"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GUIDING YOUR HEART WITH WISDOM FROM GOD"
Proverbs 23:19 “Hear, my son, and be wise; And guide your heart in the way.”
Proverbs 23:20 “Do not mix with winebibbers, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat.”
Proverbs 23:21 “For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.”
(Taken from today's reading in the One Year Bible 9/18/14)
Some explanatory thoughts, application, questions, and a prayer:
We know that the book of Proverbs is
God's book of wisdom for us. Through Proverbs the Lord teaches us how to
have His wisdom, and how to put it into practice in our lives.
Sometimes, as in this case, there are two main thoughts, along with an
explanation.
Let's look at God's guidance, and God's explanation for His guidance.
Let's look at God's guidance, and God's explanation for His guidance.
1. We can hear God speak to us.
Proverbs 23:19 “Hear, my son, and be wise; And guide your heart in the way.”
God tells us here,”hear my son”.
He speaks.
He is asking us to listen.
He is our Father, and we are His children.
He wants to give us wisdom.
He speaks.
He is asking us to listen.
He is our Father, and we are His children.
He wants to give us wisdom.
2. We can be wise by receiving God's instruction.
Proverbs 23:19 “Hear, my son, and be wise; And guide your heart in the way.”
God tells us "and be wise”.
That wisdom of heart comes by listening, believing, and applying what God says to us.
God would never guide us into foolishness and destruction.
Quite the opposite.
That wisdom of heart comes by listening, believing, and applying what God says to us.
God would never guide us into foolishness and destruction.
Quite the opposite.
3. We can, through God's wisdom, guide our heart in the way (God's way).
Proverbs 23:19 “Hear, my son, and be wise; And guide your heart in the way.”
So, three things are said here.
Hear my son.
And be wise.
And guide your heart in the way.
Hear my son.
And be wise.
And guide your heart in the way.
This last one, "guide your heart in the way" has to do with our response to what God says.
It's comforting to know that God only asks us what we are able to do.
He is speaking here to our minds, and to our decision making processes.
It's comforting to know that God only asks us what we are able to do.
He is speaking here to our minds, and to our decision making processes.
He is calling us to engage with His Word and to "guide our heart in the way”.
What is the "way”?
It's His way.
And Jesus called Himself the “way the, truth, and the life”.
God is asking us to guide ourselves into, and with, Jesus and what Jesus has for us.
What is the "way”?
It's His way.
And Jesus called Himself the “way the, truth, and the life”.
God is asking us to guide ourselves into, and with, Jesus and what Jesus has for us.
4. We are wise to take God warnings about what is stated here.
Proverbs 23:20 “Do not mix with winebibbers, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat”
Proverbs 23:21 “For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.”
Here's what God says to us.
It's put in the “do not" category.
Avoid these things.
Don't participate in these things.
And, it's put in the "here's why I don't want you to do this” category also.
It's put in the “do not" category.
Avoid these things.
Don't participate in these things.
And, it's put in the "here's why I don't want you to do this” category also.
Don't get involved with drinking, gluttons, which means to flow down, to be worthless, to make light of, to squander.
Here's how it reads in the NLT:
Proverbs 23:20 “Do not carouse with drunkards and gluttons,”
Proverbs 23:21 “for they are on their way to poverty. Too much sleep clothes a person with rags.”
Proverbs 23:20 “Do not carouse with drunkards and gluttons,”
Proverbs 23:21 “for they are on their way to poverty. Too much sleep clothes a person with rags.”
Notice where these people are headed.
And notice what will happen to them.
And notice what will happen to them.
God does not want this to happen to you.
And it won't if you guide your heart into His wisdom.
And it won't if you guide your heart into His wisdom.
Some Questions:
1. Isn't it a blessing that God considers you, as a believer, His son or daughter, His child?
2. How kind and caring of Him to want to guide you into blessing and keep you from harm.
3. Can you see clearly what He is directing you to, and away from, and why?
4. Will you take a moment to thank Him for his guidance, and ask Him to help you put His wisdom into practice in your life?
A Prayer:
Father, what a blessing the Book of
Proverbs is. In these 31 chapters, You say so much about life. You seem
to touch on every area of life where we need wisdom. We cannot go back
and make a "do over of our lives”, but we can receive Your wisdom and be
doers as we move forward in this life. You never force us, but You
certainly lay out the way of blessing for us to choose. If we are
inclined to take lightly Your counsel, would You please change our
hearts so that we take Your counsels very seriously. And we pray for
friends and family who may be caught up in their own wisdom and are
suffering at this very time for choices they have made in the past. We
pray that You might deliver them into the peace of God. Show them Your
way, Lord, and lead them in Your way. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.
Calvary Chapel Visalia.
