Proverbs 30

30:13-14 "those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful; those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth, the needy from among mankind." It is these, the eyes and the tongue, that are two of the most difficult things to control but, are also a gateway to sin and pain. We have seen that portrayed in Proverbs through these two themes being repeated over and over again, as to say "pay attention, this is important". So how are we doing at keeping these two things in check? Are we being distracted from God due to what our eyes look at? Are we keeping control over our tongue as to not hurt people with our "jaws set with knives?"

Proverbs 29

29:7 "The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern." I am sure this verse has much meaning to all those that were present on the San-Fransisco trip and worked with hurting people. But God's word plainly states that if we are to be righteous than we must care about justice for the poor. Because if we don't care we become the wicked like it said in the verse, "the wicked have no such concern." So do we care about the poor (me included), or are we so caught up in our own lives that we forget about them? What can we be doing to help grow our compassion for the poor, and live a lifestyle of serving them?

Proverbs 28

28:26 "He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe." As we have been reading we've learned that wisdom comes from God (Pro. 2:6). But the key point to this passage is that we can't do it, we can't become wise! This is unless we rely on something bigger than ourselves. We need to search out wisdom from the source, God, and we need to be constantly relying on Him in order to obtain wisdom. So how is that possible within our lives? How do we go about in practical ways practicing relying on God for wisdom instead of trying to obtain it through ourselves?

Proverbs 27

27:6 "Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses." 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." So being part of the body means that we need to be open to the instruction of friends even though it may hurt sometimes, and feel like a wound. So first of all how are we doing at having a teachable spirit and not one of defensiveness? Is it easier for us to just come back with an excuse or to just forget about the correction offered by a friend? How do we do as that friend that confronts, do we confront in love and with a desire to see growth and to sharpen others?

Proverbs 26

This first part of this chapter gives description after description, and example after example of the fool and how he/she is not just hurtful to him/herself but also to others. Within the second have of the chapter though it talks of those who are wicked on the inside but show no sign on the outside. The sad thing is that this is the way most Christians live. They are going through so much on the inside and have hidden sin in their lives but they keep it concealed, and hidden form the world. So my question is are we being real with our fellow brothers and sisters around us? Or are we living lives that are separated or divided?

Proverbs 25

25:21 "If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink." Isn't that a tough verse to read, but at the same time so good? It is hard to be kind and show our enemies love isn't it? We all have enemies in life, anywhere from a person who hurt you in the past to the person you can't stand to be around because of the way he/she acts. And even though our natural reaction is to run from these people or do something to get back at them, God calls us to serve them. So are are we doing at serving our enemies? Do we pray for them? Are we working at showing Christ's love to them? Or do we take the easy way out and avoid them or even hold a grudge?

Proverbs 24

24:1 "Do not envy wicked men, do not desire their company;" Man isn't this sometimes hard to do? Isn't hard to sometimes look at some of the people's lives around us and not be envious, i mean they don't care about anything? But God calls us to be not envy their lives, and i think he does this because they end up living lives of pointlessness. They only live for things in this world and to bring themselves glory, which all turns to nothing in the end. So how are we doing at not becoming envious of those around us? Are we thankful for the relationship and the purpose that God has given us for our lives and how do we show that?

Proverbs 23

23:31-32 "Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper." In this chapter God spends a significant amount of time warning us about the deceptive power of alcohol. Look at the words used in Scripture "bites like a snake and poisons like a viper." This is something that might be hard for some of you to read because you have been hurt by the affects of alcohol in someway. The sad thing is also that it is more prevalent than ever before in our culture. So is there someone you know that struggles? Are you being a good example of Jesus to them? Are you praying for them?

Proverbs 22

22:1 "A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold." Is this true in our lives? Are we people that care more about our name than money or fame? Our name stands for something if we have a relationship with Christ, we represent him on this earth. Is that visible in the way we live our lives? Do we care more about the one we represent, or do we give into the world standards and fall to other things?

Proverbs 21

21:16 "A man who strays from the path of understanding comes to rest in the company of the dead." Just like in chapter 20 this verse relays the importance of understanding in our lives. Like Chapter 20 in a way gave the picture of a well this chapter uses the picture of a path. But the idea of a path shows something that the well didn't. A path is continuous and goes somewhere so what are we doing now in our lives to grow in understanding? Are we traveling down the path, stuck somewhere, or going in the completely wrong direction?

