Category: Good advice – Proverbs & wisdom

Proverbs 22:6 = saying to teach your children part of the books of wisdom of the Old Testament which also includes Ecclesiastes by Solomon written with the wisdom and experience of old age
Train up a child in the way he should go,
Even when he grows older he will not abandon it.

Wisdom from Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon / Song of Songs. Please SHARE a Proverb or other Biblical quote of advice for today. How does this talk of Jesus in the 21st century? What’s Jesus’ advise for you and me IF He were to use this proverb for our worldly friends and application to our Christian lives in witness to our Lord?

  • Banquet of the King in the House of Wisdom – 4

    Banquet of the King in the House of Wisdom – 4

    No one is established by wickedness

    The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
    They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity;
    there is none who does good. – Psalm 53:1

    Proverbs 12:

    Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
        but he who hates reproof is stupid.
    A good man obtains favor from the Lord,
        but a man of evil devices he condemns.
    No one is established by wickedness,
        but the root of the righteous will never be moved.

    13 An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips,
        but the righteous escapes from trouble.
    14 From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good,
        and the work of a man’s hand comes back to him.
    15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
        but a wise man listens to advice.
    16 The vexation of a fool is known at once,
        but the prudent ignores an insult.
    17 Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence,
        but a false witness utters deceit.
    18 There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts,
        but the tongue of the wise brings healing.


    All the world’s a stage and the powerful are its actors.

    Their scripts are not true however, and their plots are conceived in evil.

    One can hardly discern where to stop when reading the wisdom of the Bible. Yet who among leaders on the world’s stage reads Proverbs, let alone heeds God’s advice?

    Have you ever considered the relationship between wisdom and leadership, between the fool and the wise? Proverbs addresses it.

    God appoints kings and leaders: righteousness confirms their faith, but foolishness troubles their lands.


    21 No ill befalls the righteous,
        but the wicked are filled with trouble.
    22 Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord,
        but those who act faithfully are his delight.
    23 A prudent man conceals knowledge,
        but the heart of fools proclaims folly.

    Do a people set against God not continue to choose rulers who echo our discontent, then turn against them when theirs lies are established?

    Fools will follow a boisterous king

    But the wise keep silent until the mighty fall.

    Proverbs 13:3 Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life;
        he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.

    So many would have their say with contentious and evil words.

    Even in the palaces of the powerful wisdom’s table has no host.


    To be continued…

  • Banquet of the King in the House of Wisdom – 3

    Banquet of the King in the House of Wisdom – 3

    Words of a Wise King or Prudent Messenger

    Pride leads to disgrace,
    but with humility comes wisdom. – Proverbs 11:2 NLT


    Listen, you broadcasters of contention and messengers of alternative truth. Integrity and importance no longer occupy the seat of honor in your palaces!

    Adrian Sjoberg

    Righteous kings and true messengers choose their words well, while evil broadcasts a false balance. Your impudent proclamations and contentious questions weary the ears of the righteous.

    When will wisdom return to the feasts of the leaders of nations and conversation of those subjected to your entertainment news? You stoke the fires of hatred and fuel the frenzies of division.


    Proverbs 11:

    A false balance is an abomination to the Lord,
        but a just weight is his delight.

    Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,
        but righteousness delivers from death.
    The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight,
        but the wicked falls by his own wickedness.
    The righteousness of the upright delivers them,
        but the treacherous are taken captive by their lust.

    Remember Solomon who wrote these words nearly three thousand years ago? He began as a righteous king with good intentions, yet the king fell into sin. A great kingdom fell after having been chosen by God to represent righteousness.

    Great kingdoms of the millennia diminished into discontent and dishonor; for wisdom no longer occupied a seat in their palaces or consideration in the thoughts of their subjects.


    NEWS of the Dayexclusive report

    With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor,
        but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.

    12 Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense,
        but a man of understanding remains silent.
    13 Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets,
        but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.
    14 Where there is no guidance, a people falls,
        but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.

