several seasons until conditions are right for growth. When heavy rains finally bring flash floods, the little seeds are banged against sand, gravel, and rocks as they rush down the slopes. Eventually they settle in a depression where the soil is damp several feet deep. Able to absorb water through the nicks and scratches they acquired on their downhill plunge, they finally begin to grow. Sometimes Christians are like those seeds. We need bad weather to stimulate our spiritual development. We do not take life seriously until something drastic happens. Although the heavenly Father never allows His children to suffer needlessly, sometimes He lets us experience nicks and scratches that let the water of His Word seep in and soften our hearts. An unexpected stay in the hospital, stacks of unpaid bills, or family disruption can quickly awaken a sleeping saint. Such difficulties hurt for a while, but if we yield to the Lord we will find that life's bruises can mark the beginning of spiritual advances. Occasionally God will let us be roughed up to grow up. We may prefer to remain seeds, but He wants us to become fruitful trees. M. R. De Haan II Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved) There are no gains without pains. Proverbs 3:11 J R Miller The Bible always talks to us as children. It comes with a Father's authority, and also a Father's gentleness. It is hard, however, not to despise chastening. Of course, it is not possible that we should really find pleasure in being chastened. That is not natural. Indeed the Bible says, "No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous." Not even the grace of God in our hearts can take the sting out of chastening. We are not expected then to like it. But we are told not to "despise" it. That is, we are to accept it without murmuring. It will help us to receive chastening meekly, in faith and love, if we remember that it is "of the Lord." He sends it. We know that He loves us with infinite affection. He would not take pleasure therefore in causing us pain, nor would He do it at all, were it not in some way for our good. It is because He loves us and would do us good that He sends or permits the suffering. Proverbs 3:11 Roughed Up To Grow Up | Our Daily Bread Proverbs 3:11 J R Miller It is not possible that we should really enjoy being chastened. Indeed the Bible says, "No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous." Not even the grace of God in our heart can take the sting out of chastening. We are not expected, then, to like it. But we are told not to despise it. That is, we are to accept it without murmuring, without complaining, and reverently, as God's messenger to us, bringing a blessing. It should help us to accept chastening to remember that it is our Father's chastening. He would not take pleasure in causing us pain, nor would He do it at all, were it not in some way for our good. We should not despise any instruction our Father gives us, however costly and painful it may

be. He lets us suffer because He loves us, and would make our lives beautiful and holy. We should be willing to endure any pain or trial in order to have the likeness of Christ fashioned in our life Proverbs 3:11-12 What Good is Evil? In Jesus' parable about the prodigal son, the son asked for his inheritance in advance and left home (Lk. 15:11-32). How would you feel if you were that father? Would you have let your son have his own way? This father knew that saying no would do nothing to cure his son's rebellious streak. It must have been with reluctance and sorrow that he gave his son the inheritance, praying that the inevitable hard knocks ahead would lead his son to repentance. Like that father, God also permits what He doesn't like. We see this in His care for the ancient Hebrews. God had warned His people of sin's consequences, but He left the choice with them. They chose to rebel, which led to grave repercussions. The book of Lamentations reflects Jeremiah's grief over those consequences. Yet God ultimately brings good out of the evil He allows. This realization led Jeremiah to assure Jerusalem that although God was displeased with them, He was even angrier with their Babylonian captors (Lam. 3:31-36). He would exact justice and extend mercy to His people. Are you suffering from choices you've made that grieve your heavenly Father? God can use those consequences for your eternal welfare. Humbly return to Him today! Herbert Vander Lugt Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved) For Further Study According to Proverbs 3:11-12, what should be our reaction to God's discipline? After David asked God to forgive him, what did he pray in Psalm 51:12-13? The way back to God begins with a broken heart Proverbs 3:12 WHAT'S YOUR MOTIVATION? Willard Aldrich tells a story about his sneaky Labrador retriever. The dog would stay off the furniture when Aldrich and his wife were around, but as soon as they left the room, he would climb into one of their chairs until he heard them return. It was the telltale dog hairs and the warm chair that gave him away. What's a pet owner to do? Animals can't be reasoned with -- they have no moral sense. So Aldrich decided to wire the chair with a mild electrical current. Sure enough, during the night he was awakened by a yelp as the dog ran into another room. Now, that Labrador didn't love its owners more because they disciplined him. But the disobedience stopped. Our relationship with God isn't exactly like that sneaky dog's response to the Aldriches. We do make conscious moral decisions. But God disciplines His children when they disobey Him (Prov. 3:12). He wants us to obey Him out of our love for Him. But when we rebel, He lovingly provides correction in terms we can understand. The choice is ours. We can obey God because we know disobedience will bring discipline -or we can obey Him because we love Him and desire to please Him.

