Proverbial Wisdom—6:20-29

My son, obey your father's commands, and don't neglect your mother's teaching. Keep their words always in your heart. Tie them around your neck. Wherever you walk, their counsel can lead you. When you sleep, they will protect you. When you wake up in the morning, they will advise you. For these commands and this teaching are a lamp to light the way ahead of you. The correction of discipline is the way to life.

These commands and this teaching will keep you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of an adulterous woman. Don't lust for her beauty. Don't let her coyness seduce you. For a prostitute will bring you to poverty, and sleeping with another man's wife may cost you your very life. Can a man scoop fire into his lap and not be burned? Can he walk on hot coals and not blister his feet? So it is with the man who sleeps with another man's wife. He who embraces her will not go unpunished.

Excuses might be found for a thief who steals because he is starving. But if he is caught, he will be fined seven times as much as he stole, even if it means selling everything in his house to pay it back. But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool, for he destroys his own soul. Wounds and constant disgrace are his lot. His shame will never be erased.  For the woman's husband will be furious in his jealousy, and he will have no mercy in his day of vengeance. There is no compensation or bribe that will satisfy him.

Proverbs 6:20-35 (NLT)

Keep your heavenly Father’s commands close to your heart for He will never lead you wrong. Heed His Word and follow His Spirit. He will keep watch over you at night and protect you during the day.

Of course, the preceding paragraph is only applicable to those who have accepted Jesus Christ as both their Lord and Savior; thus, making God their Father.  “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:97).

Let God’s Word be a light unto your path, leading and guiding you throughout the rest of your days. Meditate upon His Word as you lay upon your bed at night. Feast upon His Word early in the morning. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments” (Psalm 119:105-106).

Men, keep your feet far from the adulterous woman and do not lust after her beauty. Let not her flattering tongue of seduction entice you into her web of destruction. Succumbing to the allure of an adulterous woman will destroy your soul, so stay far away. Protect yourself by heeding God’s warnings!

“I discovered that a seductive woman is more bitter than death. Her passion is a trap, and her soft hands will bind you. Those who please God will escape from her, but sinners will be caught in her snare” (Ecclesiastes 7:26, NLT).

Sex sins destroy. Jack Hayford wrote the following, “The first and foundational reason why sex sins are worse than others is because sex sins stain the root of an individual’s identity (Fatal Attractions – Why Sex Sins Are Worse Than Others).  

God does not hate sex sins more than any other sin. But sex sins often are more demeaning and devastating. Many times, these types of sins have farther-reaching and longer-lasting consequences than other sins. People’s personal identities and their positive self-images can become lost under a pile of sexual pollution. Those lost identities and damaged self-images are difficult to heal.

Raunchy Hollywood, best-selling novels, musical lyrics, and even some worldly churches treat sex sins as common and normal, when those very things can destroy your life. You can become desensitized and lose the “blush factor”; thereby, accepting abnormal behavior as normal behavior. Sex sins are not acceptable and those sins will bring dreadful consequences.

Marital infidelity breaks the bond of trust between spouses. That is a sacred trust, one that was originally created and ordained by God. The shattering of that type of trust should not be treated lightly. God says of the foolish man, “His shame will never be erased” (Verse 33).

Satan encourages you to break God’s laws, including the matrimonial design for one man and one woman. Satan, that wicked fallen angel, will entice you to break vows and cheapen the matrimonial union by a selfish act of the flesh. He will attack you through the lust of your eyes and by the lust of your flesh. And if along the way, he can cause you to demoralize another person as well as yourself, he has succeeded in planting his seed of destruction. Don’t scoop that fire into your lap—you WILL be burned.

Matthew Henry writes in his Bible Commentary, “It will be a wound to his good name, a dishonor to his family, and, though the guilt of it may be done away by repentance, the reproach of it never will, but will stick to his memory when he is gone. David’s sin in the matter of Uriah was not only a perpetual blemish upon his own character, but gave occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme His name too.”

Readers, do not look longingly upon the wicked ways of this world. Do not be enticed by the allure of sin. The fleeting seduction of sin can lead to the eternal death of your soul. Turn from that wicked harlot.