    Hasn’t our focus been drawn to scandal, personalities and unrighteousness? Accusers point to what is evil in their opinion (calling it news) yet never point to righteousness in the eyes of the Lord.

    Media has become the message. Truth, importance and wisdom no longer invade media’s monetary message.


    23 The desire of the righteous ends only in good,
        the expectation of the wicked in wrath.

    28 Whoever trusts in his riches will fall,
    but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.
    29 Whoever troubles his own household will inherit the wind,
    and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.


    Hear this, you evil messengers and rich rulers. It is the LORD who will judge both message and messenger. He will weigh injustice and offset lies.

    A wicked messenger falls into trouble,
    but a faithful envoy brings healing. – Proverbs 13:7

    An evil man seeks only rebellion,
    and a cruel messenger will be sent against him. – Proverbs 17:11

    Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. – John 13:16

    I tell you haughty messengers and arrogant rulers:

    The Lord sits at the gate and sends the true message. He will weigh the words or your mouth and silence the shouts of your rebellion.


    To be continued…

     

  • Banquet of the King in the House of Wisdom – 2

    Banquet of the King in the House of Wisdom – 2

    “Lord, Lord”

    You are about to sit in the presence of the King. Yet with the hearing of the wisdom of the King comes responsibility.

    “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?’ – Luke 6:46

    LUKE 6:49

    “But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”

    Can you sit before the King and heed His words of wisdom?


    The Way of Wisdom

    Proverbs 9:HRH Queen Elizabeth

    Wisdom has built her house,
    She has hewn out her seven pillars…

    She has also furnished her table.

    Forsake foolishness and live,
    And go in the way of understanding.

    “He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself,
    And he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself.
    Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you;
    Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.
    Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
    Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

    10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
    And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.


    Account for your actions

    Do you answer the tweets of a fool? Would you correct this scoffer?

    Does the world recognize a wicked one without you answering a fool?

    Contentious words provoke angry response,

    While silence speaks softly to those who hear.

    A fool speaks loudly and carries no stick.

    The wise one withholds comment from deaf ears..

    What basis have you to judge another? Are you so infallible or have you never transgressed righteousness?

    Learn from the Lord and ask forgiveness for your errors. Fear the LORD! Then you will begin to have wisdom.


    Wisdom of the King

    Earthly kings and leaders have appointed times, yet often they fail. Even Solomon forgot wisdom in his later days. The king’s banquet may become an event of singular honor or delectable cuisine, but wise words nourish the guest of the king’s table.

    Hear just a few morsels of wisdom from King Solomon. My reflections follow, as I invite your consideration.

    Savor wisdom’s words on the pallet of your understanding.

    Feast upon wisdom’s flavor before digesting a proverb as common fast-food.

    Proverbs 10:

    6 Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
    But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.

    I am a sinful man; therefore I will keep silence before the King.

    I recall the actions of so many wicked men and wayward women. We abhor their violence, yet the Lord will judge.


    9 He who walks with integrity walks securely,
    But he who perverts his ways will become known.

    he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
    he is a shield to those who walk in integrity – Proverbs 2:7

    Integrity – completeness, fullness, innocence, simplicity.

    Acting in the Lord’s will, considering my imminent action as simply evil or good. Choosing good before exercising evil in thought, word or misdeed.

    And perversion? We have forgotten it’s meaning in an onslaught of common evil. Perversion twists the truth of righteousness with corruption of the pure and defiance against God. Consider the lives of an evil one:

    The way of peace they do not know,
    and there is no justice in their paths;
    they have made their roads crooked;
    no one who treads on them knows peace. – Isaiah 59:8

    Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity
    than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool. – Proverbs 19:1


    12 Hatred stirs up strife,
    But love covers all sins.

    How we continually hear the news of the world; taunting words of hatred from the lips of arrogant men and unbound women.

    Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. – 1 Peter 4:8

    More than everything, soft words of love and the mirror of time will turn harsh words of hatred into regret.

