Proverbs – Life Skills
God led me to this study of Proverbs. He is using His Word, (He does that!), a Proverb a day, to help me navigate what is going on in our world right now and specifically in our community. God is leading me to listen more to what HE wants and how HE wants me to behave. God is opening my mind and helping me to assume nothing.
God is love, not hate. He hates the behavior of those who live hate. Why? Because He knows that when we hate, we suffer. He knows that hate has no place in His Kingdom, therefore those who hate will not reside there.
Hate cannot coexist with His created purpose for us. He wants His best for us and for all the other believers around us. But, alas, we seem to be driven to all that is not His best. Fools hate. Fools say there is no God. Fools assume the worst in others. Fools only love themselves. Fools do not listen to anyone but themselves and other fools. Evil drives fools to eternal destruction. It is a quick, easy trip.
God is wisdom. Jesus displayed God’s wisdom. Jesus is wisdom. Wisdom shows us the path to understanding all that God is and all that God wants to give His children who believe Him. Wisdom gives insight that trumps our human assumptions of what we think is really going on around us.Evil is using our current circumstances, corruption, seeds of hate already planted in men and women, and our deeply rooted impatience that quickly leads to anger, to more hate and violence for Satan’s glory and our destruction. Satan, the fallen angel, wants to be the god in our lives. He wants to play with our closed minds and hard hearts until we die and are of no use to him any longer. He is not love. He is not life. He is only death. He is limited in power.
God is using all the above circumstances to turn hearts to Him. He is declaring that He is God and we are not. God delights in all the details of our lives because He loves us. He created us. He wants to give us His best. Every one of us! God is using these same life situations to bring our attention to our own sins that we have passed off as trivial or “that’s just how life works”. God is causing us to repent, love from the inside out and rise up against all that is not God.Hate, pride, foolishness, prejudice, selfishness is not God.
Proverb 14, The Message
A Way That Leads to Hell
Lady Wisdom builds a lovely home; Sir Fool comes along and tears it down brick by brick.
2 An honest life shows respect for God;
a degenerate life is a slap in his face.
3 Frivolous talk provokes a derisive smile;
wise speech evokes nothing but respect.
4 No cattle, no crops;
a good harvest requires a strong ox for the plow.
5 A true witness never lies;
a false witness makes a business of it.
6 Cynics look high and low for wisdom—and never find it; the open-minded find it right on their doorstep!
7 Escape quickly from the company of fools;
they’re a waste of your time, a waste of your words.
8 The wisdom of the wise keeps life on track;
the foolishness of fools lands them in the ditch.
9 The stupid ridicule right and wrong,
but a moral life is a favored life.
10 The person who shuns the bitter moments of friends
will be an outsider at their celebrations.
11 Lives of careless wrongdoing are tumbledown shacks;
holy living builds soaring cathedrals.
12-13 There’s a way of life that looks harmless enough;
look again—it leads straight to hell.
Sure, those people appear to be having a good time,
but all that laughter will end in heartbreak.
Sift and Weigh Every Word
14 A mean person gets paid back in meanness, a gracious person in grace.
15 The gullible believe anything they’re told;
the prudent sift and weigh every word.
16 The wise watch their steps and avoid evil;
fools are headstrong and reckless.
17 The hotheaded do things they’ll later regret;
the coldhearted get the cold shoulder.
18 Foolish dreamers live in a world of illusion;
wise realists plant their feet on the ground.
19 Eventually, evil will pay tribute to good; the wicked will respect God-loyal people.
20 An unlucky loser is shunned by all,
but everyone loves a winner.
21 It’s criminal to ignore a neighbor in need,
but compassion for the poor—what a blessing!
22 Isn’t it obvious that conspirators lose out,
while the thoughtful win love and trust?
23 Hard work always pays off;
mere talk puts no bread on the table.
24 The wise accumulate wisdom;
fools get stupider by the day.
25 Souls are saved by truthful witness and betrayed by the spread of lies.
26 The Fear-of-God builds up confidence,
and makes a world safe for your children.
27 The Fear-of-God is a spring of living water
so you won’t go off drinking from poisoned wells.