You have heard that the law of Moses says, “Do not commit adultery.” But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust in his eye has already committed adultery with her in his heart. So if your eye—even if it is your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.  And if your hand—even if it is your stronger hand—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

Matthew 5:27-30 (NLT)

Three Key Concepts:

1.  Keeping God’s commands will protect your soul.

2.  Sex sins are often the most demeaning and devastating types of sins.

3.  Continual bombarding by sin can cause people to lose the “blush factor.”

Proverbial Wisdom – 6:12-19

Here is a description of worthless and wicked people: They are constant liars, signaling their true intentions to their friends by making signs with their eyes and feet and fingers.  Their perverted hearts plot evil. They stir up trouble constantly.  But they will be destroyed suddenly, broken beyond all hope of healing.

There are six things the Lord hates--no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord among brothers.

Proverbs 6:12-19 (NLT)

Wow, this is a tough bible study. While it’s always fun to hear about God’s promises of blessings, it is never fun to hear about the consequences of sin. But let’s face it; if we do not accept Jesus Christ as both our LORD and Savior, then we may qualify as these worthless and wicked people who will be broken and destroyed.

Lord, help us to understand Your ways and may we always surrender our hearts, minds and souls to Your merciful refining fire. Amen.

It is important to know what God considers worthless and wicked. Then if we discover any of these behaviors slipping into our own lives, immediately we can stop, bow down, and repent. In addition, we should check the behaviors of our closest friends and make sure that none of them qualifies as worthless and wicked. “My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them!” (Proverbs 1:10).

Close friendships with worthless and wicked people can contaminate our Christian walk. We are set apart for our Lord and we are not to partner with the wicked world. Therefore, we must be careful whom we allow into our innermost circle of friends.

God says that worthless and wicked people constantly lie; they plan evil and they do evil. “How terrible it will be for you who lie awake at night, thinking up evil plans. You rise at dawn and hurry to carry out any of the wicked schemes you have power to accomplish. When you want a certain piece of land, you find a way to seize it. When you want someone's house, you take it by fraud and violence. No one's family or inheritance is safe with you around!  But this is what the Lord says: ‘I will reward your evil with evil; you won't be able to escape! After I am through with you, none of you will ever again walk proudly in the streets’" (Micah 2:1-3, NLT).

All I can say is that the end of the wicked will not be well! Let’s be wise and allow our fear of the Lord guide our tongues, our thoughts, and our actions. We must refuse all evil!

Now, let’s move on to look at the seven things that the Lord despises: haughty eyes, lies, murdering hands, evil plots, people who do wrong, false witnesses, and those who sow discord. Six of these things God hates and seven He despises. Thus, a life characterized by these behaviors will be a life that will face a terrible end.

One of the things that God hates is “hands that kill the innocent.”  This is a controversial topic in our world today.

Think about a few things. Do the hands that kill the innocent include ladies who have abortions? What about the doctors who perform the abortions, do they qualify as hands that kill the innocent? Could this even include the ones who decided that it was legal to kill innocent fetuses?  Maybe, it includes all the people who assist the doctors in performing abortions. What will we do if our government attempts to override our right to live by our Christian faith? That time is getting closer.

Not only must we refuse to do evil, but we should also hate evil. We, as holy children of God, must become so close to God that we love what is holy and we hate what is evil. Yes, I did say hate.

Too many times, we are tempted to put on a smug robe of self-righteousness. We may say that we are so much like God that we love everything. But that kind of statement only proves that we are not like God. If we were truly like Him, we would hate some things, and this lesson identifies some of those things that we should hate.

“You love what is right and hate what is wrong. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else” (Psalm 45:7).

We are to love what is right, but hate what is wrong. David, a man after God’s own heart understood this and he said, “I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar. I hate all crooked dealings; I will have nothing to do with them. I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil. I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors. I will not endure conceit and pride” (Psalm 101:3-5).

