Date: Friday July 06, 2012
Today's Chapters: Proverbs 1-3
Message Title: Get The Picture

Hello My Friend,

A proverb is a short sentence, often repeated, expressing a well known truth or fact, I often think of proverbs as graphic images, a picture with a quote that says a simple, but powerful message. Graphic images are the key to selling everything and anything, but to get the message we must first look at the picture. When I first began reading the Bible through I did not always see the pictures, but the more I read it the more the pictures come clear to me. I always say that the difference between us and them is technology, that's why the Bible never goes out of date and we should be reading it cover to cover continuously. “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” - 2 Timothy 3:15-17.

The Book of Proverbs is the twentieth book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains thirty-one chapters, the timeline is about 990 to 995 BC. The book was first written to the Israelite's, but the truths for practical living are given to all believers. The purpose of the book was to teach wisdom, instruction, and correction to all, what we are to learn from it is that it is God's Word that teaches us wisdom, instruction, and correction to live a prosperous life lead by God. “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” - Proverbs 3:5,6.

All of the Proverbs, except for the last two, were written by King Solomon, David's son, who was also touted as the wisest man in all the Bible. It is recorded in I Kings that Solomon spoke three thousand proverbs under the inspiration of God. What was the purpose of so many proverbs? To give us important truth through a simple quote. To understand a proverb we need to think about it until we get the picture, then it makes sense to us. “To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” - Proverbs 1:2-7.

Above all, the most important thing we need to learn is that fearing God is the only way to get the picture and understand what God is trying to tell us. The more we learn from God, the wiser we become and the more profitable we are as well, if we do not fear God we will never understand His ways nor get help from Him either. Oh, we can prosper for a time without God, but sooner or later all who trust in their own understanding will lose. “When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.” - Proverbs 1:27-33.

When I first decided to work for myself I still had a big part of the world in me and let me tell you, it was prosperous. I made more money in one week than I did in a month, and since I was going to church and giving tithes I thought the blessings were coming from God. I found out two years later that those were not blessings from God and I fell, harder than I ever thought I would. However, God picked me out of that huge mess and I am alive today as testimony of how important it is to know God's Word, to follow it, and keep it with you. “My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.” - Proverbs 2:1-6.

God really does want us to prosper not only financially, but in our relationship with Him and others too, there is more to prosperity than making money and having lots of things that just sit on a shelf. When we fear God, we begin understanding God's Word, and when we follow it there is nothing that He will not do for us. Fearing God is not being afraid to do anything, it's getting the picture of how important it is to do things God's way, not mans way. Had I not been influenced by a corrupted person in the first place I would not have gotten the ideas I had to make as much money as I could legally in a short amount of time. God does not want to see us fall, but we fall, even as Christians, because we follow the path that seems the easiest in our own eyes, which always leads to corruption. If we truly want to be prosperous we must follow God's path, not our own or others. “Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths:” - Proverbs 2:9-12,15.

You think that Solomon did not go through the same things we do today? Solomon had everything handed to him, he really did not have to work for anything, but he saw the picture the hard way on how important it was to fear God and do things His way. “My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” - Proverbs 3:1-6.

No matter how close we are to God or how much we fear Him we are going to make mistakes, some of us are even going to fall a few times, but God never leaves nor forsakes us, we will have to endure some chastening, but we are not forsaken. And guess what? God gets us back on the right path to prosperity once again. “My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.” - Proverbs 3:11-14.

So, to get the message, we must first see the picture, once we see the picture the message is simple and as long as we follow it we will be profitable, and if we fall, He is sure to pick us back up again. “The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew. My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion: So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.” - Proverbs 3:19-26.

Today's Prayer: God, There is truly nothing that You will not do for us, You sent Your Son to die for us, You certainly will grant us the desires of our heart as long as we fear You. Lord, lead me and guide me, give me Your power to seek wisdom and understanding through Your Word, help me to focus, pay attention, and see the picture of what You are trying to show me. Give me patience to wait for you to show me what I need to do and to stay on the path that You are directing me on. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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