But God

Proverbs 21:12- The righteous man wisely considereth the house of the wicked: but God overthroweth the wicked for their wickedness.

RIGHTEOUS: Just; accordant to the divine law.

WISELY: Deep understanding, keen discernment, and a capacity for sound judgment

CONSIDER: To view or examine with attention.

WICKED: Evil in principle or practice; deviating from the divine law; addicted to vice; sinful; immoral.

OVERTHROW: To turn upside down. To ruin; to demolish. To defeat; to conquer; The state of being overturned.

The just man with deep understanding examines with attention toward evil principle, practice and addicted behavior. It all may look pleasing, acceptable even our society may accept wrong actions and immoral deeds. BUT (except for the fact) God will bring to ruin those who practice such sinful and immoral acts and behavior.

When we realize that no matter what a society may approves and makes a people feel good about their sinful actions, it's God who has written the rule book. Change the laws of the land, make immoral ways acceptable none of that matters for it is God that bring those who feel good about their sinful and immoral actions to ruin.

We must never forget "BUT GOD!"

Real Value

Notice what we are being taught here; three times the word heart is mentioned in this chapter

I. A Heart That Retains

Proverbs 4:4- He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

The teaching of the Father is not to be taken lightly. What He teaches is to retained

RETAIN: To hold or keep in possession; not to lose or part with or dismiss.

This retaining is to be with purpose I am to hold, keep in possession God's Word along with His commands so that I will know how to live

II. A Heart That Keeps

Proverbs 4:21- Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.

MIDST: in the middle.

Do not lose sight of these things. Keep them deep within your heart. When something is in the middle it's there for protection. Do I value God's teaching, His Word, His Commandments? If so then I have them in the middle of my heart in other word I have put much value on them. I, to many times confuse value. What is "value?"  Value is not always gold, precious stone, silver but value is anything I place great worth in. What I value may be to some one else worthless. When thieves break into a secure place they take that which has earthly value, something they can sell and get cash for. They will not take that picture drawn by a child when they were in the first grade. But to the parent of that child that picture has great value it's priceless. Value of God's Word, God's Commandments are places into my heart as I look into the middle of my heart what values have I placed there for safe keeping

III. A Heart That's Diligent

Proverbs 4:23- Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life

 DILIGENCE: without unnecessary delay.

Guard your heart more than anything else, because the source of your life flows from it. Our enemy wants to destroy me. He, want's what is dear to me, what's in my heart, what I'm retaining, what I place real value on. If he can accomplish keeping me away from God Word, wreck my time of prayer, destroy my relationships he will destroy my hearts values therefore destroying me

     1- But David says our ways can be clean:

Psalms 119:9- Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word

     2- We can have protection from wandering:

Psalms 119:10- With my whole heart have I sought thee

O let me not wander from thy commandments.

     3- Know the Plan:

Psalms 119:11- Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee

There it is Hid God's Word in The Middle of My Heart! If The Word of God is not Valuable to me then I want take the time to keep it safe within me. 

Making Him Look Good

As I go through my day to day activities meeting and dealing with the different people I come in contact with. I want to be wise in my actions, I want to say the right words at the right time and be slow in anger, controlling at all times my actions. In chapter 29 I'm given three rules of action I should take in order to make this happen.

Proverbs 29:8 Scornful men bring a city into a snare: but wise men turn away wrath

First: I become a wise man when I learn to turn away anger. There are things that anger me and if I let my anger control me I will fail in my actions.

Proverbs 16:32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city

I must be slow in my anger that will help me to have rule over my actions.

Proverbs 29:9 If a wise man contendeth with a foolish man, whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest

Second: When I have learned to have control over my anger I will then know how to contend with the foolish. When their voice get loud at me I will not retaliate, when they laugh at me it will not be intimidated. For if I allow their foolishness to control my actions I will always say and handle the matter wrongly.

Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger

Proverbs 29:11 A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards

Thirdly: I become wise by keeping my mouth shut until the foolish are done. Then with that soft answer I will be able to have the right answer. I will not accuse, nor will I bring up the past, neither will I blame. My answer will be Biblically and not selfishly answered. When all is said and done my desire should have been to make My Heavenly Father look good by my actions.

Forsake? Really!

In Proverbs Chapter 28 we see 3-verses that use the word "LAW.

Proverbs 28:4 They that forsake the law praise the wicked

but such as keep the law contend with them

In verse 4 we see any person that forsakes the law praise the wicked. The word "FORSAKE"  means To quit or leave entirely; to desert; to abandon; to depart from.

When someone departs from something they always fill the void with something else. Here we see a person departing from that which is right; the law to Praise those that do wicked.

PRISE:➡ Commendation bestowed on a person for his personal virtues or worthy actions.

The law that was once cherished is now forsaken and that which was once wrong is now not only being done but virtue and value is being found in doing such actions.

Proverbs 28:7 Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son

but he that is a companion of riotous men shameth his father.