We made it through this lesson, maybe with a few cuts and bruises; nevertheless, we should be a bit wiser. We don’t have to be imprisoned by these types of wicked behaviors, because God has provided a way that we can be free. Moreover, if we wish to have eternal life in heaven with the Lord, we must be freed.

Have you been set free?

My hands have made both heaven and earth, and they are mine. I, the Lord, have spoken! ‘I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word. But those who choose their own ways, delighting in their sins, are cursed. Their offerings will not be accepted.

Isaiah 66:2-3 (NLT)

Three Key Concepts:

1. God considers some things worthless and wicked.

2. God hates and despises hands that kill the innocent.

3. There are things that we should love and things that we should hate.

Proverbial Wisdom – 6:6-11

Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and be wise! Even though they have no prince, governor, or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter. But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up? I want you to learn this lesson:  A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—and poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.

Proverbs 6:6-11 (NLT)

I could summarize this lesson with one hyphenated word—“Self-Discipline.”  Every once in a while, most people have days when they want to be lazy. I am sure you do to, so come on and admit it…you know it’s true.

Maybe once or twice a month, you have days when you want to sleep in or days when you want to laze around the pool. But for most of us, those lazy days are infrequent. After we have been lazy for a couple of days, normally we jump back into our busy work schedules.

Compare that to a lazybones. A lazy person refuses to have a work schedule—he prefers to make loafing around his full-time job. Idleness is his master.

Unlike the ant, which constantly works and gathers food for the winter, a lazybones thinks that he is overexerting himself when he plans or prepares his next meal. He lacks self-discipline and motivation.

Unless someone is around to oversee and give a lazybones a motivational kick in the rear, a lazybones will never get anything done. Poverty and scarcity will be his fate.

“Solomon, in these verses, addresses himself to the sluggard who loves his ease, lives in idleness, minds no business, sticks to nothing, brings nothing to pass, and in particular manner is careless in the business of religion” (Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible by Matthew Henry).

Unfortunately, when it comes to spiritual growth, there are many lazybones. They only want the milk, because they don’t want to expend the effort to chew on the meat. They lack the self-discipline to study and pray on their own. They do not mature in the Lord because they refuse to seek Him. Spiritual poverty and scarcity will be the fate of the spiritual sluggard.

When the storms of life come rushing in like a flood, a spiritual sluggard will be swept away and drowned. He refuses to expend the effort to reach up and take hold of God’s outstretched hand.

But you, dear reader, are not a spiritual sluggard. Similar to the ant, you have self-discipline and you motivate yourself to seek the Lord. You make the time to read His Word, and you actively listen and heed the voice of the Lord. You are quick to be about the Father’s business, serving Him and serving others. With hope, love, and faith, you plan and prepare for your eternal future. You are a good steward of your Master’s talents.

To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who are unfaithful, even what little they have will be taken away.  Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 25:29-30 (NLT)

Three Key Concepts:

1.  A lazy person will sleep his way into poverty and scarcity.

2.  The wise will observe and learn from the disciplined ant.

3.  Good stewards of the Master’s talents will be motivated to serve the Lord.

Proverbial Wisdom – 6:1-5

My child, if you co-sign a loan for a friend or guarantee the debt of someone you hardly know— if you have trapped yourself by your agreement and are caught by what you said— quick, get out of it if you possibly can! You have placed yourself at your friend's mercy. Now swallow your pride; go and beg to have your name erased. Don't put it off. Do it now!  Don't rest until you do. Save yourself like a deer escaping from a hunter, like a bird fleeing from a net.

Proverbs 6:1-5 (NLT)

In this lesson, we are going to discuss a tidbit of wisdom on responsible money management. Prudent money management causes me, a Certified Public Accountant, to perk my ears up and listen.  So let’s get ready to learn.

Today’s selection of verses, warns us against entering into financial contracts guaranteeing the debts of strangers. We should not guarantee that which we cannot control. If we have no control over it and cannot afford to lose it, then we should not guarantee it.

The money management skill of a stranger is usually beyond our control. Therefore, wisdom tells us not to vouch for a stranger’s debt at the risk of overextending our financial resources. If we do, we might find ourselves at the mercy of an irresponsible debtor.

