Proverbs 31: A Godly Woman

I want you to take a moment and think about the woman described in this passage.

Women, does this in any way, shape, or form describe you? If it doesn’t, this should be a model to you. Stop emulating the people that might be cool, stylish, or attractive. Instead emulate this woman who is a hardworking woman, who made a great wife for this man. She is of extreme value to him and to the kingdom of God

Men, does this describe the girl you're looking for in the future when the time comes? If not, then you need to reevaluate what you are looking for. You might be looking for a girl that is stylish or pretty, but if she is not morally upright and hard working, is that the type of girl you want to spend your life with? Or are you looking to just have fun at the expense of a broken heart? Test yourselves men, and save yourself for a woman like the one described in this passage.

Proverbs 28: Running Away When No One Is Chasing

I remember one year during spring break a group of friend and I went on a spring break trip. We went down to the Outerbanks (Duck if I remember correctly) and we spent a couple days their before we went north to Baltimore (went to a concert) and then headed further north to the suburbs of NYC. Well anyway we thought it would be cool if we got some fire works and set them off on the beach, which is not allowed in Duck. So we found a fireworks store that sold us a really large firework from a back room. It was supposed to fire off 20 times. So we bought it. We went out to the beach late at night and we fire it off. The very moment the first one went off, we all started running. It shot up in the air probably about three stories, and made the beach look like daylight as each of the 20 shots went off. We were not being chased, but we ran anyway. The first verse in this chapter says “The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.”
When you are doing what is right, you do not need to hide it. When you are acting wickedly that is when you hide what you are doing. We were doing what was wrong, and ran from absolutely nothing. We could have been without fear if we had not been guilty of doing something wrong.

Proverbs 21: It is Wise to Make Plans

It is important to make plans. Ultimately our plans may have to change because God is in control but planning for our future is still wise. It makes sense to plan for college by getting good grades in high school It makes sense to think through actions rather than rushing into them. Verse 5 of this chapter says:
“The plans of the diligent lead only to plenty,
but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.”
We should not obsess with the future, but we should not ignore it either. If we plan for our future we are much more likely to succeed than if we rush into things and live only in the here and now. Consider what it is that you want to do for God in your future and then work toward it now.

Proverbs 16: Your Motives Matter

Some people like to think that as long as their actions are right they are okay. For instance if they tell on someone for doing something wrong they think that is good even if the main reason they did it was to see that person get punished because they do not like them. There are many times where we do good things so that we will feel good about our selves or look good in the eyes of others. The second verse of this chapter says:
“All a person’s ways seem right in his own opinion,
but the Lord evaluates the motives.”
God evaluates our motives, and our motives matter to him. Are we doing right only to look good? Or do we do right when no one else will even know?

Proverbs 11: Honesty is the Best Policy

It can be a temptation to cheat, whether in school or at a job. Opportunity may arise where you would be able to get away with doing the wrong thing, stealing money, or taking your friend's answers on a test, and you need to be determined before hand how you will respond to such a situation.

In verse 18 of this chapter Solomon says: “The wicked person earns deceitful wages, but the one who sows righteousness reaps a genuine reward.”
Also, in verse 1 he says: “The Lord abhors dishonest scales, but an accurate weight is his delight.”

Being honest is very important and it is something that God values very highly. He hates (or detests) dishonest dealings, and he delights in honest dealings. This means that you should keep all of your dealings as honest as possible whether in work or in school.

Proverbs 10: Do You Enjoy Making Wicked Plans?

There can be a certain thrill to scheming, as you make up your plans to trick your parents and others as you engage in behavior that you should not. Some people find this enjoyable.

Verse 23 of this chapter says: “Carrying out a wicked scheme is enjoyable to a fool, and so is wisdom for the one who has discernment.”

So fools enjoy wicked plans and wise people enjoy discernment, but what is the end result of each option?

Verses 24-25 say: “What the wicked fears will come on him; what the righteous desire will be granted.
When the storm passes through, the wicked are swept away, but the righteous are an everlasting foundation.”

Whenever you are scheming, you may be worried that you will be found out. Sometimes you are, but God always knows about your scheming, and your fears will come true. The wicked will not be able to weather the storms whereas a righteous wise person’s foundation is secure.

Proverbs 7: You Will Find It If You Look

We often put ourselves in a position that will cause temptation and lead to sin. We allow ourselves to be put in situations with people of the opposite gender where we are going to be tempted to sin sexually. In some ways it is like we are looking for sin, or at least trying to see how close we can come to it without falling into sin.

This does not only apply to sex, but in other areas as well. For instance, some people want to go to parties where a lot of people are drinking, yet they say they do not want to drink. This is getting dangerously close to sin. This chapter is written so that we would avoid sexual sin. It is written so that we would avoid even being tempted by such sin and instead would flee it. It might appear to be fun at the time, and sin can be seductive, but we need to run away from it.