What motivates your obedience? -- Herbert Vander Lugt Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved) "We love you, Lord Jesus," we often may say, But are we as ready His will to obey? Let's heed what God's Spirit would have us to do, For that's how we show Him a love that is true. -- Dennis J. De Haan The highest motive for obeying God is the desire to please Him. Proverbs 3:12 J R Miller We are apt to put it just the other way. "My father does not love me, or he would not be so severe with me," a boy says. Then he points to another boy whose father lets his son do as he pleases, and never restrains or corrects him. "That father loves his boy, and is always kind to him," he says. So it may seem just at the time. But to be left without discipline, to have no chastening, no correction, no restraining or withholding, is not proof of love. A father who does this with his son is letting him go to destruction unhindered. The one who corrects and chastens is intent on saving his son. Chastening is, therefore, a proof of love. God chastens us because He wants to save us and make something of us. It should be a comfort to us to know, when we have trials or afflictions, that instead of being a proof that God does not love us, it is just the reverse - a new assurance of our heavenly Father's tender affection and deep interest in us. Proverbs 3:13-18 Word Search Emily loved the New York Times crossword puzzles. Her boyfriend Bill wanted a unique way to propose to her. So he enlisted the help of crossword composer Will Short. On the appointed day, Bill took Emily to breakfast. He read the sports section while she started filling in her puzzle. Soon she began to notice some amazing "coincidences." "Bill," she said, "My name is in here." Then, "Your name is in here too!" Soon phrases like "a modest proposal" and "Will you marry me?" emerged. Emily looked at Bill in astonishment. And she said yes. The Bible may seem like a puzzle to us. We struggle through it, hoping to find wisdom for life's questions. Solomon understood that struggle. But he knew the search for wisdom was well worth it. He wrote, "Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding; for her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, and her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, and all the things you may desire cannot compare with her" (Pr 3:13-15). In the Bible, God talks to us--and about us. Persistent, prayerful study produces great personal rewards. So take time to search the Word. You'll discover the treasures of God's wisdom. Haddon W. Robinson Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved) Search the Scripture's precious store As a miner digs for ore; Search, and you will surely find Treasures to enrich your mind. --Anon. When we look into the mirror of God's Word, we see ourselves more clearly.

Proverbs 3:13-26 What We Really Need In a biting comment, one philosopher said of another that he was "the greatest of thinkers and the most petty of men." We admire individuals of high intelligence, but we certainly wouldn't want that statement to be said about us. Better by far to be an ordinary person who by God's grace reflects Christ's character. Better not to be a mental giant who is spiritually petty. Intelligence and knowledge are God's gifts, and we can admire them. But we must remember that a good heart and godly character are more to be desired than brainpower, and that love is the most praiseworthy of gifts (1 Corinthians 13:13). Even though we may respect friends who are blessed with keen minds, we know that wisdom from the Lord is what we really need. In Proverbs 2-3, we are told to search for wisdom as for hidden treasures, and to realize that it is more valuable than silver, gold, or rubies (Pr 2:4; 3:14, 15). Wisdom is called "a tree of life," which is a symbolic way of describing the blessings of being in a right relationship with God (Pr 3:18). A wise person can walk through life with confidence, assured of the Lord's approval (Pr 3:26). Wisdomthat's what we really need. Vernon C Grounds Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved) The blessings of the Lord are known By those who will obey; His wisdom, truth, and love are shown To all who choose His way. D. De Haan You can gain knowledge on your own, but wisdom comes from God. Proverbs 3:14 J R Miller There is something that gives better returns than silver or gold in the world's markets. It is better to be wise than to be rich. A proper use of wisdom yields larger and better gains than the best use of money. Wisdom increases continually in the life of him who possesses it. Take the wisdom of trusting God, and how experience enlarges it! The timid faith of to-day becomes the heroic confidence of to-morrow. Or take the wisdom of loving others. Only begin it and practice it, and your heart will expand and your hand will acquire new skill in ministering. Many a young person with only a commonplace life, by simple beginning in a small way to help others and do good, has at length attained a measure of helpfulness that is simply amazing. A sailor boy brought home to his mother a little flower from some foreign land, and all the fuchsias in England are the harvest from that little kindness. Proverbs 3:16 J R Miller Long life is not in itself a blessing. There is a legend of one who had a promise that the thing he asked for, whatever it might be, he would get. He prayed that he might not die, and his request was granted. He lived on and on. But he had forgotten to ask that he might not grow old, and so his gift became an intolerable burden. No doubt right living tends to longevity. Sin shortens life. One year of wise and Christ-like living, earnest and faithful, is better than ten years of