Too often, we allow inner pride to lead us into making boastful promises. Foolishly, we lend our personal names as a guarantee for a stranger’s behavior. We cannot force people to be wise, nor can we control their actions.  Furthermore, we should never be an enabler of sinful, irresponsible behaviors.

Please don’t misinterpret these verses to justify hard-hearted stinginess, because God encourages us to help people in need. In fact, love dictates that we do what we can to ease the sufferings of other people, especially those who are in the household of faith (Galatians 6:10).

Paul spoke up and he became surety for Onesimus’ debt in Philemon 1:18-19.  “If he has harmed you in any way or stolen anything from you, charge me for it. I, Paul, write this in my own handwriting: ‘I will repay it’” (NLT).

Although we are not to be tight-fisted, we are to be good stewards of God’s money. Yes, everything that we have belongs to God. Thus, we should avoid putting our foot in our mouths by making prideful promises that will waste the gifts that God has bestowed upon us. We need to behave in a financial responsible manner, practicing good stewardship of God’s money.

If you personally have promised to cover a stranger’s debt, humble yourself, go to that individual, and beg to be released you from that obligation.  Do not procrastinate; rather, swallow your pride and do it quickly. Like a bird that flees a net, swiftly fly to be free from the prison of your prideful tongue.

…Do not participate in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.

1 Timothy 5:22 (NLT)

Three Key Concepts:

1.  Allow no inner pride to lead you into boastful promises.

2.  Do not fall into a trap created by a slip of your lips.

3.  Keep yourself pure and never enable sinful behavior.

Proverbial Wisdom – 5:15-23

Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well. Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.  Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee. Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.  Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love. And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?

For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings. His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.  He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

Proverbs 5:15-23 (KJV)

Hello, it’s me again…late as usual. Life can simply get in the way and before you know it, you are weeks behind schedule. I am late with this blog posting and I am sorry. Faithfully, I have been sharing God’s Word with my face-book friends but that is not a valid excuse for letting this weekly blog fade away to a once-in-a-while blog. Forgive me.

Subtly, Satan tosses all sorts of hurdles and roadblocks at you, attempting to slow you down in speaking and sharing God’s Word. Face it, that dastardly devil does not want you to share words of encouragement or strength with other children of God; therefore, he bombards you with all sorts of distractions.

Nevertheless, you, as blood-bought child of God, do not have to trip over any hurdles or roadblocks. Through the power of the most High God, who lives inside of you, you can swiftly clear all of those hurdles without breaking your stride. You know this is true, so keep reminding yourself.

As a reborn child of God, you have a mission. You are to live a holy life through the power of the Lord. Further, you are to help others find that same source of power. Jesus, the Word in flesh form (John 1:14) and the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15), is that source of power. He paid the price for your freedom so stand up and claim that freedom.

Do not become distracted by things in this world. Predetermine in your heart that no matter what comes at you, you WILL faithfully serve the Lord. You will be true to your marriage vows, you will always speak truth, and you will not allow sin to set up residence within your heart.

Love is a choice. Yes, you heard me right. Love and faithfulness is a conscious decision that you make.

I know that many people like to believe otherwise. They want to believe that unconditional love should have conditions. Huh? How does that make sense? It doesn’t!

In fact, the ways of this evil world do not make sense to those who are faithful in the Lord. So leave all of this world’s vain thoughts behind and move up higher in, through, and by God’s Spirit. You do not belong in this world…you are a foreigner. So stop trying to fit in or understand it.

“Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. For the Lord, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the Lord of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously” (Malachi 2:15-16).

When you hear God advising you to take heed to your spirit, you had better pay attention. God hates covering one’s garment with violence. Notice, this violence is not an actual hitting/punching type of violence; rather, it is unfaithfulness and deceitful dealings with your spouse. These things God hates. Yes, He hates!

Take heed to your spirit because those things that you think are hidden are open before God’s eyes.

