Friday, January 31, 2014

“SIH’s Think On These Things: Proverbs 19:20-23”


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

God’s Word Affects: Our Relationship With The Lord: Proverbs 19:20-23
20) Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.
21) [There are] many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.
22) The desire of a man [is] his kindness: and a poor man [is] better than a liar.
23) The fear of the LORD [tendeth] to life: and [he that hath it] shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.


EXPOSITION:
Solomon describes four key areas of life that will enhance or degrade our relationship with the Lord….

20) Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.
Area number 1 – Our receipt of God’s Word.  We are to receive and retain the Word of God in two different ways…
1.  We are to hear and seriously, prayerfully, consider the advice that God gives to us.  When we take His counsel seriously, we will always follow it.  When we do not follow the counsel that we have heard, it is because we are taking His warnings and commands far too lightly
2.  We are to choose, and then take hold of, the warnings and corrections that He gives.
3.  When we do both of these, we will find ourselves gaining wisdom that will be profitable to us as we continue to age physically and mature spiritually, in our service to Him.

The Word of God, when received and taken seriously, will be beneficial to us throughout our lifetimes.  It will bring us to spiritual maturity and success in achieving His goals for our lives.

“Mark the perfect [man], and behold the upright: for the end of [that] man [is] peace.”   (Psalms 37:37)


21) [There are] many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.
Area number 2 – Our plans for the future
1.  God’s people, because they still have a sin nature within them, possess many opposing goals and plans for their lives.  Some of these goals are in alignment with the will of God, others are in opposition to it.  For the lost, due to their dominating sin nature hold to, only, a variety of desires that oppose the Lord’s revealed will. 
2.  The only goals that will come to fruition, in both the lives of lost and saved, are those goals that are a part of God’s sovereign plan for mankind.   As Sovereign Lord over all, He is the One who ultimately controls all.

By recognizing His Lordship over all, and trusting Him with our future successes in service to Him, we will find ourselves making plans that are in alignment with His will for our lives.

“The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.”   (Psalms 33:10-11)


22) The desire of a man [is] his kindness: and a poor man [is] better than a liar.
Area number 3 – The desires of our heart
1.  Our desires should center upon wanting to honor and glorify God through a testimony of love and mercy.  When those around us see our kind lifestyle, they are seeing the person of the Lord through our testimonies.
2.  Although a poor man is looked down upon by others, they can still successfully reveal Christ to others out of a testimony of kindness.  They show that they are rich in the spiritual things of God, while lacking the physical things of this world.
But, when men are looked down upon by others due to a testimony of deceitfulness and selfishness, they cannot successfully testify of Christ to others.  They prove to all that they are spiritually destitute and their lifestyle is of no lasting value to anyone.

“For if there be first a willing mind, [it is] accepted according to that a man hath, [and] not according to that he hath not.”   (2 Corinthians 8:12)


23) The fear of the LORD [tendeth] to life: and [he that hath it] shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.
Area number 4 – Our respect for Him
1.  When we hold the highest possible respect for the person of the Lord, and fear His chastening hand, it will lead us to willful submission to His will for our lives.  This, in turn, results in repentance and a saving faith in Him (spiritual life) as well as a blessed successful life of service for Him.
2.  As we see ourselves being used of Him and accomplishing much for His glory, it will bring to our heart a knowledge of His gracious hand of spiritual accomplishment in our lives. 
3.  The man who properly fears the Lord and is faithful to Him will be blessed and protected by the Lord.  He can rest assured that the only events that touch his life are those that are for his ultimate benefit and for the glory of His Lord.

“And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve [me] unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom [be] glory for ever and ever. Amen.”   (2 Timothy 4:18)
    

SUMMARY:
The four basic principles that will greatly enrich our walk with Christ:

Principle #1 - The Word of God, when received and taken seriously, will be beneficial to us throughout our lifetimes. 
Principle #2 - By recognizing His Lordship over all, and trusting Him with our future successful service for Him, we will find ourselves making plans that are in alignment with His will for our lives.
Principle #3 - When men are looked down upon by others, due to a testimony of deceitfulness and selfishness, they cannot successfully testify of Christ to others. 
Principle #4 - The man who properly fears the Lord and is faithful to Him will be blessed and protected by the Lord. 

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”.

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org

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