selfishness and sin. "Riches and honor" are part of wisdom's portion. It may not be this world's riches and honor. True riches are those we can carry out of this world with us. Wisdom teaches us how to use even money so that it shall enrich us in eternity. What we keep and spend on ourselves we lose. What we give away in Christ's name is all we really make our own forever. What we sacrifice for Christ we shall find again and have forever. Proverbs 3:18 The Tree The corkscrew willow tree stood vigil over our backyard for more than 20 years. It shaded all four of our children as they played in the yard, and it provided shelter for the neighborhood squirrels. But when springtime came and the tree didnt awaken from its winter slumber, it was time to bring it down. Every day for a week I worked on that tree first to fell it and then to chop two decades of growth into manageable pieces. It gave me a lot of time to think about trees. I thought about the first tree the one on which hung the forbidden fruit that Adam and Eve just couldnt resist (Genesis 3:6). God used that tree to test their loyalty and trust. Then theres the tree in Psalm 1 that reminds us of the fruitfulness of godly living. And in Proverbs 3:18, wisdom is personified as a tree of life. But it is a transplanted tree that is most important the crude cross of Calvary that was hewn from a sturdy tree. There our Savior hung between heaven and earth to bear every sin of every generation on His shoulders. It stands above all trees as a symbol of love, sacrifice, and salvation. At Calvary, Gods only Son suffered a horrible death on a cross. Thats the tree of life for us.Dave Branon Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved) On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, The emblem of suffering and shame; And I love that old cross where the dearest and best For a world of lost sinners was slain. Bennard The cross of Christ reveals mans sin at its worst and Gods love at its best. Proverbs 3:19-26 Get Rid Of The Grubs A frustrated homeowner had a yard full of moles. He tried everything he knew to defeat his underground enemy, but he was losing the battle. Finally a friend informed him that he was trying to solve his problem the wrong way. The moles weren't the true culprits. The real problem was the grubs that the moles were feeding on. Get rid of them and the moles would have no reason to stay. The third chapter of Proverbs gives us a parallel situation. Instead of moles, the problem is fearthe kind of fear that robs us of strength during the day and sleep at night (Pr 3:24, 25). What is also evident from this chapter is that we can eliminate our fears only by attacking the "grubs" that attract it. We must go after our self-sufficiency and irreverence (Pr 3:5, 6, 7, 8). We have to treat our evil and foolish ways with a strong application of divine wisdom and understanding (Pr 3:13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18). Then and only then will fear lose its grip. What's important is to know the real problem so that we can work on it. When it comes to fear, we must make wise decisions based on God's Word and build a love-trust relationship with Christ. That's what it takes to get rid of the "grubs."Mart De Haan Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