True believers know that the ways of man are always before the eyes of the Lord. Nothing is hidden from Him. Consistently, Scripture warns us that God sees, He hears, and He knows our actions, our words, and our thoughts. (2 Chronicles 16:9, Job 34:21-22, Jeremiah 16:17 & 32:19)

If you do not take heed to your spirit and thus you choose to ignore God’s commands, you will be ensnared by your own wickedness. You can “...be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). Ropes of strongholds may capture your body, your mind, and your soul. In addition, if you persist in ignoring the commands of God, forsaking all of His instructions, you will destroy yourself. “The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands…” (Psalm 9:16).

But you, dear reader, you are wise. You will heed the Word of the Lord and forsake the wickedness of this world. Through the power of God’s Spirit, you will walk in His righteousness and on towards your heavenly reward. How can you be holy and live holy? You do this with determination and through the power of the Lord’s Spirit.

Learn to fear the Lord…a good dose of healthy fear of the Lord can lead to great wisdom.

For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are. Nothing in all creation can hide from him. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes. This is the God to whom we must explain all that we have done.

Hebrews 4:12-13 (NLT)

 Three Key Concepts:

1.  Be faithful…Be faithful…and, Be faithful.

2.  The wicked become ensnared in their own wickedness.

3.  Nothing is hidden from the Lord; thus, live wisely.

Proverbial Wisdom – 5:1-14

My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding: that thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge. For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: but her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell. Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.

Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth. Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house: lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel: lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger;  and thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, and say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof; and have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me! I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.

Proverbs 5:1-14 (KJV)

Like prior chapters, this chapter begins with, “Hey you, listen up…pay attention!” Of course, that was in my informal rendition of King Solomon’s words.  Whether you “attend unto my wisdom” or you “listen up”, you will benefit from paying attention to this Proverb.

By now, you should realize that you are in a mighty battle for your soul. Satan, that dastardly Prince of Darkness, is condemned to spend an eternity in hell and he is determined to take you with him. But you are wise—you will heed God’s warnings so that you will not fall for Satan’s wicked schemes.

You are putting on the whole armour of God and you are preparing for battle by studying God’s Word (Ephesians 6:11-18). You are listening, you are paying attention, and you are implementing. Yes, not only must you study God’s Word, but you must also implement the Word in your life.

“For if you just listen and don't obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance.  You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like” (James 1:23-24, NLT).

This lesson, Proverbs 5:1-14, warns you to stay away from an immoral woman. Her lips may drip with honey (smooth pleasant words), but her trap will be bitter. Like a spider that weaves a web of sticky silk to catch its prey, the immoral woman weaves a web of sweet seduction to catch her prey. Stay away from her and do not get close enough to cast a shadow upon her door.

Sin is like an immoral woman. It beckons you with sweet promises, enticing you with trickery and lies. Just as Satan tricked Eve with deceitful words, he will also trick you. Once caught in Satan’s web of lies, you soon discover that sin’s consequences can be deadly.

Not only does this world abound with sexual seducers, it also abounds with spiritual seducers. Spiritual seducers, like immoral women, beckon you with sweet promises. These seducers may offer multiple ways to heaven, or they may even be brazen enough to claim that there is no hell. In their foolishness, they deny Christ’s words of warnings.

Some seducers willingly skip over major portions of Scriptures. Since they have not experienced nor do they understand the refining power of God’s Spirit, they may claim that all you have to do is verbalize two little words, “I believe.”  A true belief in something results in affirmative action. If you truly believe, then your actions will affirm that belief. You will bring forth fruit corresponding with your belief (Matthew 3:8).

“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” (James 2:19-20). 

As Jude 1:4-7 warns us, spiritual seducers have entered the church. These seducers increase their offering plates by issuing “hell-free zone cards.” In exchange for your money, they willingly turn God’s grace into licenses to sin. They feed you a doctrine with no strings attached, no obedience needed, and no spiritual rebirth required.  But understand that these deceitful doctrines also contain no light to dispel the darkness, no power to free the prisoner, no ability to transform the wicked, and no authority to resurrect the dead.

“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him” (1 John 2:3-5).

In order to escape a sticky web of sin, you need a Savior. Jesus is that Savior. He is the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15), He is the flesh form of the Word (John 1:14), He is the sacrificial Lamb of God (John 1:36), He is the door leading to the Father (John 10:1), and He is the Way…the only Way (John 14:6).

