One of the most disheartening events that can happen to you is when your leader, the one you have entrusted has a moral failure. I have personally experienced such an event in my life. I trusted, followed, and served only to be shocked, saddened, and left questioning even my own faith over the matter. It is through the darkest hours of our lives, that often produces the most valuable of experiences and richness of our walk with God. You were not the first person to experience the sting of failure nor will you be the last. As far back as mankind can go, there was failure and that failure affected the future generations.
In 2 Samuel 11, we find the beginning of such a failure on the part of King David. David and Bathsheba’s relationship began in failure, but out of it a son was produced. His name was Solomon. Solomon was known as the wisest man that ever lived. Over Solomon’s forty year reign, he collected wise sayings. No doubt there were many more than what has been recorded. Many of them were recorded in a book in the Old Testament titled Proverbs.
Proverbs has become a great tool to live, guide, and instruct from. In the book of Proverbs, Solomon addresses many of the issues that were faced back in 900 BC, yet because man doesn’t really change all that much, we still face the same issues, today! Solomon addresses our intimate lives, anger, slander, business ethics, integrity, intoxication, pride, and he even dives into the topic of finances.
Proverbs literally means in the Hebrew, “to rule or to govern.” In other words reading the proverbs and then allowing them to guide your life is what is supposed to happen.
Over the next thirty-one days, we are going to highlight some of the most enlightening, challenging, and impactful Verbsout of the book of Proverbs. In other words we are going to find some words that will challenge us to make a change, keep the change, and be the change.
The wonderful thing about Proverbs is there are thirty-one chapters, one for every day of the month. Billy Graham said that he read five Psalms a day, “that teaches me how to get along with God, followed by a chapter of Proverbs, which teaches me to get along with my fellow man.”
So, welcome to the Verbs!
So many people think that church going, Bible reading and preaching are mostly about getting into heaven, getting yourself right with God, and making sure your soul is saved. Absolutely the Bible, church, and preaching is about that, but equally important as getting into heaven is how to live on Earth. Remember, when you get saved you don’t immediately get to go into Heaven. You stay here on earth. Therefore we need to know how to live here. Remember that Jesus said, “on earth as it is in heaven.” Our life here matters.
Proverbs is a path in teaching us how to have wisdom in living life here on earth. Living with each other, honoring our parents, raising up our children, handling our money, and how we are to conduct ourselves. Proverbs gives us wisdom to live by. In matters of living our day-to-day lives, nothing takes the precedence of involving God, listening to God, and obeying God.
Have a Happy New Year and may you make this the best year you’ve ever had!
Pastor J
You must be logged in to post a comment.