    More wisdom from Proverbs 10:

    14 Wise people store up knowledge,

    But the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.


    17 He who keeps instruction is in the way of life,
    But he who refuses correction goes astray.

    18 Whoever hides hatred has lying lips,
    And whoever spreads slander is a fool.

    19 In the multitude of words sin is not lacking,
    But he who restrains his lips is wise.

    20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver;
    The heart of the wicked is worth little.
    21 The lips of the righteous feed many,
    But fools die for lack of wisdom.


    The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom,
    and humility comes before honor. – Proverbs 15:33

    Don’t think of Proverbs as only a few pithy sayings by Solomon and other ancient Kings.

    Think of Proverbs as personal advice from the King of kings; then consider your own words and actions.

    Will you be invited to the banquet of the King?


    To be continued…

  • Banquet of the King in the House of Wisdom

    Banquet of the King in the House of Wisdom

    The House of Wisdom

    Does not wisdom cry out,
    And understanding lift up her voice?

    Proverbs 8: NKJV

    6 Listen, for I will speak of excellent things,
    And from the opening of my lips will come right things;
    7 For my mouth will speak truth;
    Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

    8 All the words of my mouth are with righteousness;
    Nothing crooked or perverse is in them.
    9 They are all plain to him who understands,
    And right to those who find knowledge.


    Ah, wisdom, such a rare jewel among riches, a hidden treasure in the palaces of kings.

    Does a son of man in this 21st century even consider her value before proclaiming foolishness?

    O, that a humble King could be found, a son of man with whom wisdom occupies a seat of honor at his banquet.

    15 By me kings reign,
    And rulers decree justice.
    16 By me princes rule, and nobles,
    All the judges of the earth.
    17 I love those who love me,
    And those who seek me diligently will find me.

    Wisdom. A wise ruler surveys the land, chooses the high ground and builds upon a foundation of the Lord’s righteousness. Though cunning may sweep an evil one into a palace on shifting sand, no monument outlasts the wisdom of the Lord.

    In the Beginning

     

    22 “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way,
    Before His works of old.
    23 I have been established from everlasting,
    From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.
    24 When there were no depths I was brought forth,
    When there were no fountains abounding with water.
    25 Before the mountains were settled,
    Before the hills, I was brought forth;
    26 While as yet He had not made the earth or the fields,
    Or the primal dust of the world.
    27 When He prepared the heavens, I was there,
    When He drew a circle on the face of the deep,
    28 When He established the clouds above,
    When He strengthened the fountains of the deep,
    29 When He assigned to the sea its limit,
    So that the waters would not transgress His command,
    When He marked out the foundations of the earth,
    30 Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman;
    And I was daily His delight,
    Rejoicing always before Him,
    31 Rejoicing in His inhabited world,
    And my delight was with the sons of men.


    John 1:

    In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

    10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.


    Proverbs 8:

    33 Hear instruction and be wise,
    And do not disdain it…

    35 For whoever finds me finds life,
    And obtains favor from the Lord;
    36 But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul;
    All those who hate me love death.”


    Do you seek the house of wisdom and will you hear her voice?

    What word of wisdom would you with ears to hear obey?


    To be continued…

     

  • For you will always have the poor – 3

    For you will always have the poor – 3

    For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’ – Deuteronomy 15:11

    Certainly Jesus could have been referring to this command of Moses.

    Thus far we have examined two of the three reports of Jesus telling us that the poor are always with us. (Our Lord means no disrespect.) Before moving on to His point in the anointing with oil and returning to the final quote, let’s take a brief Biblical look at the needy.

    Psalms

    9:18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
    and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.

    10:2 In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;
    let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.

    14:6 You would shame the plans of the poor,
    but the LORD is his refuge.

    113:7 He raises the poor from the dust
    and lifts the needy from the ash heap

    Proverbs

    14:21 Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner,
    but blessed is he who is generous to the poor.

    19:1 Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity
    than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.

