The Follow Up Talk

The chapters I've read and reflected on for the past couple of days had good advice that stood out to me here and there. I noticed an overriding theme that wisdom comes through controlling our hearts, reactions, and in checking how we relate with other people. Below is a list of verses that were key for me. Proverbs 16 gives good instruction on having wisdom over your emotions and spirit. 16:2 : This verse tells us that the Lord weighs our spirit. It's not enough to do the right things. God wants our motivations to be pure and righteous too. 16:20 : Here we see that using wisdom to handle the issues we face will bring about good results. We also learn that trusting in God, will bring us happiness. 16:32 : Here is encouragement to temper our anger. Don't let it fly off the handle. God tells us that controlling our angry emotions and spirit makes us strong. Proverbs 17 gives good instruction on having wisdom in how we treat each other. 17:15 : We should treat each...

For the past couple days I've been going over Proverbs 14 . It has some rich verses that made me reflect on work and relationships. They take a lot of effort and require  practicing patience in order to make them successful. Oxen ... labor ... slow ... The following are verses that made these three words meaningful. Oxen :  Proverbs 14:4 - "Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox." Oxen are symbolic of work. A Wikipedia and Google search shows that these creatures are powerful and suited to do heavy tasks. Oxen are slow and steady and have a calmer temperament than other animals trained for work. Solomon's mention of a "crib" makes you realize that where there is oxen, you have a mess. Solomon's statement draws your attention to two admirable things: (1) cleanliness and all the things that are associated with that (organization, perfection, etc);  and (2) trudgery, which I'd describe as working metho...

There were two things that stood out to me in Proverbs 11 . I learned about using discretion and about generosity. Solomon's words show that those who practice these two things are wise. Practice being gracious: Verse 12 : He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace. Verse 13 : A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter. Practice giving lavishly: Verse 24 : There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. Verse 25 : The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. Verse 26 : He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it. Last Sunday, my Pastor's teaching was on the Godly principle of giving and tithing. He pointed out that the expectation for us to give is a test tied to a promise. He t...

Solomon uses the imagery of a harlot and a young man to express the point that we should exercise healthy caution when we are confronted with new ideas and teachings that conflict with God's Word. As I read through Proverbs 7 , I tried to see beyond the "what's wrong with this picture" story being told by Solomon, and came to that conclusion. Here we have a young and foolish man who is lured by a harlot who used enticing words to cause the man to willingly sin. Three things stood out to me in this text that we can use to avoid being unwise and stick to the godly path of life. 1. Educate yourself with God's Word . There's no getting around this simple necessity. Once we've accepted the truth that God exists and that our souls will live on eternally, we need to read the Bible in order to understand the difference between what will bring us eternal life and what will bring us eternal death. Proverbs 7:1-3 says: My son, keep my words, and lay up ...

I'm reading Proverbs 4 and 5 and some of the takeaway points were: (1) learn about wisdom and instruction, (2) let your whole body be in submission to wisdom, and (3) embrace correction Proverbs 4 implores us to get wisdom and understanding. We learn from this chapter that King Solomon's "father" taught Solomon the value of gaining wisdom and the dangers of ignoring it. ( Proverbs 4:3-4 ) "Wisdom is the principal thing" which sets you up for promotion, honor, grace and glory. ( Proverbs 4:7-9 ) If we want all of these good things, we need to be given wisdom and shown the right paths. We need to be teachable. Proverbs 4 is written in a dual way where it's implied that Solomon was taught by his father King David. We can also read Solomon's words and see him speaking metaphorically as a "father" to us. This writing style was oddly soothing because it helped me get past the thoughts of - well, what should people do if they don't hav...