In verse 7 we are quickly told that wisdom is found in keeping the law, but if one chooses to keep company with riotous men (Consisting of riot; tumultuous; partaking of the nature of an unlawful assembly) then they will bring shane to their father. In order to bring shame to their father must mean that their father had taught them better

Proverbs 28:9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law

even his prayer shall be abomination.

Here in verse 9 we see one who doesn't want to hear the law and when they do they turn away their ear. They remove themselves so they want have to listen to what is right. The downward trend started when this person began to FORSAKE THE LAW

What was the cost of this FORSAKING?

     1- It Effects Their Praise Life

     2- It Effects Their Personal Life

     3- It Effects Their Prayer Lif

My, my, my what awful things happen in a persons life when one decides to forsake that which he knows to be right.

Romans 1:21- Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

22- Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

My Neighbour

Three times this word "NEIGHBOUR" is used in Proverbs Chapter 25 and it has to do with how to deal properly with a problem with your neighbor.

 

Proverbs 25:8 Go not forth hastily to strive,

lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame.

Don't run to your neighbour in anger or hastily to   struggle in opposition. If I act in this manner I will lose what I intended to accomplished.

 

Proverbs 25:9 Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself;

and discover not a secret to another:

 

This word "DEBATE" carries the thought of arguing with ones neighbour. A "NEIGHBOR" could be  one living or located near another as well as as a fellow man or to associate in a neighbourly way.

When there's a problem one is to go to their fellow man and Discuss the matter with them. When the discussion is over neither are to revel what was said in private to others.

 

Proverbs 25:18 A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour

is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.

One that embellishes the wrong his neighbour has done is like mauling his credibility, his character as well as their reputation and with his sword takes away his life or as a sharp arrow that comes from afar suddenly and swiftly.

 

 What do I do when a friend, neighbour or family member has said things about me that aren't true or may be true?

     A- Let it Go?

     B- Say things about them?

     C- Confront them in an Angrily Matter?

     D- Go to them Discuss it in Private?

 

It's Face to Face combat in an orderly matter. No clubs, swords or arrows for they only destroy. Sometimes I have don't wrong, whether intentionally or non intentionally; and yes I can let it go but that will never resolve the problem between my neighbour and I. 

We are plainly told:

Exodus 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

 

Matthew 5:23-Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;

24- Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

 

Matthew 7:3-And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

4- Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

Bottom line: Don't allow my hurt to vent to others destroying my neighbour.

Burning Lips or Learning Lips?

Proverbs 16:23 The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth,and addeth learning to his lips.
I heard someone say just the other day "If you have joy in your heart then please tell your face." Is this not what we are being taught here? It's the heart of the wise that is telling the mouth what to speak. It could be the lips have had to learn from the heart because more than once they have spoken words that have hurt instead of helping.

The Problem

I went into a room here at the house and it was dark. I began to look around and quickly saw the problem. The reason it was so dark was the light was off; I reached over and turned the switch on. Nothing happened. I went and got a new light bulb put it in turned the switched and the room lit up.

That's the problem with many they go to Church, read their Bibles, hear sermon after sermon and still live in darkness. Something must change; had I not changed the light bulb the room would still be in darkness. I'm afraid we do good things in hopes that somehow it will outweigh the wrong we've done. No; we like the dark room need something that will change the darkness to light. I remember making many promises to myself; wife, those I loved that I have changed and you will see a different me, only to fail; no change. Then one day I walked into Eastland Heights Baptist Church; no big deal I had been to Church on many occasions. This day would be different, although I didn't know it.  The preacher that preached the service was coming to a close and then these words came from the preacher’s mouth. He said "your heart is pounding" and I noticed that my heart was pounding. Then he said "what if someone was to hold a gun to your head and pull the trigger, then what? Where would you go heaven or hell?" A light came on in my head; I had just gotten out of the Military 6 months ago I knew what a gunshot to the head would do; you do too, good bye. Heaven or hell? If I had to choose between the two I would choose heaven of course. But he didn't say which one did I choose he said which one would I go! My answer hell. Then he said "take that first step come and ask Jesus to save you from hell and He will" I stepped out and asked The Lord to save me and He did. As I walked out of that Church that day things were different. That afternoon I asked my wife "what time what time was the Church service tonight" she told me 7:30 and off we went. What time Wednesday night? And off we went. I know what some are thinking you were just excited it wasn't long before you cooled down and went back to the same things you were doing before. Same things I was doing? No! I can't answer the cooled down for I haven't gotten there yet it's only been 40 years and I'm still excited that the God of this universe took time out of His busy schedule to reach way down and  save a sinner like me. Remember the dark room and what made the difference? A new light bulb! That's what happened to me that day.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

If any man, woman, boy or girl be in Christ they have a new nature the old things they were doing are passed away and everything is new. Could it be many have never had their bulb changed? Therefore the darkness is still there.