28 The mark of a good leader is loyal followers;
leadership is nothing without a following.
29 Slowness to anger makes for deep understanding;
a quick-tempered person stockpiles stupidity.
30 A sound mind makes for a robust body,
but runaway emotions corrode the bones.
31 You insult your Maker when you exploit the powerless;
when you’re kind to the poor, you honor God.
32 The evil of bad people leaves them out in the cold;
the integrity of good people creates a safe place for living.
33 Lady Wisdom is at home in an understanding heart—
fools never even get to say hello.
34 God-devotion makes a country strong;
God-avoidance leaves people weak.
35 Diligent work gets a warm commendation;
shiftless work earns an angry rebuke.
ANOTHER THOUGHT…
The more we pause to realize the incredible, unconditional, relentless love God has for us, only then will we begin to love like He loves.
We have learned in our wisdom study that the fear (respect and awe) of the Lord brings understanding. May our fear of God bring on the knowledge of His deep, passionate love for all of us.
May we then love like His loves us. Love God. Love each other. The two greatest commandments of God says Jesus when asked. Jesus clarified our love for each other; “love like I have loved you.” Jesus willingly laid down His life for us. Love like that. (See Phil 2) We love like that when we lay down what we want and run after what God wants. We love like that when others interests and situations lead us be there for them without thinking of our own lives. We love like that when we see others like God sees them. We love like that when we seek to understand and avoid mindless advice to “fix it”.
“Lady Wisdom is at home in an understanding heart—
fools never even get to say hello.”
Love leads to Life, the Life God intended for His created to live from the beginning of Creation. Seek wisdom that comes from God’s heart of love.
HOLY PAUSEReread this proverb and list all the ways we honor God with our hearts, minds and souls and ultimately our behavior.
Do you discover that life is not about you but about God? And others?
How open minded are we? Right now? Seriously.
“Cynics look high and low for wisdom—and never find it;
the open-minded find it right on their doorstep!”
Dear Lord and Savior,
When I look to you first each morning, all my assumptions about life and others melt away. When I seek wisdom and ask for your insight, you give it. Help me to think more like you think so I will walk in your ways and teaching. You are God and I am not. I need your help every hour of every day.
Thank you for Your Presence that calms my earthly fears and settles my soul. Thank you, dear Jesus, for saving our souls. Thank you for being the way to an intimate, loving relationship with you. Help us to listen to You, hearing Your voice above all others. Then give us boldness and courage to obey quickly.
In Jesus Name, Amen
Proverbs – Life Skills
God says, “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8, NIV) Jesus, being God in human form, was the example of what pleases God in our walk, so by walking and talking like Jesus, with a sincere heart to please God, God is pleased. 
Intelligent children listen to their parents;
7 A pretentious, showy life is an empty life;
15 Sound thinking makes for gracious living,
20 Become wise by walking with the wise;
HOLY PAUSE
So how’s our walk? It depends on our relationship with God.
Our walk matters to God.
Proverbs – Life Skills
Proverbs 12, The Message
17 Truthful witness by a good person clears the air,
24 The diligent find freedom in their work;
WHAT WE LEARN…
Paul was a learner. He became a true learner when he met Christ on the road to Damacus. Jesus told him what he didn’t know and led him to salvation. It was only then did the know-it-all religious leader become the humble learner who began a loving relationship with Jesus. It was then that Paul began to learn all that Jesus wanted to teach him. Paul passed on this knowledge of Christ to others who were taught to learn as well as to pass this learning on to others. (See also 2 Timothy 2:2)
Proverbs – Life Skills
Proverbs 11, The Message
4 A thick bankroll is no help when life falls apart,
10 When it goes well for good people, the whole town cheers;
13 A gadabout gossip can’t be trusted with a secret,
17 When you’re kind to others, you help yourself;
20 God can’t stand deceivers,
24 The world of the generous gets larger and larger;
28 A life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump;
HOLY PAUSE
What happens when we follow God’s voice? What happens when we don’t?
Meditate on God’s Word. Read it, chew on it, ask God what His words mean for you. Meditation lets God speak to us!
