Tuesday, October 8, 2013

SIH’s Think On These Things: Proverbs 10:1


He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous (Prov 2:7)

Wisdom On Display: Wisdom Makes A Godly Parent’s Heart Glad: Proverbs 10:1
1) The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son [is] the heaviness of his mother.

INTRODUCTION:
In Proverbs chapter 10, we will be seeing a variety of ways that wisdom is displayed in the lives of God’s people. 

In our first proverb, we will be looking at a parent’s great joy when they see their children are living lives based upon the wise counsels of God…

EXPOSITION:
1) The proverbs of Solomon.
The chapter begins by reminding us that Solomon (“peaceful”) is the man used by God to pen His proverbs for our edification.

A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son [is] the heaviness of his mother.
Wisdom displayed in the life of a child affects the life of the parent…

1. An offspring that applies God’s Word to their life brightens their parent’s life bringing them great joy. 
2. However, a child that shows he is a fool, unable to discern the importance and benefits of the things of God, causes the heart of their parents to be afflicted with loss and great grief.

Please notice that this proverb not only emphasizes for us the need to apply wisdom to our life practices, but it also reminds us of the parent’s great desire for the spiritual well-being of their children.  Although a parent’s first desire should be to see their children as faithful servants of Christ, unfortunately there are times this is not the case.  Some parents are more concerned about the physical and material things, that this world has to offer. How often do parents discourage a child’s desire to submit to a specific call of the Lord, because that call may require sacrifice. Sacrifice on the part of the child or sacrifice on the part of the parent….

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.   (Romans 12:1-2)
 

Parents, who should have great joy in seeing their children in submission to God’s call, are saddened at the thought of their children having to sacrifice the material, physical possessions and experiences this world may have to offer.  The child is willing to place Christ first and make these great sacrifices, but for many parents it is painful to watch them “miss out” on the things of the world….

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified together.  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time [are] not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in us.  (Romans 8:17-18)
 

The parents may be called upon to sacrifice time spent with their children or grandchildren.  They may have to sell the family business to a stranger, because their child cannot manage the business.   They may have to stand by and see thousands of dollars wasted that had been paid for their child’s education, when the child turns their back on their worldly profession to fulfill the responsibilities God has given to them.  The list of possibilities is endless.

Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.  And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,  But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.  But many [that are] first shall be last; and the last first.   (Mark 10:28-31)


In spite of all of this, any wise parent will take great joy in seeing their children making the Word and will of God the first priority in their life.  Their joy will not be based upon the fleeting offerings of this world, but on a firm, spiritual foundation knowing that their child is glorifying God in their life, being used of the Lord to meet the needs of others and reaping eternal spiritual blessings…

But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.  Yea doubtless, and I count all things [but] loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them [but] dung, that I may win Christ,  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;  If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.   (Philippians 3:7-11)



SUMMARY:
May we all seek to live wise lives of service for Christ.  In doing so, we will be spiritually benefiting ourselves and glorifying our Lord while helping others in need.

If we have been blessed with Godly parents who understand the importance of putting the things of God first in our lives, let us all be thankful to the Lord for the wonderful parents He has given to us. For those whose parents have yet to come to an understanding of the importance of the things of God, let us be in prayer, seeking the Lord grace and the ability to set the proper example for them in our lives.

  
By God’s grace, let us all study these proverbs diligently, giving them the value that they deserve.

May the Lord bless us as we receive this sound wisdom and then “Think On These Things”.


No comments:

Post a Comment