Proverbs 20

20:5 "The purposes of a man's heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out." I just get the picture of a well in my mind. It seems like all the good stuff, in this case "purposes of a man's (or woman's) heart," is at the bottom of the well. And understanding is the tool or the bucket used to obtain it. So if we don't have understanding we will never figure out the purposes of our hearts. Do we value understanding in the way that? As if the purposes of our heart have were not obtainable any other way.

Proverbs 19

19:21 "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails." I think that this verse is so hard to wrap our minds around. We all set up or make plans within our lives. Maybe it is what you want to do with your future, goals that you might have for a new year, or even everyday plans to do homework or to hang out with friends. Well even in the midst of all the plans that we come up with in our own minds, God's purpose, or what he wants accomplished, is still going to prevail. And even though we do everything by choice, God uses our choices to accomplish His purpose. This is incredible to me! So what is one area where you have seen God work through yours plans or through the changing of your plans?

Proverbs 18

18:2 "A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions." This verse is hard to read because it can be so convicting! Sometimes I think that it would be great if everyone in this world would think like me, that way everyone would understand me and I didn't have to practice understanding. We all like to air our own opinions, it is part of our nature. I am pretty certain that most of you, like me, fail sometimes at truly getting outside of ourselves and worry about understanding others. So, what are some practical ways of getting outside of ourselves and truly trying to understand others?

Proverbs 17

17:5 "He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished." This is huge especially for anyone that is going on the San Fransisco Trip. As followers of Christ we are to show compassion and to love on the less fortunate, but so many times I think we all fail to do this. Sometimes we tend to evaluate or even judge their lives saying things like... "wow this wouldn't have happened if you just did it this way or if you didn't do that" But all people are created in God's image and we need to love them all the same! Take a look back does this describe any of us a little bit? When is the last time we took a step to work with or really care for the poor and underprivileged?

Proverbs 16

This chapter reiterates most of the lessons that have been talking about in the earlier chapters. This isn't just for the sake of repeating but to remind us of each one, and show how important they are. However verse 20 really stuck out, it states: "Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD." The key thing about this verse is it implies action, us taking heed (or following), the instructions that we have been given. So the question for today is how are we doing at applying the wise truths of proverbs to our lives? Are we taking heed and applying these thing to our lives, or are we stopping at the reading level?

Proverbs 15

15:14 "An intelligent person is always eager to take in more truth; fools feed on fast-food fads and fancies." This verse hits the nail right on the head! There are so many people in which I have looked up to in their walk with God but it is this verse that is evidenced in their lives. The people that i have looked up to most model their lives on a never-ending pursuit of truth. Is that a descriptor of our lives? Are we always eager to take in more truth or do we sometimes settle for the fast food fads?

Proverbs 14

14:29 "A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly." This verse is one that cuts deep into the culture that we live in. Almost everybody, especially Americans, struggle with the idea of patience. We are so used to having everything at our finger tips; fast food, cell phones, internet all these things are instant and add to the difficulty of becoming more patient. So what are some the times in which we are least patient? And what are some practical ways we could grow our patience within these situations?

Proverbs 13

13:20 "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." If you guys remember back to Proverbs 1 this may look familiar. God is talking about the people that we are friends with and the people we hang out with. God challenges us to search after wisdom in many ways and along with that He provides examples. Surrounding ourselves with wise people is one of those applications we can make. What are some practical ways of surrounding ourselves with wise people? And how can we improve ourselves through walking with the wise?

Proverbs 12

There are two points with the chapter where it mentions that the wise are people who listen to correction. Pro. 12:1 states: "Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid." Then in 12:15 the text also states "The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice." Correction is a method in which God uses to grab our attention and to speak to us. The hard thing is that we naturally get defensive when it comes to correction or advice. So the question is are we missing God speak because we are unable to listen to advise or correction from someone in our lives?

Proverbs 11

Again in this chapter you see God comparing the wicked to the wise, are you catching a drift. God knows and wants us to know just how important this topic is, and emphasizes it over and over again. However there is also something unique about this chapter as well. In this chapter each verse is in itself a simple truth statement that I am sure many of you have seen played out in life. So I challenge you or dare you to go back through this chapter and reread it verse by verse and spend maybe 5-10 sec. thinking about each verse. Then let me know what you you think.