Wise son, glad father;
7 A good and honest life is a blessed memorial;
11 The mouth of a good person is a deep, life-giving well,
The Road to Life Is a Disciplined Life
19 The more talk, the less truth;
Fear-of-God Expands Your Life
29 God is solid backing to a well-lived life,
With all the outcomes of both choices presented clearly, which choice are we following. We need to daily evaluate where we are and who we are following. 
GET SMART!
But in the end, Smart got the girl and solved the case, putting the enemy where he belonged…in jail forever.
Choose wisely. Live skillfully. The result, according to Jesus is life and more life. This is what is called “abundant, expectant living”! This is love unending, joy unspeakable and full of God’s glory with the precious gift of peace that only Jesus can give. Smart or stupid?
When we have Jesus on our minds, in our hearts, with His Holy Spirit filling our souls we realize that the entire inspired work of God’s Word is about Jesus. For the beginning to the end, Jesus is the Alpha and Omega! John clearly reveals Jesus to us when he writes with God-driven inspiration as a personal eye witness;
We must read every word of our Bibles, God’s word to us as a love letter, knowing that it is about the God “who so loves”, Who sent Jesus, His Son to save us, and Who wants a relationship that gives us real life forever.
7-12 If you reason with an arrogant cynic, you’ll get slapped in the face;
It’s through me, Lady Wisdom, that your life deepens,
Madame Whore Calls Out, Too
Life forever or Hell? Who do we choose to spend eternity? Who do we give our hearts, minds and souls to now?
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:1-3, NIV
Psalm 23
You prepare a table before me
Proverbs – Life Skills
1-11 Do you hear Lady Wisdom calling?
I’m telling you how to live at your best.
Prefer my life-disciplines over chasing after money,
Good counsel and common sense are my characteristics;
22-31 “God sovereignly made me—the first, the basic—
I was right there with him, making sure everything fit.
32-36 “So, my dear friends, listen carefully;
When we find and follow Jesus, we find wisdom, we find life!
Marriages come under attack daily, almost hourly! It is up to us to guard our hearts, minds and souls as we protect the sanctity of our vows made in front of God to each other. It is so easy to be swept away into the temptations of this world. Remember, the enemy (the Temptress) as presented in this proverb is always “dressed to kill” with a goal to destroy all relationships that are good in the eyes of God. God is the enemy of The Temptress. He wants all that God deems pure and holy destroyed.
Proverbs 7, The Message
13-20 She threw her arms around him and kissed him,
24-27 So, friends, listen to me,
Don’t be fooled by others who wear masks of hypocrisy and try to lure you into sin with them. Don’t be the one who lures others into sins you enjoy just so you have validation. Here is a final story that helps us to understand what it means to “put on”Jesus as Paul tells along with “clothe” ourselves with Christ. 
Becoming like Christ is analogous to this. Go ahead and put on Christ. At first it may feel unnatural or uncomfortable, and maybe you may think, “Who am I trying to fool?” But everyday just keep putting on Christ and everyday you will grow to look more like him.
So Paul, what are you wearing? He tells us in God’s Word…even at 3am!
If we are ever confused about what God wants and what His purpose is for our lives, we will find clarity in this proverb of wisdom. We see clearly what behaviors God hates in His created. We find out that living brainlessly, haphazard lives leads to falling for anything evil that comes along. 
The next section reminds us to plan your work and work your plan so your family is cared for in the “winters” of life. One of our purposes in life is to find work that sustains us, grows and matures us and satisfies our longing to contribute to our world.
The wisdom writes tells us plainly the behaviors God hates. When we think about it, we don’t like this in ourselves or others either. When we look closely, these behaviors are the opposite of God’s character, displayed in Jesus, of trust, unconditional love, serving others first, peace, joy, mercy, honesty, with compassionate eyes of grace for all. 
A Lesson from the Ant
24-35 They’ll protect you from wanton women,
Touch her and you’ll pay for it. No excuses.
Follow the Light. 
7-14 So, my friend, listen closely;
Never take what has been given to you in holy matrimony for granted. In trying times, and there will be plenty, remember your first love, recall what drew you together in the first days of flirting with each other. Agree on love for God and for each other at all costs. 