When you are deeply troubled By fear and inward doubt, Strive to do what pleases God, And He will lead you out. Lloyd Keep your eyes on God and you'll soon lose sight of your fears. Proverbs 3:23 Avoid that Slip Spurgeon - Faith's Checkbook THAT is to say, if we follow the ways of wisdom and holiness, we shall be preserved in them. He who travels by daylight along the highway is under some protection. There is a way for every man, namely, his own proper calling in life; and if we devoutly walk therein in the fear of God, He will preserve us from evil. We may not travel luxuriously, but we shall walk safely. We may not be able to run like young men, but we shall be able to walk like good men. Our greatest danger lies in ourselves: our feeble foot is so sadly apt to stumble. Let us ask for more moral strength that our tendency to slip may be overcome. Some stumble because they do not see the stone in the way: divine grace enables us to perceive sin and so to avoid it. Let us plead this promise and trust in Him who upholds His chosen. Alas! our worst peril is our own carelessness, but against this the Lord Jesus has put us on our guard, saying, Watch and pray. Oh, for grace to walk this day without a single stumble! It is not enough that we do not actually fall; our cry should be that we may not make the smallest slip with our feet, but may at the last adore Him who is able to keep us from stumbling. Proverbs 3:24 Refreshing Sleep Spurgeon - Faith's Checkbook IS the reader likely to be confined for a while to the bed by sickness? Let him go upstairs without distress with this promise upon his heart: When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid. When we go to bed at night, let this word smooth our pillow. We cannot guard ourselves in sleep, but the Lord will keep us through the night. Those who lie down under the protection of the Lord are as secure as kings and queens in their palaces, and a great deal more so. If with our lying down, there is a laying down of all cares and ambitions, we shall get refreshment out of our beds such as the anxious and covetous never find in theirs. Ill dreams shall be banished, or even if they come, we shall wipe out the impression of them, knowing that they are only dreams. If we sleep thus we shall do well. How sweetly Peter slept when even the angels light did not wake him, and he needed a hard jog in the side to wake him up. And yet he was sentenced to die on the morrow. Thus have martyrs slept before their burning. So he giveth his beloved sleep. To have sweet sleep we must have sweet lives, sweet tempers, sweet meditations, and sweet love. Proverbs 3:25 STAY AT YOUR POST Eric was stunned by the certified letter he received. He had been fired! His record with the

company was good, and the reasons given for his dismissal were without substance. As he related his story to me, Eric explained, "I said to myself, 'Don't panic. Think this through. How would God have me respond?'" After praying and consulting a Christian lawyer, Eric felt that God was leading him to apply the truth of today's text to his situation. So he stayed at his post and continued to see clients and place orders. To meet his financial needs, he drew on his personal reserves. Company officials were unprepared to deal with someone who kept at his job after being dropped from the payroll. Eight months later, the president offered Eric a new contract with the best terms ever. Not everyone can or should do what Eric did. But we can learn from his example. We don't need to be "afraid of sudden terror" (Prov. 3:25). We don't need to panic. When a trial turns our life upside down, we can "stay at our post" by seeking God's wisdom through prayer, Scripture, and mature Christian counsel. We can resist despair, remain confident that God is at work, and continue doing what is right and good. God will do the rest. -- Dennis J. De Haan Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved) When through life's darkened maze I go And troubles overwhelm my soul, Oh, grant me, Lord, Your grace to know That You are surely in control. -- DJD A crisis cannot break the one who relies on God's strength. Proverbs 3:2526 Presence of Mind Spurgeon - Faith's Checkbook WHEN God is abroad in judgments, He would not have His people alarmed. He has not come forth to harm, but to defend the righteous. He would have them manifest courage. We who enjoy the presence of God ought to display presence of mind. Since the Lord Himself may suddenly come, we ought not to be surprised at anything sudden. Serenity under the rush and roar of unexpected evils is a precious gift of divine love. The Lord would have His chosen display discrimination, so that they may see that the desolation of the wicked is not a real calamity to the universe. Sin alone is evil; the punishment which follows thereupon is as a preserving salt to keep society from putrefying. We should be far more shocked at the sin which deserves hell, than at the hell which comes out of sin. So, too, should the Lords people exhibit great quietness of spirit. Satan and his serpent seed are full of all subtlety; but those who walk with God shall not be taken in their deceitful snares. Go on, believer in Jesus, and let the Lord be thy confidence. Proverbs 3:27 My Two Cents - Our Daily Bread Proverbs 3:27 Have We Learned- Our Daily Bread Proverbs 3:33 Home Blessings Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook

HE fears the Lord, and therefore he comes under the divine protection even as to the roof which covers himself and his family. His home is an abode of love, a school of holy training, and a place of heavenly light. In it, there is a family altar where the name of the Lord is daily had in reverence. Therefore the Lord blesses his habitation. It may be a humble cottage or a lordly mansion; but the Lords blessing comes because of the character of the inhabitant, and not because of the size of the dwelling. That house is most blest in which the master and mistress are God-fearing people; but a son or daughter or even a servant may bring a blessing on a whole household. The Lord often preserves, prospers, and provides for a family for the sake of one or two in it who are just persons in His esteem, because His grace has made them so. Beloved, let us have Jesus for our constant guest even as the sisters of Bethany had, and then we shall be blessed indeed. Let us look to it that in all things we are just: in our trade, in our judgment of others, in our treatment of neighbors, and in our own personal character. A just God cannot bless unjust transactions. Proverbs 3:33 Family First - Our Daily Bread