Give Attention! (Proverbs 4 Part 1)

If I was to give a title to Proverbs 4 it would be "Give Attention!". Solomon starts off telling a story about the wisdom he received from his father King David. King David had his flaws like we all do, but the advice that Solomon is describing to us is coming from one of the greatest kings in Israel's history. A man whom the Bible calls, a man after God's own heart. In fact, the majority of the Old Testament is about him, and his lineage. He was a great warrior, lead an army of incredible war hero's, wrote the majority of the Psalms, and I believe He walked with God in a deep intimacy that very few people experience. His love letters to God in Psalms are still being sung and played by modern worship in 2018, and I'm sure the words and passion will keep being sung from generation to generation.

The Bible calls Solomon, King David's son, the wisest man to ever live. It says, that there was none like him before nor will there be after. So when Solomon says, "GIVE ATTENTION!". We'd probably be wise to listen. Listen to how Proverbs 4 begins.

"Hear, my children, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding; For I give you good doctrine: Do not forsake my law." Prov. 4:1-2

Solomon is opening by saying listen up, I'm about to give you some good teaching from my dad a true father. Solomon is urging us to pay attention to what he's about to say. 

"When I was my father's son, tender and the only one in the sight of my mother(Bathsheba), He also taught me, and said to me: "Keep my commands and live. Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor tun away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her(wisdom & understanding), and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you. Wisdom is the principle thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. Exalt her, and she will promote you; She will bring you honor, when you embrace her. She will place on your head an ornament of grace; A crown of glory she will deliver to you." Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of your life will be many, I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hindered. And when you run, you will not stumble. Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; Keep her, for she is your life."  Proverbs 4:3-13

I love this passage because it's like King David is passing onto his heir the new king of Israel what he needs to do to be successful. One of the greatest men to walk the earth, passing onto his son who would go on to become the wisest and most powerful men on the earth in his time. As I was writing this it made me realize that it was no accident that Solomon chose wisdom when asked by God, "Ask! What shall I give you?" Solomon asked for wisdom and understanding because of his father David's instruction. 

1 Kings 2 describes the death of David, and Solomon taking the throne. 1 Kings 2:13 reads, "Then Solomon sat on the throne of his father David; and his kingdom was firmly established." "And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David...He went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices to the LORD, and God appeared to him in a dream and God said, "Ask! what shall I give you?" And Solomon said, "Give to your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?" This pleased God so much because Solomon didn't ask for wealth, riches, long life, or the life of his enemies. God said, I will give you the wise and understanding heart like you've asked, but I will also give you the things you didn't ask for (i.e. long life, wealth, riches, and honor). 1 Kings 3: 3-14 

The rest is history. The nation of Israel never experienced such wealth, world influence, power, and peace than under King Solomon before or since. It stands to reason that we ourselves would do well to heed the advise, and GIVE ATTENTION to King David and King Solomon when they say, Get Wisdom! Get Understanding! Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; Keep her for she is your life. 

I read recently. "Wisdom is knowing the truth and how to apply it to any given situation; Understanding is Knowledge seasoned and modified by wisdom." I am keyed in on "Wisdom is knowing the truth." Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. In other words, if wisdom is knowing the truth then we have to know Jesus if we desire wisdom because HE is TRUTH. Truth is a person in Jesus Christ. I have good news for everyone. More importantly than the access we have to reading Proverbs and about King David and King Solomon we have access to King Jesus. King Jesus is much wiser than King Solomon, and King Jesus is alive. There has never been nor will there be any like King Jesus. He died for us on a cross, and made a way for us to be brought near to God the Father. We're no longer far off, but we've been brought near through His blood. Give Attention! Jesus is Wisdom! In all your getting, get Jesus!

Inherit Glory (Proverbs 3)

"Guidance for the Young" is the title of Proverbs 3 in my Bible. I know I'll be 40 this year, but in the scheme of eternity...I'm still young and definitely need guidance. I think we all can say that no matter how old we are this side of the dirt. This chapter of the Bible has really been one of the most influential chapters of the whole Bible personally the past 25 years. Really since I started reading the Bible on my own at 15 years old. It will probably continue to be a chapter that I keep coming back to throughout the rest of my life. It's really helped me through some tough times when I needed direction and guidance in my life. If we would follow the instruction of this chapter, I believe we'd find a long life full of peace, divine direction, health, favor, glory, blessing, and a legacy to follow us into eternity. In fact, that's exactly how the chapter begins.