Proverbs 10

This chapter is full of two major drives, both of encouragement and warning. This chapter seems to have a centered theme and even a pattern that you probably noticed. That pattern is God describing things to come for both the righteous and the wicked. The encouragement then comes as you hear how God takes care of those who are righteous! On the other hand, the warning comes from seeing what the wicked have in store for them. So how are you at pursing righteousness? Is it tough?

Proverbs 9

Have you caught a repeating words in Proverbs? the last few chapters have metioned "simple" when talking about wisdom. twice in chapter 9 we read, "Let all who are simple" come in here. I did a little work for ya and I understand simple to be naive. A naive person is led astray easily - or maybe even willingly. So it made me think that if I don't want to be a fool I must put aside my naivity about sin and my selfishness and be on guard to protect wisdom in my life. It's a proactive thing - it's an agressive thing - we must be on the offense to protect wisdom in our life and on the defense to avoid foolishness and sin. Are you simple when it comes to sin (ie: its too easy for you to justify sinning like it's not a big deal?)

Proverbs 8

Could you imagine someone talking about you and when they did they said, "all the words of his/her mouth are just; none of them is crooked or perverse"? Jesus once said that from the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. So to get to the point where our words are just we have dig deeper into our heart and v.13 connects our heart to our words - they will be just if we "fear the LORD" and "heat evil". How about you? How are your words? Are your words just? Do you hate evil?

Proverbs 7

Unguarded moments...these are the moments we allow ourselves to be in when we are not in the Word of God and walking in the Spirit. this young man left wisdom and pursued foolishness quickly in chapter 7. I think the heart ache in this chapter is in verse 22 when it says, "all at once he followed her..." - it really is like that isn't it? Foolishness happens in a split second...an instant. So how do we prevent ourselves from a moment of weakness? "My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you!" Afterall, Jesus when he was tempted by Satan in the New Testament "at once" quoted scripture. Store up the words of God!

Proverbs 6

16-18: There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. Are any of these descriptors in verses16-18 a part of your life? This chapter shows that following after God is the way to a full life, not an empty one full of deceit. Are you pursuing after God through admitting your faults both to him and others you might have hurt?

Proverbs 5

Wow this chapter really portrayed with vivid language the reality and the importance to steer clear of adultery. I think its amazing the words God uses to describe just how tempting adultery can be. Then turn around and use equally as vivid wording and show how void or even bad you could feel as a result of falling into temptation. Our culture says that it is okay to do whatever and some people believe that everything other than sex is okay or acceptable. But when we look at God's word, it tells us in verse 8: "Keep to a path far from her, do not go near the door of her house," We are called to come nowhere close to sexual impurity! How are we doing with purity are we following God's higher standard or settling and accepting the world's excuses?

Proverbs 4

4:13 "Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life."
4:20-21"My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart;"

These verses really stood out to me. Do we really hold on to instruction and guard it? How are we doing at keeping God's words in our heart? Are you memorizing Scripture?

Proverbs 3

3:3 "Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart." These words are so strong and great imagery about how important love and faithfulness are. This whole chapter is about the benefits of wisdom and reiterating how precious a gift it is from God. Do you see other benefits of wisdom? and if so what are they and how do they play into your life?

Proverbs 2

2:4-5 "and if you look for it (wisdom) as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God." That is so against our culture these days. No one wants to put forth effort, they just want things handed to them. But God calls us to search out wisdom as if we were looking for silver, thats intense! How and what are you doing to earnestly search out wisdom?

Proverbs 1

1:10 - "my son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them." - right off the bat in Proverbs, God challenges us to make sure our friends are good for us and to us! Friends can either bring us closer to God or drag us away from him (both if we let them). So choosing friends is a big deal. How do you go about deciding who your friends are?

Facebook

If you'd rather comment on our facebook group feel free to join the Grace HSM group on facebook. It will be replacing the WOOGSM group on facebook at the end of the summer, so jump on board with our facebook group and start posting your thoughts from Proverbs!

How Not to be a fool

How not to be a fool? Summer is here and there is a lot of empty time in your life already I'm sure. This is a blog designed to challenge us to read God's Word and share what He is doing in our lives together for the summer. What's the challenge? Read a Proverb a day for 31 straight days starting Sunday, June 22nd. As we read, jump onto the blog and post your thoughts and what you're struggling with in life.

It's true that God has designed a satisfying life for you...are you experiencing it? Let's begin the journey together...