    28:6 Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity
    than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.


    Judge rightly between the words of Jesus  and the integrity of the one who remarked that the extravagant anointing of Jesus kept help from the poor.


    “And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” tweet=”Luke 6:20

    Luke 6:30-36

    Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back.

    And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

    30 hour famine - prayer for the poor“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount.

    But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.


    Who has the LORD chosen?

    Has the Lord not chosen the poor, the humble and the least of those among men a His own servants?

    “Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?” tweet=”But you have dishonored the poor man. James 2:5-6a 

    Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. – Colossians 3:12-14


    To be continued…

  • A Word to the Cunning – 3

    God’s plans change hearts

    We have been examining the wisdom of Proverbs and advice to the cunning. An evil man or woman has two choices: continue in cunning evil or turn to the wisdom of the Lord. One such repentant man was Simon the magician. Several men and women never turn back to the Lord. The fool believes that God will not have advice for our own good and an evil person remains adamant in their evil.

    Proverbs 3:

    Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding. – Pro 3:5

    In all your ways acknowledge him,
        and he will make straight your paths.
    Be not wise in your own eyes;
        fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
    It will be healing to your flesh
        and refreshment to your bones.


    • What makes a difference in the heart of a cunning man or woman set on a path of evil?
    • Is craftiness and cunning limited to plans of evil?

    In Egypt a powerful man once rejected by his family and sold as a slave confronted these same brothers when unwittingly they had no more cunning plans to supplant his favor in their family and with God. Joseph revealed the intentions of God to his brothers.

    The other sons of Israel (Jacob) had used cunning deceit in perpetuating the lie of Joseph’s death. Now after knowing both Joseph’s identity and power, the devise another cunning lie to save themselves from the potential retaliation of Joseph after Jacob’s death.

    Genesis 50:

    16 So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died: 17 ‘Say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.”

    What to we see here?

    Both fear of Joseph on their part and contrition; not only fulfillment of a dream Joseph had told them in Canaan, but true acceptance of their youngest brother as their leader. Repentance, finally.

    And Joseph, servant of the Lord, reveals the same heart of the Lord that gave him such cunning dreams of greatness in his early years.

    19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God?

    Gen 50:20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

    21 So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.


    A Cunning Turn from Self to the Lord

    Ahab and Jezebel and Jehoshaphat all meant evil against Elijah. They used every bit of cunning to do evil against the Lord. Unlike Joseph’s brothers, they never did repent.

    The Lord has used many cunning sinners as great evangelists of the Word once they repented. Saul of Tarsus, who cunningly persecuted followers of Jesus stood at the feet of the stoning of Stephen. He repented and turned to the Lord, preaching Christ crucified and risen to his fellow jews and championing the Way to the Gentiles.

    Acts 8:

    But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. 10 They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” 11 And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.

    wolfWe’ve seen the great teachers built up in the slight-of-hand powerful ministry for God. (We don’t really hear much about Jesus other than how He will make us great and powerful and rich and healed.. and all for just sending in your donation or giving a large blessing to the magic of his ministry here in this bright megachurch.

    An egotistical preacher  meets a Spirit-filled Apostle

    12 But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.

    What’s different here? A once-renowned magician-preacher repented and turned back to the Lord Christ in humility. When a leader is no longer ashamed to have a cross in his church, he can become a follower dependent on the Lord Jesus Christ.

    Is that you?

    How cunning are you, dear friend? What is the Lord’s intention for you? Do you suppose your cunning you intended for evil could now be turned by the Lord for good?

    It’s not such a tough choice.

    It would take a fool, not one so wise as you, to choose hell for eternity over the blessings of God in Christ Jesus forever.


    Proverbs 3:

    33 The Lord‘s curse is on the house of the wicked,
        but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous.
    34 Toward the scorners he is scornful,
        but to the humble he gives favor.
    35 The wise will inherit honor,
        but fools get disgrace.

     

Do you SHARE the Gospel by either email or text?