Verses 8-9 say, "and I have seen among the simple, I have perceived among the youths, a young man lacking sense, passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house."

The man is heading to the prostitute's house. He is seeing how close he can get to sin, and in the end he falls into it. Let us not be like him, but instead flee from sin.

Proverbs 6: Take Right and Wrong Seriously

Proverbs 6:20-21 says, “My child, guard the commands of your father and do not forsake the instruction of your mother. Bind them on your heart continually; fasten them around your neck.”

You have been taught right from wrong, many of you by your parents. You should listen to the wise instruction you have been given and take it very seriously. “Bind them on your heart continually” means that you should always remember them and make sure that you do them. “Fasten then around your neck” has the idea of making sure that you take them so seriously that it is like you have them with you all the time.

Proverbs 5: Sex, Gods Way

Sex is good, as long as it is done God's way. Notice in verse 18 it says, “May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in your young wife.” You should rejoice in your spouse and celebrate your spouse when you get married. That is sex God's way, but there are other ways that are not God’s way and are wrong and lead to destruction.

Notice the beginning of this chapter where it says, “For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey, and her seductive words are smoother than olive oil, but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword” (verses 3-4). The wrong way is to have sex with anyone to whom you are not married. If you continue on reading you will see that verse 8 tells you to stay away, and not even to get close to this type of sin. The best way to do this is to not put yourself in a situation where you might start to think sexual thoughts, and in this way you can avoid the temptation.

Proverbs 4: Walking in Darkness

We all know what is like to get up in the dark and have to go to the bathroom, only to stub your toe five times on the way. We know that walking in the dark can be dangerous, and this is the illustration that Solomon uses to describe living life like the wicked do: “The way of the wicked is like gloomy darkness; they do not know what causes them to stumble” (vs. 19).

When walking in the dark, you do not even know what it is you just kicked. (Was it the cat or a stuffed animal?) Living a sinful life and following sinful men is dangerous and will cause damage. In contrast, walking righteously is described like this: “But the path of the righteous is like the bright morning light, growing brighter and brighter until full day” (vs. 18).

Proverbs 26: Eating Vomit?

There is a verse in this chapter that is gross.

Verse 11 says, “Like a dog who returns to is vomit, is a fool who returns to his folly.”

Ever done something foolish? And then done it again? And again? The Bible says that doing this is like a dog that goes back and eats his own vomit.

This is a habit that we have to break. We will find ourselves slipping up and falling back into the same pits over and over again. You would think we would learn, but we don’t always. We need to break this habit, and realize the foolish things we do are like vomit.

Proverbs 20: Hypocrisy

Are you saying one thing and doing another?

This might work for a while, but verse 11 says, “Even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright.”

People watch what you do and eventually will figure it out if your behavior is wrong. On the other hand, if you are doing what is right you don’t need to walk around saying "Look at me I’m doing right."  Your behavior will make that evident to others.

Saturday Video: Do You Want God? Sermon Jam

Proverbs 14: Doing What Feels Right

I hear this phrase all the time: “I am just going to do what feels right.” This is a statement that sounds good, until you look at it closer. Is how you feel the best indicator of whether something is right or wrong?

Often our feelings are very wrong.

Verse 12 says: “There is a way that seems right unto a man, but its end is the way of death.”

Our feelings are not a good indicator of what is right or wrong. The Bible is the indicator of what is right and wrong.

We need to recognize that if our feelings and the Bible contradict, we need to follow the Bible.

So next time you think to yourself, "I am going to do what feels right," make sure, instead, that you are doing what is right according to God's Word.

Proverbs 5: Regret

What do you think your going to regret at the end of your life?

Do you think you will regret doing whats right?

Do you think you will regret listening to those with more wisdom than you?

Or will you regret ignoring those who are wiser and older than you?

Or will you regret your sin, and foolish behavior?

Verses 12-14 say, “and you say, 'How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof! I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors. I am at the brink of utter ruin in the assembled congregation.'”

Here is a man who ignored instruction, and followed his own way, on the edge of destruction. He regrets not listening to people when he was younger. He regrets hating discipline and instruction.

You will regret going to parties, and doing other bad things, but you will not regret living for and loving God.

Proverbs 4: Which Path?

There are two paths that we can take in this life. We can take the path of the wicked, which leads to death and destruction. Or we can take the path of righteousness, which leads to life.

Verses 14-15 say, “Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil. Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on.”

We are supposed to stay away from the path of the wicked and not even touch it. This is a path that leads to bad things. Small sins lead to more sin as we walk down this path of destruction. Sometimes we walk down this path because of friends or for other reasons, but we should walk down the path of righteousness instead.

Verses 26-27 say, "Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil."

We need to examine the path that we are on. Are we on the path of righteousness, leading to God? Or are we on the path leading to destruction? Are there things, or even people, that we need to cut out of our life so that we go down the right path?