"My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands, For length of days and long life and peace they will add to you; Bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man." Prov. 3:1-4

If you notice it all hinges on keeping the commands and law of God in your heart. A scripture that really drives this whole point home is found in Psalm 119:9-11 "How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought you; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You." The heart is central. When we seek God with all our inner man, and make Him our center then keeping His commands will not be burdensome. Obedience will flow out of our heart naturally. In Proverbs 3:5-6 the theme of the heart continues to trust in the LORD with all our heart, and to not lean on our own understanding; In all our ways to acknowledge Him, and He shall direct our paths." Our heart can get easily sidetracked in life, and can be misleading IF it's not guarded and IF we ARE leaning on our own understanding. The Bible actually says the heart is deceitful in Jeremiah, but the Bible also says in the New Covenant He will take away our heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh. He will put a new heart, and a new Spirit within us. In Proverbs 4, the word tells us to Guard our heart ABOVE ALL ELSE for out of it flows the well spring of life. One of the main ways we guard our heart is by hiding the word in our heart, and staying close to a community of believers to fight with us that will also help guard your heart by praying and encouraging you in your faith. I absolutely love the encouragement of verse 6 that God says if we acknowledge Him in all your ways, He will direct our paths. I mean that's pretty incredible. The Word "ways" in that verse can also be translated "days" in the Hebrew. It's like saying if we acknowledge God daily, He will direct and make our paths straight as we go through each new day. I don't know about you, but I desperately need His divine guidance everyday. Another word that I want to go deeper into is this word "acknowledge". It's meaning is a whole lot deeper than walking by someone on the street, and saying, "What's up?" acknowledging you see them as you pass by. It's Hebrew word is "Yada", meaning direct intimate contact. If you truly look into the meaning of this scripture, it could read like this, In all our days if we remain in direct intimate contact with God, God promises to direct our paths. We need to daily derive our strength from God because each new day brings with it new challenges, and traps from the enemy and evil desires of our flesh.

The below passage out of chapter 3 really stood out to me like never before.

"The wise shall inherit glory, But shame shall be the legacy of fools." Proverbs 3:35

If we are wise we will keep direct intimate contact with God each day, we will inherit glory because God is leading us where He wants us to go. But if for some reason we're not guarding our heart our fleshly desires can lead us where they want us to go, and then shame can and will be our legacy. If we're not intimate with Jesus, we're going to be intimate with something or someone else. James says it best, "Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when He is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire is conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death." James 1:13-15

The Bible tells us that the wise will inherit glory, but shame will be our legacy if we are fools. All throughout Proverbs you will read comparisons to the foolish, and the wise. I looked up the definition of inheritance and here is what it said, "Something that is or may be inherited. Property passing at the owner's death to the heir or those entitled to succeed; legacy." Also "genetic characteristics transmitted from parent to offspring." I was thinking about this definition, and how it relates to the scriptures above, and to Jesus and us. Another scripture came to my mind as well in Romans, "For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by who we cry out, "Abba, Father." The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we also be glorified together. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us." Romans 8:15-18 This is so great. God through His son, Jesus, adopted us into His family. He's our Father! So what does that mean? It means we're heir's with Christ, and God is our Father. We have unlimited access to our daddy with His unlimited resources, and blessings. We're adopted, and we're children of God.We have inherited Christ's genetics! Whatever we're going through in life right now isn't going to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in us. Let's hold fast our hope. Let's fight the good fight of faith! Everything we need is found in Jesus.  In Christ there is no want, or lack! There is only long life peace, love, joy, divine direction, health, favor, glory, blessing, and a legacy that will follow us into eternity. The wise shall inherit glory, and our inheritance and our glory is found in Christ. I think this scripture will drive it all home!

"In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory." Eph. 1:11-14.

Be encouraged! WE ARE SEALED with the Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance! It's guaranteed baby!