Since Satan wants to block your path to heaven, you can count on him to throw all sorts of temptations at you. However since you are wise, you will stay away from all tempting sources. Just as you would not walk close to the weak edge of a crumbling cliff, you will not walk close to a weak area of your resistance.

Nope…you are NOT going to let any sin snares trap you!

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

John 3:3, 5-6 (KJV)

Three Key Concepts:

1.  Spiritual seducers will entice the unwary with ear-tinkling doctrines.

2.  To escape a sticky web of sin, you needed a Savior.

3.  You must stay away from sources of temptations.

Proverbial Wisdom – 4:20-27

My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

Proverbs 4:20-27 (KJV)

Surprise—I’m back! You may have wondered if I had fallen off the face of the Earth, or perhaps like Enoch, “…and he was not; for God took him” (Genesis 5:24). I assure you that I am still here, I am healthy, and I am blessed.

As a Certified Public Accountant, I am required to complete forty hours of continuing education every year. Consequently, I have been busy in classes. To meet part of my educational requirements, I took a twenty-four hour self-study course. That course took me a lot longer than twenty-four hours.

I became enthralled with the self-study course. The course was about best accounting practices for businesses and manufacturing entities. That may sound boring to most of you, but I loved the course.

Not only did I read the textbook and the study guide that went with the course, but also I mentally rehearsed when and where to implement these best practices. I visualized putting these practices into use, and in my mind, I identified the problems that could occur and the solutions to those problems. In other words, I studied the practical application of the suggested best accounting practices.

Likewise, in our Christian walk we must study the practical application of the best godly living practices. Our textbook for this life course is the Bible—the anointed Word of God. Not only must we take the time to read the textbook (Bible), but we must also take the time to think through the practical application of what we read.

Praise God, we have an Instructor who gives us continuous feedback as we are studying God’s Word. God’s Spirit, who dwells within His children, enables us to understand His Word. Further, He teaches us the practical application of His Word. But in order to maintain and benefit from this continuous feedback, we must be willing to listen and obey.

Can everyone pick up the Word of God, begin reading the Word, and immediately understand what they read? NO!

Now let me explain. Initially, everyone has the same opportunity to understand; unfortunately, not everyone will truly seek to understand. God says, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8).

Everyone who seeks the Lord in all honesty and truth—will find Him. God will fling open the doors to their understanding; therefore, God is not the problem! The problem is that many people refuse to seek the Lord in honesty or truth.

Their wicked hearts are happy remaining in sin. As such, they have no remorse over their evil deeds. Thus, they refuse to read or hear the Word of the Lord. “For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes THEY have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them” (Matthew 13:15).

On the other hand, for those who have an ear to hear, God’s Word will bring “life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh” (Proverbs 4:22).

Since you are reading this lesson, then I will assume that you have the ears to hear so let’s continue. Proverbs warns us to protect our hearts and to keep our eyes focused on God.  Refuse all evil! Speak no evil, hear no evil, and look at no evil. Do not be enticed by the wickedness in this world.

In Job 31:1, Job said that he had made a covenant with his eyes and refused to look with lust upon a young woman. Job knew that if he did not guard his eyes then he could contaminate his thoughts and his heart. Determinedly, he refused to glance upon anything that could take his eyes off from God.

Similarly, you must refuse to hear, see, or speak any evil that may contaminate your heart. With a holy jealousy for the things of God, set your feet on the straight narrow path towards God. Never looking to the right or to the left, but keep your eyes focus on God.

As suggested by our key verses, you must pay attention to the Word, reflecting on the Word’s practical application in your life. Identify the best godly living practices, and with God’s help, apply those practices. Throughout your day, meditate on the practical application of the best godly living practices. Refuse to flunk this life course. “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalms 119:11).

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.

Psalm 34:11-16 (KJV)

Three Key Concepts:

1. Meditate on the application of the best godly living practices.

2. See no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil.

3. God’s Spirit helps us to understand God’s Word.